Straightness in the OTTB

[ACountingRider]

Hi,
Long-time reader and with a lost email account just set up a new account.

I recently purchased an OTTB mare. She’s catty and has a great work ethic. I purchased her after she had about 60 days of restarting and now am on month 2 of riding her myself. This is my first OTTB, but have just came off a mare I ran prelim and started many horses from scratch.(She came off last Oct/Nov 2015)

We have run one local Novice 3-phase. I was very impressed with her maturity. We put in two consistent clear rounds over fences, and to me a touch of tightness on the flat, but overall a very obedient test.

I am now preparing for a 5yo YEH competition next month.

She is very steady in the contact at walk and trot going both directions. Going to the right at the canter she is also very steady at the working canter and developing at lengthening and shortening while maintaining her balance. .

HOWEVER,
to the left at the canter. We cannot turn. I refuse to pull on the inside rein, but with some opening inside rein and a lot of outside leg we can perform a 20m circle.
It’s very difficult to keep her body straight this direction.
It’s quite messy.

In introspect if she were as unbalanced going to the right, I would probably not ask for suggestions as she has not been off the track incredibly long and is still rather green in terms of training. She just needs time and strength.

In our first few jumping lessons my coach suggesting a full cheek, which I have not yet purchased. Over fences the problem has gotten less severe as I’m off her back.

My conditioning schedule looks like 5 rides a week. Starting with a 20/30 minute walk. Every other ride alternating a trot set. Our trot set is just like a mini-flat where she goes on the bit, but I have a great area trotting through woods and hills (15/16minutes).

Of course I’m biased because she’s mine, but if I had to fault her I wish she had a bit more natural push from behind.

Is this average for the OTTB to struggle so much going this direction? Are there exercises that can help this issue? In this timing should I feel fortunate to have a horse this game and obedient to the right that I need to be more patient for the other side to catch up?

Thanks!

(I am so incredibly excited about this mare. I have no timeline for her to reach a certain level but want to bring her along as she’s ready. But, I’m really crossing my fingers that this mare can take me past the prelim level)

[531]

Has she seen chiro and have teeth been done?

[merrygoround]

I’m guessing she is 5. How long was she at the track?

And , No, it is not unusual for them to be one side or the other stiffer. I fondly remember one who struggled for months to get a R lead canter. Finally found the only way was over 2 foot railroad ties. Just enough airtime to organize.

Eventually was successful at Intermediate.

[beowulf]

First - what do you mean by straight? Is she traveling crooked, on two different paths? Or is she bulging out, canting in, etc?

I wouldn’t refuse to use the inside rein as a direct rein aid… That’s probably all she knows at this point. Being off the track for the time she’s been off is really no time at all. Of course it’s difficult and messy, she’s not been off the track very long, she’s young, and outside-to-inside aids are not always something taught on the track.

I’d look into chiro and saddle fit first, especially see if she has any soreness in the stifles, particularly the RH if she is as bad in that direction as you say.

Despite them cantering as their job, I’ve consistently seen it as the hardest gait for OTTB horses to master in the ring. They’re not used to cantering in small circles (most of them anyway). It takes some time - lots of gently bending circles, figure eights, serpentines, patterns to keep them moving forward and stepping under themselves… I would worry about the quality of the gait and the rhythm and relaxation over anything else - keep the canters short and steady, and when you feel she starts to hollow or get messy or it becomes difficult, do a transition down into something she feels more comfortable in - the goal is to develop confidence hand in hand with strength.

It’s hard for them, it’s strange for their bodies and usually they don’t have the strength necessary to carry themselves straight at the canter in a circle. It takes more than six months to build that strength behind, IME more like a year of consistent, accurate work.

One really excellent exercise for my OTTBs that has worked well to get them to “command their canter” is to place poles on a circle… teach them to canter over it and walk… pick up a trot, trot a few steps, canter the pole… and walk… Repeat, mix up the downward/upward transitions but keep them thinking and work more on the balance and rhythm rather than fussing about if they are “on the bit” or not.

Straightness comes with time and conditioning, and is not something I expect in a 5 y/o. YMMV. I’d have her chiro’d especially if she is canting to the inside at the canter.

[ACountingRider]

Thanks.
Her teeth were done shortly before I began riding her, and she had 7 starts at the track. Passed vetting, but she does have history of popping a splint that’s now healed and fine.
I do feel like she carries her tail higher than average, which may indicate something tight through her back.

She isn’t irritable, swishing her tail, or showing any signs of discomfort when tacking or riding.

In terms of straightness, she really wants to push to the right as we turn left, her outside shoulder goes right. (I imagine a race car instead of making it around the first turn, just keeps heading straight, off the track, except she’s not speedy about it.) Maybe the straightness on a straight line is slightly easier as far as not drifting to the right, but she definitely is more apt to come above the bridle a bit to stay balanced.

I feel as if its a mixture of misunderstanding my aids and weakness on this side. (I would just like to know what the weakness derives from) Especially since, we’re clicking so well at the right lead.

I haven’t had her worked on by a chiro yet, but am looking for one now. I try to have my horses worked on regularly, but my favorite isn’t coming to my area. (Area III chiro suggestions are welcome.)

[531]

Area III is huge - what state are you in?

[ACountingRider]

We’re central/east Alabama!

**
Who knew you could look up their race stats!! Her last race was 6/2015 before shipping from NY area to Area III around November/December 2015 to be restarted as an event horse. So her splint injury would have been around this time/reason for retirement. As she won her last race!

[wanderlust]

Are you sure that you are sitting evenly and giving the same aids both directions? IME, left is usually their better direction, so that makes me think you may be better to the right. I’m currently working through this on my WB, who is very sensitive to sitting unevenly (and I’m terrible to the right on him, since I love to put all my weight in my left stirrup).

My recent OTTB doesn’t seem to care, interestingly enough, and goes pretty much the same each direction after a handful of rides…

[ACountingRider]

You could be right on the mark @Wanderlust.
Naturally, I don’t ride evenly, pull on the left rein, sit behind my leg, and drop my inside shoulder, and hunch my shoulders. I just switched from a riding job to be an accountant and am not as fit or as sharp a rider compared to 6 months ago. I feel competent that I still have enough knowledge on how to fix those issues and when I purposefully focus on each piece can ride evenly. I have a great coach who I haul to on weekends, but am limited in either a jump or dressage lesson per weekend when they’re in town.
I need to be more purposeful about riding very correctly.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

It is not unusual to not be the same each way…but at the same point, it shouldn’t be as dramatic as you describe.

I’ve got a lovely 4 year old now…folks that had him before struggled to get his right canter lead…me, it’s the left. So the rider can definitely make a difference.

That said…he is most definitely weaker one direction from the other. So is my Prelim horse but his is not so pronounced. I’m clearly stronger with my left leg to ride too so work hard on being correct. Getting them straight and even is important and something you will always be working on. But if she is so crooked as to have trouble turning. I’d make sure she doesn’t have pain somewhere. Get some body work done…then doing a lot of flat work to get her straighter and more even…And making sure that I am straight and even too!

[tbchick84]

Are her front feet normal, or is she a hi/low? My horse has trouble bending in the direction of his low foot. Just a thought.

[Outyougo]

Please don’t train your horse using a “Day Timer” each horse devlopes at their own rate. As to straightness–lots of straight long lines be aware of which shoulder she falls into and turn her in the other direction and go FORWARD Ride the ling sides of the arena in a slight shoulder-fore do good way 2 or 3 times and the bad way once or twice go back to good side lots of tiny leg yeilds

[Ges1]

I agree with most statements above. Definitely chiropractor first if she is better over fences since you’re off her back. Also try some flat work in two point when cantering with less circles so she can strengthen. Even though racehorses mostly go left the majority I’ve seen are trained to keep right lead the longest around the track so it often becomes the stronger side. Also racehorses almost always will need chiropractic work after and are notorious for weak hind ends. It can take a long time to recondition their bodies for their new job. 4 months is very short.

[NMK]

Make sure she understands the outside rein both directions. Then you can use it to control the shoulder. Shoulder fore can be your best bet in this situation. Once she understands that, you can use it to help you turn. It may feel like a bit of a neck rein but will keep you from grabbing the left rein to turn.

[Winding_Down]

I would do flexions on stifles and hocks. I have found if they are so crooked that turning is difficult, then it is usually there.

[ACountingRider]

Thank you for all your suggestions and input.My main focus is to find a good chiro that I can use regularly. I was spoiled with my last one who was not only good, but gave me a lot of input on changes I could make and why my horse moves the way they did.
To answer a few questions. Her feet are all symmetrical, but she doesn’t have a lot of heel. We have x-rays of her feet, and I have pads on the front.

I set up an exercise yesterday, 4 poles on a circle with the freedom to fit 5/6 canter strides between each. She was pretty relaxed over the exercise wtc, and I really found going to the left not that much more difficult when I was focusing more on riding forward to the next pole rather than what her head was doing. We worked probably 15/20 minutes total after our walk; every time I bring out that exercise the gaits toward the end are always so much better than what I start with, I just don’t like drilling circles. I wouldn’t say she was strong enough to stay working and on the bit at the canter, but was able to maintain a good active rhythm without drifting one direction or the other.(Especially after I adjusted my seat a few inches to the right which put me in the center of the saddle.)

[merrygoround]

You’ve taught yourself a valuable lesson. “Ride the body, not the head”. Gentle flexions while guarding with the inside leg will fix the neck, but the important thing is where the body goes.

[JER]

Lots of work at the walk. Lots of it. A horse can’t cheat at the walk (and neither can you with your aids). You might not feel like you’re progressing because you’re walking when everyone else is trotting and cantering, but your horse is green and needs to (1) build strength and (2) learn the correct response to each aid.

Please understand that muscle memory takes 5-6 months. This is true of both you and your horse. It’s physiology. But your goal in training is to get the responses to the aids to be controlled by muscle memory, not by the brain.

When you’re walking, exaggerate the aids until the horse responds immediately. that means using both reins as ‘walls’. A green horse, like a green human, will understand a ‘big’ aid better than a subtle aid because the big aid has definite clarity. So you walk on a circle, asking the inside leg to step under and the shoulder to stay in line. It might not look pretty to an observer, but what’s important is that your horse understands you.

Don’t worry about how much time you spend working at the walk. You’re putting down the important foundation for straightness and balance. When you have immediate response and consistent balance at the walk, move up to trot. And so on. Really, on a green horse, it doesn’t matter how much you practice trotting or cantering in the ring if the horse doesn’t have these basics down. The horse simply will not benefit from it.

I do walk work on all of my horses, regardless of level. I like to do at least one walk session per week. We work on a long rein and in various degrees of collection, reviewing all the basic leg and rein cues, lateral work, etc. I find that this keeps them supple and (relatively) easy to ride in the other gaits or jumping.

Another thing: if you’re having trouble at canter in one direction, it may be because you need to exaggerate having your inside hip forward and your outside hip back (this could also be why she does better when you’re off her back). I’ve had horses – these are usually the short-coupled ones – who I’ve first ridden in canter while holding on to the back of the saddle with my outside hand to exaggerate that position with my hips and shoulders.

(We had this same issue with our OTTB Linda last year and I got on to show Glenbaer how to sit on the weaker side of canter. I have a short clip of her at trot here. I’d already walked with exaggerated aids, now I’m changing bends at trot, still using exaggerated aids because clarity and consistency are so important with a young horse. I wish I had video of canter because I was demonstrating the exaggerated hip position that helps a green horse balance. I should also mention that I’d never sat on Linda before this video.)

The full cheek idea is a sound one, although not everyone likes full cheeks. Mike Plumb, however, rides every single horse in a full cheek snaffle and has a very emphatic explanation of why this is THE BIT. Not that I’d want to argue with him.

Good luck. Your mare sounds very nice and willing. I know that what I’m suggesting sounds boring, but it works, and it pays off exponentially down the line. My horses are usually super-hot, super-sensitive and super-fast (this is personal preference), so knowing that they will always be straight gives me and them a lot of confidence when jumping or going xc.