I do think some groundwork will help her learn to have better control over herself. It won’t make her not hot but it will help with focus and she can hit a release valve now and then.
Otherwise things that come to mind are ulcers, hormones, some kind of v/m imbalance like maybe magnesium deficiency. Hot is one thing but the constantly spooky, snorting stuff is another. that means total lack of focus and she is getting mentally checked out away from you and being too fixated on other things.
This post has me stratching my head a bit. Just because a horse isn’t receiving pro rides, doesn’t mean it isn’t being trained. Of course it’s not ideal if the trainer is afraid of the horse, and the OP had acknowledged that, but the OP also sounds like a capable rider who doesn’t need hand holding and training rides every other day.
What are you trying to accomplish in your rides? Given her greenness and temperament, I wonder if you’re asking for too much, too fast.
Barring any physical issues (and from experience, pain/discomfort can cause spookiness or overly fresh/unsettled behavior)… if trotting and cantering ramp her up, rather than trying to tire her out, maybe just work at the walk until she learns to relax.
Praise relaxation, a little rub on the neck, every time she offers. Even if at first all you do is circles at the walk for the whole ride. For weeks, if that’s what it takes. Then add in some trot, same idea. This works their brain more than their body, because they’re still paying attention to you – you want them to work at the walk, but also to let go of tension.
If one is consistent with the praise and not rushing the relaxation part, then working w/t/c itself is relaxing and they develop trust in you. When you put your leg on, they learn to relax and go forward, and learn to be between the leg and the hand. Then work = relaxation, slowing down, trusting the rider, and using their body properly, pushing from behind and seeking contact.
I’d also maybe try ear plugs and look into magnesium supplement. Possibly see how horse goes with a different, skilled rider/trainer, if there is one available, who has good record with these types. Also make sure you aren’t tensing up in anticipation of her behavior.
My first question is are you keeping her warm enough? I have a horse who is a real pill to ride if he got cold the night before. Do note I mean somewhat chillier than he likes rather than shivering cold. I discovered quite by accident that a heavier blanket made him much happier and nicer to ride in the colder months.
Second, magnesium helped my spooky boy (same one who dislikes being chilly) focus and obsess less over concerning things. My vet said that while magnesium doesn’t work for all horses, for those that is does benefit it keeps on benefitting. Which makes sense if it is a magnesium deficiency, or simple need for more magnesium than the average horse. I noticed small improvements in just over a week, and he just kept getting better over the next month.
Have you thought about chucking her into a field for a month and starting over? My mare is quite sensitive and when she starts giving me rides like this I give her some time off (the nice thing about a TB is they stay pretty fit) it might be a week off or just a few days depending on what we have going on but this seems to help her reset and be more game to work. I would also try adding Purina Outlast, this has helped my mares tummy a lot, way less hot when she is traveling. I also recommend going on long trail rides, if I cant give my mare time off this is what I do. Its a great work out for them and again it helps her reset mentally.
I had this horse… amazing talent but just HOT all of the time. We dropped her grain entirely save a handful and she got smart calm ultra and a probiotic. Then, every ride started with a forward hand walk- one to two laps in each direction of the ring and then a 5-10 minute lunge session. She was not allowed to buck/bolt/be a lunatic on the lunge… it was just a structured warm up to let her get loose and see all angles of the ring. Sometimes these late started horses need to learn that for one hour a day, they are in a structured work program.
She appreciated the predictability of every session and became a wonderful AA/AO horse for me. Stay away from alfalfa and sugary grain (or all grain if you can get her to keep weight on hay alone).
Is she just spooky, or is she very forward when you ride as well?
Every horse is different, of course, but what I have had success with in the past is encouraging “whoa”. A lot of walking, and then picking up a trot. Only using seat, leg, and voice (and circles), keep asking for slower and slower, until the horse eventually breaks into a walk, and praise! Rinse, lather, repeat, and don’t overdo! If you get a couple quiet short trot sessions, I would end there. Eventually, you get five or six trot steps before the horse automatically breaks into the walk, which is when you start adding more leg to continue extending the slow trot session. It may seem like you’re teaching another bad habit, but it’s easier to add a motor than to take one away, and since you’re only softly using your aids, you should not be creating a sour horse.
Same with jumping. Set up a low, low fence, trot up to it, and when you are still far enough away to not be teaching run-outs/refusals, either halt, circle, or bring the horse down to a walk and walk over the fence, then eventually you can do the same canter —> trot. Never thought I’d have the biggest smile on my face when my rushy OTTB cantered out of the corner to a decent-sized jump and broke into a balanced trot, then rocked himself back while I had a soft hand! Only took a couple more schooling fences with a little extra forward encouragement for him to hold a steady, balanced, and consistent canter up to, over, and away himself.
Again every horse is different and I’ve had this work on a couple, but not sure how if it would suit your mare. I figure this teaches the horses just because we’re moving doesn’t mean we’re going anywhere, so what’s the rush? (ETA: kind of implied, but everything is done quietly! Keep your breathing and body slow, even when she’s not wanting to slow down herself. Don’t fight with her for any downward transitions - it just makes her resist. As hard as it may be, give her the idea of the downward transition, and praise her when she “comes up with it herself” 
)
i have a similar guy- when he was younger, I taught him focus with ground poles. I would set up multiple exercises for each ride that I could do at different gaits. Still go back to it when he’s having a wild day- it helps him get his attention on what we’re doing and not on anything else that floats between his ears
I’d maybe look into a supplement like Smart Calm or, since she’s a mare, Depo or Regumate. My gelding was previously very reactive and spooky, both under saddle and on the ground. He also lacked a work ethic. We did some digging, found out he’d been gelded very late, and gave Depo a try. Hes a different horse now
Maybe it’s a square peg trying to fit in a round hole…
She sounds like my kind of horse, lol. Seriously, I’ve had more than a few fire breathing dragons like her. Mine have all been very smart and athletic. My most recent mare like this was an expert in airs above the ground and gave me some wild rides when I first started working her. They’ve all turned into outstanding riding horses I look / looked forward to riding each day. Barring any health or ill-fitting tack issues, the key is to encourage their brains and get that athleticism to work to your advantage.
If she’s a former broodmare who only knew the track before, everything is new to her and she needs to physically build up to a sport horse. I’ve been in your shoes and this is how I’ve solved the issue:
First thing to do is make sure she’s getting plenty of turnout. Not a few hours, but a full day with room to run. Let her run.
Second, trail rides. If she’s like mine she’ll chill out with new and exciting adventures. If you can mix in more work outside of the ring at first, then slowly bring her back into the ring, you may find you have a different horse. At least with mine, there’s been a direct connection between “hotter when in the ring” and figuring out balance / developing muscle. Building both in a more interesting setting has made my life easier. Trail work has an additional team and trust building element that will help you in your training. Bring a friend if that makes you more comfortable.
Third, vary your ring work. Keep it interesting and minimize the time spent on difficult tasks. The goal is to make her less nervous about ring work while she gets into shape. My hottest OTTBs have had trouble staying calm at the walk so we worked on different trots at first then slowly brought the walk in once they chilled out. And only for short periods at first, then gradually increased the time. I always give mine the same hearty pat at the end and drop the reins to the buckle while we cool out, which becomes a calming signal. Then we have a nice, leisurely walk around the ring.
Fourth, check your bit. It seems counter-intuitive, but the simple bits were my mares’ favorites. One of my hottest calmed down in a Happy Mouth mullen mouth. They acted like pacifiers. I might throw on a running martingale but usually try to keep the tack to a minimum. More aggressive tack seems to have an opposite effect, making them more nervous.
I’ve never had to drug or supplement mine to get rid of the ring crazies. Nor have I ever had to longe or work to death (which probably won’t be effective with a TB anyway - they have incredible stamina). It took a little time but was soooo worth the effort in each case.
I have all of mine on Ultium and soaked beet pulp in addition to their hay and grazing.
Definitely try the regumate
I am a huge fan of quiessence. It either works like magic or doesn’t. Nupa feed magnesium as well.
if not eating forage 24/7 try that (ulcers)
would she benefit from a 5 min buck on the longe line 1x per week? when mine used to get back from a season in Florida where they were super fit, i’d give them down time. they would get to week 2 and feel like they had a hump in their back all the time, because they just didn’t expend enough energy. One longe of controlled playing and they were back to normal.
I had a hot TB that I thought was hopeless. A year of trail riding, trot poles, and 18" fences on a figure eight changed his whole demeanor. Trail rides have to be long. Also, resist the urge to bit her up. Consider a happy mouth. Sometimes they run from somebody hanging on their face.
If your trainer isn’t helping with specific exercises and ideas to calm your girl, you might try a trainer experienced with TBs. Mine went on to be a calm and competitive 1.15 jumper and eventer. Last year a young girl bought him and he is packing her around beginner novice on the buckle. Warms my heart.
Slightly OT but yes! I have a boarder that blames any bad ride on feed and wants the horse cut back. Never mind that he’s an 18 hand enormous animal that NEEDS more food to maintain his weight, but she also barely rides (like maybe once or twice a month) so perhaps he is fresh because of that?
And we aren’t feeding him anything that would really affect his behavior in any event. The vast majority of his diet is good quality hay (not alfalfa). It’s just frustrating to continually have this conversation with the owner every time.
Not to say the horse in the OP isn’t getting sufficient exercise, but it isn’t ALWAYS the feed. And 2 lbs of senior a day isn’t really that much for a horse being ridden that often. I haven’t personally seen Senior feed light them up, but it is always possible. It could be the mare is just hot, unfortunately.
I started my 4yr old OTTB on Smart Calm Ultra and he is much less reactive. He still has an occasional flare up but he now has his head in the game when I am riding him. One other thing that has helped is to have a plan for my ride to keep his mind working. I always incorporate trot poles, transitions and lots of bending work so he has to think more. Some days we do ring work and other days we take a walking trail ride. I think this has helped him tremendously. Good luck! It can be so frustrating!
I started my 4yr old OTTB on Smart Calm Ultra and he is much less reactive. He still has an occasional flare up but he now has his head in the game when I am riding him. One other thing that has helped is to have a plan for my ride to keep his mind working. I always incorporate trot poles, transitions and lots of bending work so he has to think more. Some days we do ring work and other days we take a walking trail ride. I think this has helped him tremendously. Good luck! It can be so frustrating!
My mare sounds very similar to you, I personally find her freshness is just her anxiety taking over instead of relaxing (thoroughbred who I started at 9). I would work on groundwork and transitions. When my mare is ahead of my leg, I bring her to a halt and just let her relax and wait for my cue to start again. This helped get her full concentration is on me and to relax. But it could be anxiety taking over as green horses are learning.
Does the behavior improve when you go the wet saddle pad route?
I tend to be skeptical of the feed-her-less suggestions, and just wonder if she plain needs more work. A few minutes on the lunge line every now and then to get the crazies out might be just what she needs. I don’t generally find it to be particularly productive to try to train a horse that is crawling out of its skin. If lunging isn’t practical where you are riding (and if it’s safe), a few minutes of cantering in a light seat might also give her the release you need before you try to start serious work. Both of these are ways to let her burn energy in the way she needs to without getting into a fight. That will allow you to save your aids for when she can understand what is being asked.
I agree that you don’t want to get into a bad cycle of working her harder and harder and only achieving what you want when you’ve hit the bottom of her energy. But I also think that more fitness does not necessarily mean an even fresher horse. She may just be too wild to focus on work some days, and you might as well let her get quiet enough to be able to learn something. Like people, I think some horses just plain need more exercise than others to be calm and happy. If you have the equivalent of an equine fidgeter, limiting the length and intensity of your rides may just be making your problem worse.
And a draw rein won’t kill you if the horse is doing enough airs above the ground that your trainer is reluctant to sit on her. Draw reins have their drawbacks, but one nice thing about them is they are easily adjusted. So you can engage them during the zany moments, and loosen them back out once you’re doing productive work. I’m not saying they’ll solve your problem. But I certainly wouldn’t be afraid to give them a try.
If your horse is no better at the end of the ride than the beginning, then you may be dealing with a more complicated problem.
A study that shows natural horseman like approaches to training in comparison to conventional training caused the horse to display less stress. Worth thinking about in how you want to approach your problem with your horse. If your horse is exhibiting distracted, anxious behavior, groundwork is something to try. Maybe it won’t work for you-- maybe it will-- when it does work it is amazing in the instant results it brings.
My OTTB would probably have been treated as one who needs to be LTD before ridden. This would only amp up his anxiety, and would have had the opposite result. 10 minutes of groundwork, and he is like the sanest, softest, most focused horse ever.
My mare moved from Oklahoma to Ontario in August. Lately, it’s been cold here. Nasty, frozen ground. While she’s turned out during the day, she’s not burning off energy. She’s never been super hot, but lately she’s been spooky and has FORGOTTEN HOW TO WALK.
First, she gets to go out in the indoor arena. I take off her blanket, and she gets to roll and buck and run around. Then we go in for grooming. Tack up.
We go out to the indoor and go slooow. I’ve had a few rides where we only walk. If she can’t walk, we do a lot of trotting. A ton! And then walk. And then more trotting! (working on rounding and collection)
Think we just had a breakthrough tonight. She just WOULD! NOT! WALK! nicely in prior rides in Dec. But tonight, I sat her with a very heavy, swaying seat. As she quickened, I slowed Seemed to give her pause, something to think about and adjust to.
That heavy seat, briefly as I asked for a nice walk, then transitioning into a really forward trot (again, my posting setting the rhthym), and back to sitting trot, again, being more independent (controlling!) with my seat really seemed to get her paying attention to me. Kept the arena pigeons and other distractions from being as interesting. Lots of transitions. Circles and bending. She’s just more horse than this Canadian winter allows her to express. Having to find a way to channel it.
Good luck!
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