My New OTTB Won't Go Left

[Kels]

First, meet my new girl Wren, or Winter Snow Angel if you ask the JC. I got her about a month ago, she’s 5 and came off the track last summer. I would love to hear anything anyone has to say about her conformation, I did my best to get her to stand, but she’s a bit of an over-sized dog and likes to follow me around.

The videos are all less than 30 seconds long… And please excuse her clip job, it was she and my first time with the clippers

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1526580_10103915894368215_1225676885_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/q84/s720x720/1530557_10103915894358235_1697351036_n.jpg

We are making good progress and taking things slow but for some reason… she hates going to the left. She is great in every other way, has no problems with the right lead and gets it every time.

When asked for the canter to the left, it’s not pretty. A lot of feet leaving the ground all at once.

Chiropractor/vet has been out and she’s been adjusted, we spent a week when she first came in stretching and massaging her back, saddle fit is fine (and she does it on the ground as well as in the saddle)… I took some video tonight of me trying to get her to canter to the left from the ground so you can see her avoidance of it and maybe give me some insight/things to try to make her more comfortable and not want to avoid it. (You will see that she uses that same corner each time to switch direction because I’m not over there, but she has problems with the canter in all areas of the arena. She switches directions at the trot because she knows I’m going to ask her to canter.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpsCWPvKiqE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6LfaMG80us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHUfl8tvIr0

Any ideas why and/or things that will help fix it?

[Manahmanah]

Well, fixing it starts by not tolerating it. So I see a horse that is allowed to just mosey in past you after it changes directions. Instead and since your lunge whip should be in your right hand, you run forward whip extended and block her path. Turn the horse around and make it go in the right direction.

I generally do not free lunge before the horse goes well on a line. Yours is clearly not ready for this. If you had a round pen you’d have a little more control at least. Right now you have none. So, round pen or line and try correcting the horse when it randomly decides it is going to be the boss.

[Kels]

Oh! I was also going to mention that part of the longest clip- where she came too close to me. The video cut off for a reason and it was because I will not tolerate her getting that close to me.

I’m not saying this to excuse or disregard your response, Manahmanah- you’re right. They have been in for nearly a week due to the crazy weather up here so I was just going to free lunge, but on the line makes more sense for control purposes.

[sunhawk]

You are just giving her way to much room to choose her own options. If she dramatically prefers going in one direction, then you have to set things up so she has to go left,and can’t simply decide to change directions on you. She needs to be working in hand, not loose in a riding ring.

[Sticky_Situation]

[QUOTE=Kels;7352099]
First, meet my new girl Wren, or Winter Snow Angel if you ask the JC. I got her about a month ago, she’s 5 and came off the track last summer. I would love to hear anything anyone has to say about her conformation, I did my best to get her to stand, but she’s a bit of an over-sized dog and likes to follow me around.

The videos are all less than 30 seconds long… And please excuse her clip job, it was she and my first time with the clippers

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1526580_10103915894368215_1225676885_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/q84/s720x720/1530557_10103915894358235_1697351036_n.jpg

We are making good progress and taking things slow but for some reason… she hates going to the left. She is great in every other way, has no problems with the right lead and gets it every time.

When asked for the canter to the left, it’s not pretty. A lot of feet leaving the ground all at once.

Chiropractor/vet has been out and she’s been adjusted, we spent a week when she first came in stretching and massaging her back, saddle fit is fine (and she does it on the ground as well as in the saddle)… I took some video tonight of me trying to get her to canter to the left from the ground so you can see her avoidance of it and maybe give me some insight/things to try to make her more comfortable and not want to avoid it. (You will see that she uses that same corner each time to switch direction because I’m not over there, but she has problems with the canter in all areas of the arena. She switches directions at the trot because she knows I’m going to ask her to canter.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpsCWPvKiqE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6LfaMG80us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHUfl8tvIr0

Any ideas why and/or things that will help fix it?[/QUOTE]

If your vet has seen her and found no physical problems, it is likely that she is just stronger to the right and prefers to go that way. You need to make a point to have her go left just as much as she goes right. This can be done both on the longe line and under saddle, depending on your experience level as a rider. I agree that free-longeing is not very beneficial at this point in her training, at least not in that large of an area where she can duck away from you and turn around to go her preferred direction.

I would recommend longeing her both directions to help her build up strength … Remember, OTTBs aren’t used to having to balance themselves on a (relatively) small circle.

Do you have a trainer or instructor that is helping you with her?

[Kels]

I do, yes.

We haven’t been doing a ton of free lunging but like I said, they’ve been inside for a week so I figured I’d just let her go tonight.

Will be starting her in side reins next week.

What other exercises/things can I do to help her strengthen that side so she feels more comfortable/balanced?

[EventerAJ]

Is she more comfortable outside in a big space rather than in the indoor?

To a horse fresh off the track, the tiny space of an indoor can greatly magnify their inherent balance problems. To a balanced, trained horse, cantering a 20m circle is no big deal. To a horse used to galloping straight lines and very gentle curves, 20m might be impossible and the walls can cause minor claustrophobia. If she’s unbalanced an uncomfortable in the smaller space, I’d skip cantering for a little while, working on building strength and straightness at walk and trot, and only canter large loopy circles outside in a big field (weather permitting). As her balance improves, you might be able to canter the long sides of the indoor, and transition to trot before the corner, if the short end causes her to lose balance and confidence.

Most racehorses are stronger to the left…but not all. Some horses are never taught to pick up the left lead-- one of mine was taught to break on his right lead out of the gate, and swap to the left only on turns. His right lead departs were reliable, but the left was messy for a little bit.

OTTBs have a lot to learn in the first few months off the track: that their job isn’t racing anymore. How to half-halt, how to move laterally off the leg (not just fast!), how to bend, how to balance and carry themselves differently, how to go slow with consistent rhythm. They may not know “aids” for a canter transition; and though he’s crooked, the horse doesn’t know that your legs and hands are asking him to straighten or bend properly. The result of a crooked, unbalanced horse is a sloppy transition and probably a rushed, rough canter that falls apart. It’s ok, that’s common! As you work with them, they learn what your aids mean, they gain strength, they develop balance. Do lots of spiral in at walk and later trot; 10m circles and serpentines at the walk; turn on the forehand, gentle leg yielding, etc. Go hacking when you can, find some hills, or introduce over cavaletti. If you’re sure there’s no physical problem, keep working slowly to build her strength and balance. Get the horse solidly on the outside rein, and straightness will come, and then canter departs will be much easier. I know, it’s boring “baby work” but it will lay the foundation for everything yet to come.

I’ve worked with another horse-- QH, not OTTB-- that came to me barely green-broke with a severe aversion to the right lead. He would NOT pick it up in a round pen or on a lunge line, and only after a dozen hapless canter attempts under saddle he might fall into the right lead. He was horribly crooked, steering was barely installed, and his go-button was unreliable. Two weeks of trot circles, serpentines and transitions (and a dressage whip) made a big difference. I had to teach him what leg and hand meant; I had to insist that he keep his neck and shoulder in line through a corner, not just rubberneck and fall sideways. Once I gained control of his shoulder (outside rein!) and he got a little bit stronger, he became 100% consistent with either lead.

[enjoytheride]

OK, here is what I see.

First, all horses go in two directions but most have a problem going in one or the other.

What I would do is find someone who is experienced with free lunging take her for a drive and show you what you’re doing wrong. There’s a lot of body language from you and the horse , and it’s a respect game.

She’s switching directions in that corner because you let her, you have to stay behind her shoulder in a driving position and get back in front of her fast if she does reverse. It’s not easy to explain via text so have someone show you how to do it.

I also wouldn’t ask her to canter free since it’s hard to regulate. For now I would just lunge her, it will be easier for you.

[GoneAway]

[QUOTE=EventerAJ;7352207]

OTTBs have a lot to learn in the first few months off the track: that their job isn’t racing anymore. How to half-halt, how to move laterally off the leg (not just fast!), how to bend, how to balance and carry themselves differently, how to go slow with consistent rhythm. They may not know “aids” for a canter transition; and though he’s crooked, the horse doesn’t know that your legs and hands are asking him to straighten or bend properly. The result of a crooked, unbalanced horse is a sloppy transition and probably a rushed, rough canter that falls apart. It’s ok, that’s common! As you work with them, they learn what your aids mean, they gain strength, they develop balance. Do lots of spiral in at walk and later trot; 10m circles and serpentines at the walk; turn on the forehand, gentle leg yielding, etc. Go hacking when you can, find some hills, or introduce over cavaletti. If you’re sure there’s no physical problem, keep working slowly to build her strength and balance. Get the horse solidly on the outside rein, and straightness will come, and then canter departs will be much easier. I know, it’s boring “baby work” but it will lay the foundation for everything yet to come. [/QUOTE]
^THIS. Honestly I don’t think the videos tell me much, other than it’s a mare running around loose in an arena with the option to turn around and go the other way so she an avoid the real work. I agree with the suggestions to lunge if a round pen isn’t available. Ultimately I agree with AJ that it’s probably a strength and understanding issue.

My guy was great picking up the left lead, but really wanted nothing to do with the right lead at first. I prefer to teach from the ground so they can figure out their balance without the rider interfering, but because we don’t have a round pen on the property and he was never super focused on the lunge, I had to work on schooling undersaddle (which he’s a total gentleman). For him, it was a lot of what is written above. Once he got stronger and balanced through a lot of trot work and understood what I wanted with my aids, the right lead started to come together. Whenever he picked it up, even if just for a stride before he fell out of the canter, I stopped and praised him. He’s a smart cookie and really just needed the reinforcement that he did the right thing in picking up that right lead. Once that lightbulb when on, he started nailing his transitions consistently in just a couple of weeks.

Be patient, keep it simple. Good luck, she’s adorable.

[Chall]

Mine did this. Was she xrayed in pre purchase exam? If not I suggest you have feet done. Mine had chips in his front fetlock, but i cant remember which it was, right or left. I think it was his left.

[Simbalism]

I just got an OTTB mare the week before Thanksgiving. She had been off the track for a while(she’s 6), but hadn’t really done anything other than occasional trail rides. She didn’t know how to lunge well. Since I have had her, I have worked a little with her lunging, just some walk/trot to get her listening to me and get a little more fit. I have also been riding her a little in the ring, mostly walking with some trotting on the long sides. I can tell she is unbalanced as she tries to root down with her head in the turns and feels miscombubulated(sp-hehe) with her feet. I have done more long slow trail rides with just a little trotting up some little hills. I have not even asked her to try and canter as I feel she is not ready to do that. She has a nice balanced canter when she is out in the pasture. She just needs to muscle up so she can carry a rider while she canters. Good luck with your horse she is cute.

[2ndyrgal]

Put the canter away.

Until you get a reliable walk, trot, whoa, bend and get a stronger, more supple horse. Unless you are truly a skilled rider/trainer, what you don’t realize is that for a race horse, “canter” is just the transition to gallop that happens after trotting to fast to continue. It’s very tempting to do, because of course, race horses already know, technically anyway, how to canter and their trots can be choppy, upheaded and generally not all that nice to ride. Walk is also a frequently neglected gait.

In fact, when I “restart” OTTBs (and I’ve done dozens) nearly all I do for the first month is walk. Everywhere, until I can get the horse to accept contact at the walk and not break into a trot or become nervous. Contact, to a OTTB, means “something important/fast is about to happen”. You need to convince them that hey, no matter whether you’re on the buckle or not, no need to get excited, we’re just going to la-t-da around here. Sidereins are a bad idea, no sense putting side reins on a clearly unbalanced horse. Draw reins are a similar bad ideal. What you want is a quiet progression. When the horse reliably does a flat footed walk both on the buckle and with at least a training level sort of contact and will march forward into the bit without fussing or trotting, then you can trot. When you can trot balanced, both directions both on the buckle and do walk/trot transitions without falling out and fussing and head flipping, at that point, and the best way to do it is to trot a little crossrail and “if” the canter happens on landing, then allow it for 3 or 4 strides as long as it doesn’t accelerate then downward transition to trot. All that happens when you canter too soon (and you are) is you screw up and get a rushy, junky trot and the horse learns nothing.

Put the lunge line away. They don’t improve your horse, nor will it teach your horse anything. “Free lungeing” is a misnomer, you’re just chasing the horse around the arena, which is fine if you need to do that to get the ya ya’s out, but, understand that the horse is already accustomed to having someone in the saddle WITHOUT being longed or turned out. He doesn’t need to be jazzed up and run around, he needs to understand by gentle and fair progression that it is no longer his job to be fast no matter what, it is his new job to accept seat, legs, hands and the bit. I’ve had horses that progressed quickly thru the levels of training and horses that it took over a year and things could still trigger a “racehorse” response. Much of it depends on who started the horse originally, and how they were started. I’ve had OTTBs that you could literally, take to a hunter show and do the 2ft classes after a week or so off the track, and horses that were only a pro ride for the rest of their lives.

I love the OTTBs, they have heart and try and generally want to please. They are almost all good loaders and most have pretty decent stall manners. The reward isn’t (and I say this because when I was young I made these mistakes) seeing how fast you can “train” your ex- racer, but taking your time and really making something out of him.

Good luck.

[skipollo]

I was in the exact same boat with my young OTTB. He was great to the right, awful to the left. I had him adjusted by the chiro and he was much better, but he still needed work. I got him in the middle of icy weather, so he spent his first week with me stuck in a stall. I turned him out in the indoor for playtime, and he did the same thing your mare does–he would do anything to stay going to the right. I worked on making him go left as much as possible.

He was very unbalanced when I got him, so he wasn’t comfortable cantering. He figured that racing around sideways was a good alternative. Just stick to lots, lots and LOTS of W/T. I spent about a month just W/T circles in the indoor. Hillwork also helps a lot. I got him in March and moved to a new barn in September with TONS of hilly trails, and they’ve helped strengthen him loads. It’s also mentally good for them to just go walk along trails–it seems too basic, but it’s really a good workout for them.

Also check her teeth. My horse balked/bulged so badly to the left at the beginning. My dentist said it looked like he had never been done before (5yo.) He had an extra tooth that needed to be extracted, giant hooks and sharp edges on his molars (both sides.) He had bruising all along the left side of his mouth–why he wanted to counterbend and balk to the left! The photo in my signature is his first canter after getting his teeth done. He still isn’t super balanced but is much happier.

Keeping them fit in both directions is what helps. My horse has been out of work for two months (weather and injury) and his canter is all over the place right now, so we just don’t canter. Doing lots of walking trails with some trotting to build him back up. Figure 8s help too–start the good direction, ease into the bad direction, go back to the good way, back to the bad way, etc. She’ll figure out that going left isn’t the end of the world. I got that tip from a local trainer–very helpful!

Don’t worry–it will just take time! Remember where she came from and what her old job was–complete 180 from what you’re asking of her now.

[purplnurpl]

you could maybe try making her go left while lunging.

good gosh. don’t free lunge.

[rcloisonne]

[QUOTE=Chall;7352248]
Mine did this. Was she xrayed in pre purchase exam? If not I suggest you have feet done. Mine had chips in his front fetlock, but i cant remember which it was, right or left. I think it was his left.[/QUOTE]
This! Also, how is she shod and are her front hooves mismatched (high heel on one, low heel on on the other)?

[merrygoround]

You have a horse that is moving when it wants to. You give a command and eventually something happens. No way!

An experienced person on a longe can and will organize this horse. She did throw in a few strides left then spun of her own volition and cantered off right. You have no control. If you have not got a lot of mileage longeing horses, I would not attempt it until I found someone who did. Good longeing takes quick trained coordination and a sharp eye for reading body language.

Race horses do canter on both reins, but they, like people, are also left and right handed. Like 2indyragal I have worked with many OTTB’s. However besides hacking out, I found the longe indispensable.

[Manahmanah]

Merrygoround I agree completely.

Every horse should know how to lunge and be able to do it well. This is also where voice commands are taught.

People who think that lunging is valueless have never been taught to do it properly.

[Kels]

I wish I had had time to respond to this thread sooner.

“Free lunging” isn’t in our routine. I only took the video so people could see how she moves and see that she avoids it. It is impossible for me to lunge her and get video at the same time as I am only one person

I am working with a trainer and 15 years of experience. She’s also not my first OTTB although I’ve never had one lacked confidence so much so I am trying to remember to praise her for small wins.

I really should know better after 10 years on this board than to post when I can’t organize my thoughts entirely.

I have had her for a month and cantered her under saddle exactly once. We have been doing lots of up/down transitions, pole work, turns on the forehand, small circles and tempo. Pretty much what all of you, and my trainer, have recommended.

Ultimately what I needed was what AJ’s post most reminded me of: patience. I know that I am doing the right things but I question everything I am doing and I just need a reminder that I am on track. I’m not in a hurry and I DO want to do it right, I just need to have faith in it.

I appreciate the people who chimed in with helpful advice other than “stop free lunging.” Don’t worry, it’s not an issue.

2ndygal, “When you can trot balanced, both directions both on the buckle and do walk/trot transitions without falling out and fussing and head flipping, at that point, and the best way to do it is to trot a little crossrail and “if” the canter happens on landing, then allow it for 3 or 4 strides as long as it doesn’t accelerate then downward transition to trot.” This is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for, thank you for this tip. When we are ready, I will work with it.

Her teeth were just checked and are in good shape. She’s a bit sore due to teething but otherwise fine.

[Kels]

Also, thanks for the compliments. I think she’s cute, too.

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/1488328_10103921163813205_1013975233_n.jpg

[horserider12]

hello, I have retrained many off the track tbs. I have found with a large percentage of mares that don’t want to go one way they have cysts on their ovaries, so it hurts when they turn one way. easy for your vet to check and easy to fix