Restarting the OTTB - Who is right?!

[SFVine]

My new OTTB came home last week and I am absolutely thrilled. I have started putting together a basic restart plan, but I am getting some push back from my BO and others around the barn.

Horse “turns 3” tomorrow, but she actually turns 3 at the end of April. She was started very well and obviously had connections who cared about her immensely to allow her to retire after 2 races. She started breezing in July and had her last race Dec. 1.

I would consider her quite mentally mature for 2 with an amazing brain, but she looks like a baby, plays like a baby, and strings with a good 2" more to grow (15.3 now, but not filled out at all).

I don’t want to get on her until this summer after she actually turns 3. I want to turn her out and do groundwork, lunging, etc. I want her 100% verbally trained on the lunge and for us to form a trusting, confident relationship before I get on.

This summer I plan to start w/t/c, very slowly, probably one month of just w/t transitions. I’ll probably send her to my friend for a month or two of dressage training right before she turns 4 next year.

From there, we will decide if we want to jump at all. If she seems interested, I will send her to an eventing trainer I know for a month or two when she turns 5. This trainer is close enough that I could do some lessons throughout training, too.

Anyway- my BO/friends think I should be riding her now. POV is that she has been getting ridden, so why not keep her going?

I have only gotten war horses off the track before- so I have given them a week or two to get settled then got started. I feel like this is much different- yes, she has been started, but I feel like she has been gifted the chance to slow down and grow up. I have no timeframe or specific goals, I want to take the time to allow her to develop. I want to give her the best life possible- including the best start. If she ends up being particularly talented in something, I want to move in that direction. If she ends up being a fun ride in my backyard, that’s fine too.

Am I being to cautious? I tend to be someone who doesn’t push myself.

Am I wrong and overthinking?

[Dr_Doolittle]

I think you’re doing exactly the right thing(s)!

Try to ignore the “Nosey Parkers”, though they can be really obnoxious - so I feel for you. Not their horse, so none of their business.

ETA she’s a baby! You will accomplish much more by going slowly with her, engaging her brain, bonding with her, and teaching her the groundwork essentials

[trubandloki]

I see nothing wrong with your plan, or their plan at this point. So do your plan since it is your horse and your plan is certainly not doing any harm.

[PaddockWood]

You can both be right. First the facts. Ask them, do they know the ages at which the joints close? Are they truly knowledgeable horseman? Just curious.

The Stages of Equine Skeletal Development - EQUINE Ink

Your baby’s joints aren’t all closed so if you’re in the long game - you want a horse sound at 25, you need to manage the body carefully.

Do you have a back to sit on? Because you could do it in short sessions. 10 min? 15? plenty of time to continue training. But have you got a big fat juicy back muscle? If not, long line and lunge in short sessions and build that back. Start some amino acids. But don’t get on a back that doesn’t have a beautiful back muscle to sit on. And be sure your saddle fits.

There is so much to do and train and have fun and take your time. Go slow to go fast later.

Listen to your horse. Are they happy to do what you want? If not, why?

You’ve got a rehab project right? So what bodywork is needed to unwind the damage of the track? Have you had a good dentist in their mouth? What is your nutrition program? You need to build a good foot and that will take a year. So often TBs coming off the track have not had correct nutrition. Meaning especially zinc, copper, methionine, biotin, amino acids.

Could you post pictures of this lucky pony? And the feet.

[PaddockWood]

Had to come back with more thoughts. Run your hands over every square inch of your new beauty. What do you feel? Are the muscles soft and supple or tight and rigid. What is their reaction? Horses (and people) who are tight need to be released in order to be healthy in their bodies.

Do you know about bodywork and do it? God I love Linda Tellington Jones. Doing TTouch circles is great way to introduce “releasing” to an animal.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

I don’t see anything wrong with your approach.

Alex was three when he came off the track. We let him be for about a month while he got dental care, put on a little weight, came off steroids, and got his racing plates off and hooves trimmed. Then we started him slowly under saddle, doing walk/trot on the lunge (with my riding instructor) for a few weeks, then stopped for the winter. We started work in earnest the following spring, and he was fine.

At two, she’s a baby, like you say. Let her have the time to grow up and mature. She’s still got a lot of growing to do.

You could have her joints x-rayed and then tell your BO, “The vet says my approach is the best for her long-term soundness.”

[LaurieB]

It sounds like you have a great plan. How you manage your horse should be your decision. Just thank your friends and the BO for their input, then do what you think is best.

[2DogsFarm]

For those that say “Get on, she’s been ridden/raced!”
Remind them she carried jockeys & exercise riders.
Even if you’re a lightweight, giving her a break won’t undo her U/S training.

Reminded me of the {ahem} Fluffy gal who came back from a QH sale with a long yearling.
Proclaimed to all she’d start the filly slowly…
Then, within a month, was sitting on her practicing Reining SPINS

[luvmyhackney]

Your horse, your bills, your happiness. I would just nod and smile, and say maybe we will tack up tomorrow.

I wouldn’t bother with lunging as its hard on joints but focus on long lining and ground work.

[Shagyas_Rock]

I think your plan is thoughtful, wise and clearly in the best interest of your filly. Wise horsemen “make haste slowly” and by easing her into training, you are stacking the deck toward future soundness. Good for you!

[pluvinel]

@SFVine

Am I being to cautious? I tend to be someone who doesn’t push myself.

Am I wrong and overthinking?

I think your thinking is binary…either - or…thinking. Why not think “both” approaches are appropriate.

Every horse that has come from a racing barn that I have come across has terrible ground manners. Their life is being in the stall and race training. Some may have the luxury of being turned out or hacked. Your ground sessions can be work on standing ground tied, being led politely on a “loose leash” eg., no chain shanks thru the mouth, turning into them and they yield, walking over weird stuff, tarps, ditches etc…lots of stuff that is “training.”

Since she has already been backed, this is good and you can continue to remind her of carrying a rider. You can do short sessions 2-3 times a week of walk work. You can put a lot of condition at the walk…maybe after a while you can do some trots, but you can do A LOT at the walk… You only need to do 10-15 minutes.

Your ridden work also includes “ground work,” Here is where she is expected to stand like a rock at a mounting block, NOT move off when you sit on her back and to only move off when asked. You can actually start some “lateral” work under saddle…by this I mean moving sideways off your seat and legs…NOT competition dressage…but it gets the horse to start to learn the vocabulary of the aids. Learning to open gates, push a ball, ride thru pool noodles…all just fun stuff.

[Bluey]

@pluvinel

I think your thinking is binary…either - or…thinking. Why not think “both” approaches are appropriate.

Every horse that has come from a racing barn that I have come across has terrible ground manners. Their life is being in the stall and race training. Some may have the luxury of being turned out or hacked. Your ground sessions can be work on standing ground tied, being led politely on a “loose leash” eg., no chain shanks thru the mouth, turning into them and they yield, walking over weird stuff, tarps, ditches etc…lots of stuff that is “training.”

Since she has already been backed, this is good and you can continue to remind her of carrying a rider. You can do short sessions 2-3 times a week of walk work. You can put a lot of condition at the walk…maybe after a while you can do some trots, but you can do A LOT at the walk… You only need to do 10-15 minutes.

Your ridden work also includes “ground work,” Here is where she is expected to stand like a rock at a mounting block, NOT move off when you sit on her back and to only move off when asked. You can actually start some “lateral” work under saddle…by this I mean moving sideways off your seat and legs…NOT competition dressage…but it gets the horse to start to learn the vocabulary of the aids. Learning to open gates, push a ball, ride thru pool noodles…all just fun stuff.

This, think about raising her right to be a riding horse, so work on her riding horse skills, that doesn’t has to be hard work, but some won’t hurt.

Kids don’t wait to grow a bit more to start training for a task, already practicing at their sport from the time they are little, so they grow into those motor skills and mental good work ethic.

Give her time, but work on whatever handling and riding skills seem sensible for her and how you want to raise her to be whatever she may become.

Plenty of studies now show that to be a sensible way to manage horses.
No need to wait until they are older to start them.
In fact, they stay sound longer with training as they grow into the bodies and minds that they will need when mature.

This is just one of many studies explaining what some found out seems to be considerations about when and how and why manage young horses.
As you can read, your plan is fine, others would also be.
What is best is dependent on what is best for your horse and your situation and wishes, it will be ok either way.
It won’t harm if you also ride her some, or if you don’t for a while, especially if you are not going to try to make her a top athlete at any one task:

Training Young Horses: The Science behind the Benefits

[pluvinel]

@Bluey

Kids don’t wait to grow a bit more to start training for a task, already practicing at their sport from the time they are little, so they grow into those motor skills and mental good work ethic.

Give her time, but work on whatever handling and riding skills seem sensible for her and how you want to raise her to be whatever she may become.

Also…the 2-3 year age is a wonderful age for training. They are trusting and will follow your direction. Think of kids in grammar school. When the horses turn 4-5, you have the teenager who is saying, “are you talking to me?”

Best to establish clear rules, boundaries and limitations while they are young and open to listening.

[chestnutmarebeware]

Of the three OTTBs I’ve had who came straight from the track to me, two had to be turned for months for some Dr. Green time before I started riding them. (One for a year to let a bow heal and the other for about 3 months to let an ankle injury and hoof issues resolve.)

Neither of them “forgot” that they were meant to be ridden, or were any harder to restart than my mare that I was able to start riding immediately. When I first climbed on, they were ready to work.

So yes, I absolutely think you’re doing right by your horse. And for ways to handle unwelcome advice, there are several threads on the subject that offer plenty of ways to respond.

[Bonnie2]

It’s your horse! You get to choose. Being conservative is never wrong. Enjoy your horse your way. Don’t tell the others they are wrong or you will get more pushback. Just tell them this is your path and you’ll see where it leads. Wishing you many New Years of happiness!

[Bluey]

@chestnutmarebeware

Of the three OTTBs I’ve had who came straight from the track to me, two had to be turned for months for some Dr. Green time before I started riding them. (One for a year to let a bow heal and the other for about 3 months to let an ankle injury and hoof issues resolve.)

Neither of them “forgot” that they were meant to be ridden, or were any harder to restart than my mare that I was able to start riding immediately. When I first climbed on, they were ready to work.

So yes, I absolutely think you’re doing right by your horse. And for ways to handle unwelcome advice, there are several threads on the subject that offer plenty of ways to respond.

Of course if a horse is injured, at any age, we need to wait to ride it until is rehabbed, no question about that.

[chestnutmarebeware]

I just meant that having time off doesn’t make them forget their previous under-saddle training or reduce their work ethic, which was implied in a few posts.

Sound or lame, having time off isn’t bad.

[pluvinel]

@chestnutmarebeware

Of the three OTTBs I’ve had who came straight from the track to me, two had to be turned for months for some Dr. Green time before I started riding them. (One for a year to let a bow heal and the other for about 3 months to let an ankle injury and hoof issues resolve.)

You are talking about injured animals requiring time to heal. That is NOT what I’m talking about.

I generally like to buy long yearlings or 2-yr olds as I have a queen’s taste on a pauper’s wallet. Thus youngsters are what I can afford and also, I like to start horses and not have to “re-start” someone else’s training.

I find the 2-3 year old age is a great age to start to work with them, Doing light work under saddle provides a good foundation. I will generally sit on them, not ask them to do much other than walk, then get off. It is not stressful for the horse.

OP seems like she has the skills to deal with young horses, so I was just encouraging not to limit her thinking to either/or black/white, right/wrong. Training a horse is a continuum depending on the animal.

[chestnutmarebeware]

@pluvinel

You are talking about injured animals requiring time to heal. That is NOT what I’m talking about.

See my post above. If these horses had been sound and turned out for months with groundwork only, the restarting process would not have been any different.

Again, sound or lame, turnout doesn’t make them forget how to be ridden.

[ShenanAnna]

If you’re worried that your plan isn’t “working” the horse enough, look into Linda Tellington-Jones’ teachings beyond Ttouch circles. She’s got bunches of exercises, bodywork, and physical therapy to relax and balance the horse, useful for any recently-ex racehorse. Also training methods to teach manners and willing obedience. And, when you get to it, riding.

As an alternative to under-saddle work, she has bunches of groundwork-type exercises.

In addition to books and videos, there is a network of certified practitioners trained in her methods; there may be some near you. I was well on my way toward this when I got sick and everything horse went bye-bye.

Attending a seminar may be possible, too; there’s a short, one-day one in Arizona soon.

Ms. T-J is in her 80s now and has been working on this for half a century, along with other people. It’s now international and covers many aspects of human-animal interaction and animal welfare. A recent topic is helping dogs deal with loud noises, for example.