Can't figure out the "GO" button on my ottb

[Equkelly]

@TBKite

My OTTB was angry and resentful of any kind of pressure rather than shut down, but definitely the fundamental issue was the pressure- answer- reward system had never been explained to him, and he thought people were persecuting him for no reason.

This, 100%. I think this happens a lot when there’s a gap in the early education somewhere. If that’s the case, you can’t go on and ride this horse like he’s your typical “green broke” ottb. Some horses can be started poorly and incorrectly but they kind of figure it out anyway but some horses are a little more introverted and you need to hold their hand.

Going forward is the second thing I teach a baby when I get on for the first time. (First thing I teach is how to do a one rein flex that way I can stop them.) If they can’t go forward, you can’t teach steering, collection, or pretty much anything else because you need to have that forward motion.

[AnastasiaBeaverhousen]

I would find a dressage trainer who starts young horses and see about doing some lessons for the both of you.

Not trying to be dismissive of your abilities but you really someone who is skilled at starting young horses.

You have not so far been able to communicate forward to your horse.

By watching someone who has this kind of experience they can explain how the rider uses the seat and legs to communicate to the horse.

Dressage is all about position and the aids. This is why I suggest a dressage trainer as opposed to hunter/jumper.

Not having seen you ride or school, it is difficult to judge what you are doing/not doing.

Once you rule out physical/neurological issues it becomes a matter of methods of training.

If he cant maintain gaits it may be a matter of not having the correct muscle development.

Since you are comfortable riding outside the ring, hill work is great for building muscles . If you have access of course.

Something to consider also is if you are pushing on the gas pedal and hitting the brakes at the same time.

Inadvertently punishing a horse for moving will just cause it to shut down.

If your horse moves out on the lunge then use your voice as an aid when you ride.

Mentally do a checklist in your mind when you give the aids . Are you setting him up for success?

Are you leaning forward for upward transitions?
Are you holding your breath?
Are you looking down?
Are you driving with your seat?
Are you tense?

Conflicting aids will definitely confuse a horse .

You may want to have someone video you so that you can see what your body is doing. You may be surprised.

Hope this helps.
Good luck to you.

[SuzieQNutter]

I have just been through this with my guy.

It is so different from riding a forward horse.

What people usually say does not work when the horse is not forward. When you get this same horse forward then what people say does work.

My boy was not forward. Ears back. Not happy. As my instructor said he would have A$$hole moments when he would say no.

I was trying so hard I would feel physically sick.

I do put myself in the advanced rider category but not an upper level rider yet.

He lunges perfectly in sidereins, not a step wrong. Under saddle I had to resort to someone having a lunge whip. When I ask for canter he slows. It is frustrating to say the least.

So what has worked in the end. I was carrying 2 whips but not using them when needed. He does not just buck, he leaps in the air and then bucks, so psychologically I did not really want to use them. He of course knew this and did not help by flinching along his whole side when I turned my wrist to lift the whip.

I had already taught him slow and quick. He does it on the lunge as well. He will do it with voice. You want him to try. This is important as he is praised for going ##slow## as well as being praised for going forward.

So first lesson I was told to pick one consequence whether whip or kick. It must be the same consequence, immediately as a shock every single time I ask.

This started with walking being led from being tacked. I click he must walk forward or tap with whip.

I mounted and walked and asked for trot, he did not respond immediately, so I tapped with the whip. Good boy when he goes. I am more confident using the whip at walk so I did that again. That was really it. It worked straight away.

It has been 2 months. I mount at x walk to v and ask for trot. He is cold backed and walking to warm up does not work for him. We trot to the corner and I ask for walk. I want that for when he is fresh as a horse doing a downward transition is confidence building. We trot around twice with no contact. Change rein and trot around twice. Then we change rein and canter around twice with no contact. Yes the horse I could not get to canter is now cantering soon into being ridden which helps his back to warm up and twice in the last week I have used the whip in canter with no contact and he has not flinched or bucked, so I think I am cured.

From there I ask for contact and do a few trot walk transitions. I have gotten the praise of good for them in my lessons. Sitting trot and walk on the 3rd step. I ask for trot he must go immediately or a tap.

From there slow and quick in trot, so collecting and working trot.

In the 6 weeks from that first tap from the tack shed. We are doing walk, trot snd canter with contact and are working on lighter aids. In the canter I was told if he did not go in immediately I had to override it and then trot and ask again. You have no idea how much I smile now when I ask for canter and he canters. I am now working on medium trots. Those 2 things were just a dream. We have started doing walk canters. I never thought that would be possible.

He sweats now he is trying so hard. He is happy to work now. I do not need the whip now.

I am riding my dream horse every day. He is working his heart out for me. I am so happy.

I have started sitting collected trot. I haven’t done that for years.

6 weeks ago I thought I was trying to force a square peg into a round hole and I should get another horse.

4 lessons with an instructor I know who has really only told me things that I already did know and I am riding a completely different horse. YAY.

[Bogie]

Be very, very careful about feeding Red Cell. I’ve been reading an endurance thread online where a very well known vet said that it can be harmful and very few horses need it.

[pony_grandma]

Have you ?? tried a lead horse, what luvmyhackney also suggested. And do you ride ‘out’ open fields and fun? Hop over a field jump. Try cropping him in the air while over the fence. yell go and 2 point upon landing.

I’d also carry two dressage whips vs hard spurring.

[TheDBYC]

Here’s a dumb question : are you sure that he understands that the leg aid means go? That’s something that we’ve always had to teach to our OTTBs as that’s not taught to them on the track.

[Foitin]

I agree that two dressage whips is better than spurring with ultra slow shut-down horses. I had one that could go behind the bit and with each application of the spur, planted her feet more and more. Pony kick? Have you tried the lunge line again recently? The ground person snapping the whip? Growling?

[anon510129]

I should’ve prefaced that the horse at my barn being fed red cell had blood work done and was, in fact, anemic. So sorry!!

[Moneypitt]

He is a stunning hunk!

It looks like the bit is pretty high up in his mouth. Have you tried lowering it a couple of holes? That might be a go button.

If that fails to help, you can always throw a western saddle on him and continue to mossy around!

[NancyM]

@TheDBYC

Here’s a dumb question : are you sure that he understands that the leg aid means go? That’s something that we’ve always had to teach to our OTTBs as that’s not taught to them on the track.

This is not a “dumb question”, it is THE question. This is what ground driving on long lines DOES, and yes, some people just skip this step, and on the racetrack, there is not a lot of leg pressure from a rider a lot of the time. The stick replaces the leg to cue the horse. So if a horse has never been taught to link leg pressure with “forward”, he doesn’t know this. On the track, he “goes” because everyone is “going”, and he may be alongside another horse who is “going”. But he doesn’t know about leg pressure. So, you have to ground drive him to teach him this… basic forward response to being cued on his sides. So, ground driving not only teaches about bit pressure for steering and stopping, it ALSO teaches FORWARD from tapping the reins on his sides as a cue driving him forward from behind. Ground drive/long line this horse, see if he has a clue. If he doesn’t know that pressure on his sides means “forward”, he isn’t going to go forward when you ride him, even if he has been on the track previously. It’s classic.

He’s a five year old TB, he is more than mature and developed enough to go forward off your leg in a riding ring w/t/c under saddle. Teach him how before expecting him to do it for you. Good luck.

[TheDBYC]

NancyM, we’ve always had OTTB because of where we live (track is nearby, endless supply of nice horses in our nonexistant budget). Someone posted a video in a FB group I’m in of her teen trying to get her brand new OTTB going. The horse looked to be a friendly, sensible sort but obviously had no clue what was being asked of him. The group is adamently non-advice giving, but I gently commented anyway. The discussion that ensued with several other commentators was eye opening. None were aware of how the “factory installed” brakes on a recently OTTB work, either. And I’d like to think I might have saved some newly OTTB and their civilian owners some frustration!

[TPF_Hunter]

I may have your horses clone! And we figured it out. Patience and the right trainer and more patience.

While I am an advanced rider, I was not prepared to have an OTTB with no Go button installed, nor do I have the right experience to do this work. I couldn’t even get him to walk on the lunge, nor walk undersaddle. Installing the ‘go’ on a horse that is NOT a forward thinking horse is a unique challenge.

The best money I ever spent was a month of training with a natural horseman/dressage trainer with extensive background. She spent a month with him in a round pen, teaching him to move his feet, long lining, and using consistent cues across all of the training. It was an eye opener for me. She got results the very first day, it was truly magical, but honestly its basic training and broken down into a language the horse could understand. This translated so well into undersaddle work. Like your horse, mine responds to light pressure, and ONLY responds to light pressure. Harder pressure would cause him to suck back - it was truly a conversation with the horse and staying very consistent.

No diet change, tricks, or gimmicks can teach your horse to go - he has an opinion and he is using his silent protest to show he doesn’t understand nor think he needs to work. 100% hire a trainer that can longline him, get him forward thinking and his hind end engaged from the ground - this could take a month or two, but will pay off in a huge way. My trainer has a mix of natural horsemanship and dressage foundations. The natural horsemanship taught him to move his feet in a unique way and was a great combination with the long lining.

It sounds like you’re willing to do anything to get this horse “going”. Trust the process - although sometimes progress is slow. My TB and I are pictured in my profile - hope that can provide you some encouragement to not give up.