How long did it take for your longest to become reliable?

[ClassyJumper]

I have had my OTTB mare for 6 years, she is now 11. We have done a decent amount but I had several years of grad school/career changes in there so there was a few years we didn’t get out much. She is a sensitive chestnut TB mare, hate the stereotype but it’s the easiest way to describe her.

She is not “green” in the typical sense. Obviously we can always improve but her flat work is solid, jump courses with changes, ditches, banks, water, etc.

But our last hurdle is definitely finding some sanity and consistency off property. I have done quite a bit of “trail riding” at a local walking path & she is great at the walk. However, trotting & cantering gets her amped & then I feel like I am riding a powder keg.

Not sure what I am asking here, but I guess just that if I get her out every weekend (schooling shows, trails, etc.) this year should I expect some improvement or are some horses just always unsettled? Several years ago when I was more consistent we definitely had improvement so I think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel but I am in my 30s now and the bravery is just not what it once was.

Any other tips for easing the tension off property?

The happy mare at home:

[Displaced_Yankee]

Well my Connemara cross is turning 14 this year. I backed him at 4…sooooooo…10 years later he is still not reliable.

Since 2019 when I started working in tax full time he gets January 1st - April 15th mostly off. So I restart him back each year via my conditioning program. I DO think this helps because once we are up to 45 minutes of active walking he is like “Can we just TROT now?” It eases him into work mode.

However…in work…not in work…he still has a looky-ness in him. One day he foot perfect…another day he spooks passing the mounting block. Next day…fine again. We have a 30 minute trail loop. Somedays he jigs the whole way (causing my riding friend enormous laughter) and other days he walks on a long rein.

My big thing is just staying cool. Pat on the neck, give on a rein, big deep breath (maybe a laugh). If he is looky at new place or whenever just for fun I concentrate on a relaxed seat, weight in my heels, sitting upright. Big breaths and even counting out loud the walk cadence. One, Two, Three, Four, One, Two, Three, Four.

And he’s not like this every day and I don’t let him bolt/buck/rear/be naughty. But the more neutral I am…the more he comes down.

But I like the sort of hot horse. So he fits me. And somehow he knows that when I need it MOST…he comes through with an easy bareback hack.

[cilla1]

I’d love to tell you there is a set time after wich they find their brain …my appendix had a first improvement when he turned 12, even better improvement when he turned 15. Is he fully reliable? Not at all but now we have more good days than bad and he seems to get bored of his own tantrums in a shorter time. Maybe when he’ll turn 20 he’ll become a solid citizen, who knows

[beowulf]

I had a really difficult horse as a teen. To this day I don’t think I’ve touched a horse that came close to his quickness. My instructor used to tell me “It’s always darkest before dawn” with him because I had days where I’d probably write exactly what you did.

In hindsight his quirkiness was because of a longstanding physical issue many talented professionals missed. And it all went away once it was addressed.

Some horses hate being off property. If you can’t put them in a consistent program where they learn to stop being herd bound (no judgment, BTDT) it might be hard. She may be a homebody versus an adventuresome ride. Not all are equal and sometimes just finding their niche will convert them from unreliable to saintly.

Hugs! It’s hard out there for the ammies.

[jvanrens]

Have you ever taken her out with company? Maybe a companion, and it doesn’t even have to be a horse she is a buddy with will help show her the ropes. Just a horse that is quiet on a hack can be a very good thing. Getting her out to shows where you don’t even show, just ride her around to check things out could be a good idea.

[Simkie]

I also have a sensitive red headed OTTB.

Doing anything, especially something “new,” only on the weekends is hard for him. If I want to make progress on really anything, I need to be working it into the routine daily, or at least with a lot of regularity.

Can you get off property more often? And do think on if she’s REALLY as comfortable at the walk as you believe. Going powder keg at faster gaits does suggest that she may not be, but instead that she’s capable of holding it together because the pace is slower–which is different than actually being okay.

Some horses also just don’t like different environments and will always be unsettled. You can get them comfortable in specific “away” environments as they learn they’re “safe” but toss in something new, and it’ll always be a bit of a red alert.

You have my empathy! These guys are tough (but sure are great teachers!)

[fordtraktor]

Is “never” an option?

[Aussie_2020]

I’ve mentioned one of my ottb’s before that needed WORK. He was a chestnut . For him, the harder he worked, the better he was. No one hour hack on a loose rein for him. He thrived on 3+ hour trail rides at least once a week, and a strong gallop or two during the week. My trainer had a quarter mile track so that was easy. On trail rides I didn’t gallop much if at all, mainly a long trot (I guess that would be equivalent to a medium trot) and walking in a marching pace. Once he got the hang of it, that all could be done on a long rein. In my 20’s he was the perfect horse!

My ottb mare needed a blow out gallop the day before our lesson. If I didn’t, she’d gallop past everybody in the class and when it was our turn to jump a line or a course she’d knock several jumps down! The girl had too much go go go without that hard gallop the night before. I loved it!

So to answer your question: it depends. It depends if your horse simple needs more work or maybe she’s a horse that will always have an edge.

[ThreeWishes]

Are we only talking about TBs? Because my Danish WB was rock solid at 7. Bought him when he was 6. He’s a golden retriever in horse hide. Ignore if we are only talking TBs. I do think temperament is very set in stone. And the lovely things about different temperaments and different breeds are not always trained. They are inherent. And while I sometimes wish he was spicy and more forward. I do appreciate his genuine very zen demeanor. It’s who he is. You work with what you have. Nature and nurture are really different things.

[FjordBCRF]

@ThreeWishes

I do think temperament is very set in stone.

I think there is a lot to this. My singular data point is I got Charlie (Fjord) at three and spent the first while riding him bareback on an extensive trail system at the barn we were at while we got saddle fit sorted out. Everyone thought I was nuts! I figured the ground was close enough I could slide off in a pinch if I needed to. Granted it was mainly walking, but I never needed to bail.

He certainly knows a lot more 5 years later, but his temperament today is just as calm and sensible as he was as a three year old.

[sophie]

My last Ottb ( that’s us in my avatar) never really became “reliable”. I bought her at the track when she was 4 and we were together for 20 years. She was hot and sensitive and also a bit of a joker at times (squealing while exuberantly over jumping everything).
She did settle with age, but the “moments” were never far away…!
I remember riding her when she was 19 years young in a jumping clinic with a pro eventer. Mare was being rushy, bucky and not cooperating with striding etc, the pro got on her and was able to have her somewhat under control and told me after a hard-won round, making her respect pace and distances etc.: “She’s exhausting!” Then went on, “I have one like this in my barn…24 years old and still hot as can be”.
That day, I felt vindicated
This little mare, with all her quirks, was so sweet though. We really understood each other, and riding other horses after she passed makes me miss her all the more.

[HeartsDesireEventing]

My longest one was never 100% - he always spooked, even when I went to visit him as a mostly retired 24yo with his new owner. But at 10, a switch flipped, and it felt like he matured and understood his job, even if he still had his moments. Will never forget the time we jumped backwards halfway across the arena because a butterfly flew in front of his nose LOL.

[findeight]

IME, never is an option here, especially if you only have weekends to work with her. Some horses need a daily routine and full time job, might be her. Flatwork may be solid but she needs more of it.

Honestly, if she amps up when you go out of walk? Just walk until you figure it out. Is there a place you can just get up off her back and gallop out? Maybe some hills (uphill helps)? I do not think this is a behavior problem, it is just her needing more. IME she is not likely to grow out of that in the next 10 years.

Consider she was a great horse for you in your 20s but maybe not so much now in your 30s and possibly even less so in your 40s. It happens…maybe she would be happier with a 20ish pilot who has more time to ride? Can you, maybe, find one to ride her during the week?

[ClassyJumper]

Whoops I think something was lost in translation. We ride everyday when the weather cooperates. I have been trying to get her off property on the weekends. I looked back and it has been 3 years since we have done much traveling (time flys when your not having fun at work) so in think it’s just going to take a bit of time to get back where we were & hopefully better!

[c0608524]

Looking back, my chestnut tb never really changed per se but I got better at managing his occasional quirks. I wish I could say at XX age a lightbulb went off in his brain but that’s not the case.

He was also a war horse, raced until 7 to which I purchased him shortly off the track. He was pretty set in his ways!

I will say over the years I became very aware of his tendencies and they became much more manageable. Not that they were ever THAT bad, but I definitely could tell when I needed to start our ride with groundwork instead of hopping right on. After many years I figured out a way to set us up for success, which in hindsight was maybe a lightbulb moment for me, not him

Edited to add:
I see I sort of ignored your initial question, and I have no tips but a lot of empathy. These chestnut tbs are pretty special, and I’m confident you’ll find a way to work through it.

[phantomhorse]

I agree with @ThreeWishes that temperament is generally set.

My last endurance gelding became more predicable, but was never what I would call reliable. He was always quite reactive. While his reactions did get less explosive over the years, I think it was because I was better at predicting what was going to bother him and redirect vs him not actually caring about the stimulus.

[BeeHoney]

It’s my experience with OTTBs that some of them never really settle down for excitement like going off property or trotting/cantering on trails or out in the open. In fact, some of them settle a little, but some get progressively worse–it’s not a confidence thing, it’s like there is a feedback loop in their heads to get worked up about it. I know 20 year old OTTBs that still are prone to get worked up and behave unreliably. I think it’s a good sign that your horse improved some after more work. I personally don’t have any problem using calming supplements or even acepromazine for horses as a bridge to reasonably and safely muddle through some experience building trips or trail rides, and then see if they improve over time.