Restarting the OTTB - Who is right?!

[tbchick84]

I started to read all the replies until it started to go down hill on generalizations about various disciplines.

My take on your situation is, as long as you’re keeping your horse engaged as you are in groundwork I don’t see what can be gained by rushing it. I think your timeline is spot on. Sure some TBs need some down time before they are restarted, but if yours is showing signs that’s she’s ready for some work, by all means do it. You can do plenty without riding her. That doesn’t mean. you can’t get a lot done.

Once you get the basic groundwork established, look into in hand work. There’s a book called “Right From the Start” that shows how you can literally mimic under saddle work from the ground. Unfortunately it’s out of print and hard to find. In a nutshell, you work with the horse in a bridle. You stand at her left side near his shoulder (trying to mimic where you would be if you were in the saddle). You hold the reins as if you were mounted. Just as if you were riding, your shoulders mimic hers and your legs move her hind end. You reach over to the right rein to not cross it over his neck. With the taller horses, you get tired quickly since you’re holding your arms up, but it’s amazing what you can accomplish. It’s a safe and pressure free way for the horse to get used to contact. Initially they stand there like “what are you doing”, but once they get it, you can walk them around, do half halts, leg yields, turn on forehand, etc. You can teach contact and build top line without ever sitting on her.

Stay your course and trust your gut.

[Mondo]

@eightpondfarm

i don’t longe, and i don’t long line either. I do ground-drive, and i’d do that.

“ground driving” is long-lining.

[eightpondfarm]

Just to clarify…in long-lining, is handler stationary and horse moves around you? Or do you walk behind the horse?

[fivestrideline]

Long lining you walk with the horse (behind or sometimes to the side for a bit). Lunging you stand in the middle of the circle (or walk a circle, but the center point stays the same).

Ground driving and long lining are the same thing!

[eightpondfarm]

well then, i’ll correct my statement above:

@eightpondfarm

i don’t longe, and i don’t long line either. I do ground-drive, and i’d do that.

To read:

I don’t longe. I ground-drive (or long-line), and i’d do that.

[tbchick84]

Long lining, you’re the driver just without a cart.

[RHdobes563]

@tbchick84

I started to read all the replies until it started to go down hill on generalizations about various disciplines.

My take on your situation is, as long as you’re keeping your horse engaged as you are in groundwork I don’t see what can be gained by rushing it. I think your timeline is spot on. Sure some TBs need some down time before they are restarted, but if yours is showing signs that’s she’s ready for some work, by all means do it. You can do plenty without riding her. That doesn’t mean. you can’t get a lot done.

Once you get the basic groundwork established, look into in hand work. There’s a book called “Right From the Start” that shows how you can literally mimic under saddle work from the ground. Unfortunately it’s out of print and hard to find. In a nutshell, you work with the horse in a bridle. You stand at her left side near his shoulder (trying to mimic where you would be if you were in the saddle). You hold the reins as if you were mounted. Just as if you were riding, your shoulders mimic hers and your legs move her hind end. You reach over to the right rein to not cross it over his neck. With the taller horses, you get tired quickly since you’re holding your arms up, but it’s amazing what you can accomplish. It’s a safe and pressure free way for the horse to get used to contact. Initially they stand there like “what are you doing”, but once they get it, you can walk them around, do half halts, leg yields, turn on forehand, etc. You can teach contact and build top line without ever sitting on her.

Stay your course and trust your gut.

Is this it?

BookFinder.com: Search Results

[tbchick84]

Yep that’s it. I just googled the title and bunch came up. I’m going to get myself another copy. I was dumb enough to loan my copy out and the person lost it.

[tabula_rashah]

I’ve always referred to these as you do
Long-lining= basically lunging with two reins. Ground-driving= walking behind the horse driving (for me usually on trail, maybe dragging something)

[fivestrideline]

@tabula_rashah

I’ve always referred to these as you do
Long-lining= basically lunging with two reins

I believe this specifically is called double lunging, but can also fall under the long lining umbrella for some people.

Here on COTH I can say that 99% of the time, “long lining” means the same as “ground driving”.

[luvmyhackney]

Long lining is ground driving with a random circle thrown in when I’m to slow or need a breather from following horse/pony at a gait faster than a jog.

[Happyrides]

I love your plan

[Equibrit]

It is typical for me to start a horse in the fall of their 3rd year, turn out for the summer and bring back in the fall of 4th year. OP doesn’t know this horse, the education or injuries she has had, nor the various things she may have been jugged with. A reset is in order.

[staceyk]

FYI, I stumbled on the podcast OTTB on tap and it is a series of interviews with OTTB resellers who have been letting down and training for years. The advice is fantastic and I love how they know about racehorse training and what it means for the OTTB in a second career. They interview the BenchMark Sport Horses reseller here on the East Coast (horses I drool over) and a longtime eventer about her days in long format eventing.

It’s been awhile since I enjoyed a podcast so much.

[colorfan]

@pluvinel

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! The 'net has been flooded with ‘their joints aren’t closed don’t ride’ but there is good evidence that careful loading actually produces stronger connections and bones. Nope, wouldn’t think of running, spinning etc but walk work, you bet. That and the groundwork.