Off the track thoroughbred "tracky" movement?

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=judybigredpony;8559789]
I prefer to always watch the WALK…it tells more is a more imortant gait…In today’s YEH and FEH evals they are placing more emphasis on walk…trot you can fix…but a horse with a long over track deep relaxed Panther like grace and the way they lift n place the front leg will tell,you,so,so much…and at track when looking its easier to get a nice walk then an un tensioned trot…[/QUOTE]

This is great advice. The walk is also a great indicator of what sort of canter they will have.

Only negative is if they are wound up at the track…sometimes they have too much tension in the walk to judge. Then your really just have to go off your eye and conformation.

And remember that it will take a while to get them to not have tension undersaddle. THIS one I got from Judybigredpony. He is a fabulous mover…and this is two weeks I think from his last of 40 races. While he had huge trot loose…and a great walk…it took some time to get that trot undersaddle. And his shape has changed a ton as he put on weight and muscle (neck and top line changed substantially).

[Jleegriffith]

It often depends on the trainer and riders. You go to the track and see some who are so soft and round over their back but others that are ridden so upside down and against the hand that their muscling is all wrong. Fixable if the basic stuff there. I can fix a trot but I do think movement has become so much more important in modern eventing. You want the TB that moves with relaxation and allows you to ride them without appearing tense.

I have to see a jog video because it identifies soundness. A good walk is important as well obviously but they often don’t come under when they are so tight and typically those at the track don’t walk quite relaxed. Most of them canter like pogo sticks at first when they come off the track. It’s pretty funny to watch them free but when you are on their backs they go normally.

I buy about 30 a year some I don’t even have videos of so it is risky but you develop a good eye. I can see 10 seconds of a walk/trot in hand and get a pretty good idea of what they should be. Some turn out even better than expected!

I think it’s worth buying from quality resellers just to be able to see a horse move free. It really is hard to judge movement at track unless you spend a lot of time evaluating horses and even then it is still darn hard. I can tell instantly just seeing them move free. You can listen to how their feet fall, see how they change direction, natural changes or not?, see them free jump and just watch their brains work. You might not get that movement under saddle for a while but you know what is in there.

[BatataHead]

Love this thread and all the vids everyone has posted. How cool to see the changes in these horses. I’ve been watching this transformation with mine (his improvement I’ll have to credit my trainer for - I have a lot of help). These are such amazing animals. I admire people like the posters on this thread who really know who to work with them and their issues and bring out the best in them (again thank god for my trainer)

[QUOTE=judybigredpony;8559789]
I prefer to always watch the WALK…it tells more is a more imortant gait…In today’s YEH and FEH evals they are placing more emphasis on walk…trot you can fix…but a horse with a long over track deep relaxed Panther like grace and the way they lift n place the front leg will tell,you,so,so much…and at track when looking its easier to get a nice walk then an un tensioned trot…[/QUOTE]

I have a hard time judging movement and soundness but I fell in love (or should I say obsession) with my current horse before I saw him in person based on a very brief video of him walking on a long rein (He’d been off the track a month so that helped). He had that even, swinging movement that looked both loose and powerful, just like a big cat or panther. I’m a pretty emotional person, but I’ve never been “moved” by a walk before - I took it as a sign that he was the one!

His trot, which was just terrible, has improved a lot. I don’t know if he has a great trot in there or not, but his walk and canter are wonderful.

[BatataHead]

@Jleegriffith;8559776

BFEN bought this one- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aHjGrXtHkA
this was him after a nightmare of a trailer trip. He is funky behind but just tight/muscle sore. You could see he was the real deal.

What does BFEN stand for? Do you know that this horse is doing now? He looks like a pretty cool horse.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=BatataHead;8562929]
What does BFEN stand for? Do you know that this horse is doing now? He looks like a pretty cool horse.[/QUOTE]

It’s short for me.

He’s super cool. Good jump too and just easy easy. I’m struggling because I want to keep him for myself but he’s the type that is easy to sell (so I should sell–I bought him for resale). Several pros are looking at him…he screams UL horse but easy enough for anyone.

ETA: Here is his first xc school. Only jumped a handful of times before this. He’s only 4 so I’m not in a rush with him whether we sell him or keep him. He’s down south right now learning the basics. I didn’t want him stuck in the indoor with me.

http://youtu.be/NG2Alpnv54k

[BatataHead]

[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;8562939]
It’s short for me.

He’s super cool. Good jump too and just easy easy. I’m struggling because I want to keep him for myself but he’s the type that is easy to sell (so I should sell–I bought him for resale).

http://youtu.be/NG2Alpnv54k[/QUOTE]

Well, I see why you want to keep him. Either way someone is going to have fun with this guy…wish that someone could be me! He looks like he’s going to be awesome. Now I must slink off and pout because I can’t afford a second horse…

[laurendrew]

One of the things that drew me to my gelding was that he didn’t have that short-snappy/ouchy looking movement behind in his trot video. I have noticed a lot of it in recent listings lately though.

Here’s a trot clip from his listing: https://www.instagram.com/p/23VxtDjo9T/
And this is the most recent trot clip I have: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCZBK8hDoxc/

He definitely opened up more and got more floaty as he learned to work over his back- his trot under saddle when I first got him was pretty tight and tense.

[RegentLion]

Bumping this back up to say THANK YOU for all the responses. I have watched a ton of video and done some blog stalking. And have a new ottb too, and so does one of my barn owners.

It’s so cool to see the transformations and I’m hoping our stories are successful ones!!!

[tbchick84]

These before/after videos are fun to watch. My OTTB had a stabby jack hammer trot the day I went to try him out. He was just turning 5. I almost passed on him because of his crappy trot, but then realized trot can be improved up to 80%. It’s those other 2 gaits you’re stuck with. Fast forward a few years, his trot is now lovely, floaty and consistently getting 8’s in dressage tests. I can even sit the thing now!

[Jleegriffith]

I thought this one was cool because you can almost see a before and after trot even though it’s his first turnout post track. Watch him sit down behind for a few stride and bam that is a trot. The canter though…it’s so darn nice. Love this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2m2ot0YzKw

[jetsmom]

[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;8562939]
It’s short for me.

He’s super cool. Good jump too and just easy easy. I’m struggling because I want to keep him for myself but he’s the type that is easy to sell (so I should sell–I bought him for resale). Several pros are looking at him…he screams UL horse but easy enough for anyone.

ETA: Here is his first xc school. Only jumped a handful of times before this. He’s only 4 so I’m not in a rush with him whether we sell him or keep him. He’s down south right now learning the basics. I didn’t want him stuck in the indoor with me.

http://youtu.be/NG2Alpnv54k[/QUOTE]

What a nice horse! Rider rides so nice and soft too!

[CatchMeIfUCan]

Here is one of mine that we have since sold, but I have the longest chronicle of videos for her. She was super tense under saddle for the first 6 months we had her. She still has a ways to go with relaxation, but it’s much improved. Her jump is phenomenal.

Track jog: http://youtu.be/17QSs_gk07E

May 2014, right off the truck: http://youtu.be/LImROyBb4jg

First ride, May 2014: http://youtu.be/-hFhZk8bXhI

July 2014: http://youtu.be/ZlDgSCHu0bE:

March 2015: http://youtu.be/iVdBicuX_-Y

May 2015: http://youtu.be/GWhik40-AyQ

[laurendrew]

[QUOTE=CatchMeIfUCan;8614935]
Here is one of mine that we have since sold, but I have the longest chronicle of videos for her. She was super tense under saddle for the first 6 months we had her. She still has a ways to go with relaxation, but it’s much improved. Her jump is phenomenal.

Track jog: http://youtu.be/17QSs_gk07E

May 2014, right off the truck: http://youtu.be/LImROyBb4jg

First ride, May 2014: http://youtu.be/-hFhZk8bXhI

July 2014: http://youtu.be/ZlDgSCHu0bE:

March 2015: http://youtu.be/iVdBicuX_-Y

May 2015: http://youtu.be/GWhik40-AyQ[/QUOTE]

I think I remember seeing her listed for sale! You did a lovely job with her- and her jump is gorgeous. Is she eventing now?

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=jetsmom;8614764]
What a nice horse! Rider rides so nice and soft too![/QUOTE]

Thanks! That is Nilson Moreira de Silva. He does a great job on the young ones getting them forward and confident. I’ve gotten the young horse back and will spend some time just hacking him out. I decided to keep him (unless some writes me an insane check). I’ll bring him up to training/prelim and then Nilson and I can decide who gets the ride. But for now…he just being let to be a horse.

[CatchMeIfUCan]

[QUOTE=laurendrew;8616074]
I think I remember seeing her listed for sale! You did a lovely job with her- and her jump is gorgeous. Is she eventing now?[/QUOTE]

Thanks! She wasn’t ridden by me - that is Shannon Riley of Infinity Sport Horse. She was a bit too dainty for our tastes to keep for the long term, so she now events with a young rider.