ugh, attempted trail ride with ottb

[Anyplace_Farm]

Something else you might try if you have no one to ride out with is to strike out on foot, leading the horse tacked up. I’d probably put a halter over the bridle with a good, long, safe lead. Wear gloves. Bring a stick. Go for a hike w/your horse, you leading the way. Most horses are happy to follow with you leading the way because this way, they aren’t the first to get gobbled up by the boogie monster.

Decide at what point you want to turn around, do so and mount and ride back home. What horse doesn’t love to go back home?

Keep your trek short initially, then building the length of the ride. Eventually, he’ll most likely feel comfortable with the trail because the two of you have taken it together enough.

If he is still jumpy on your way back, then be prepared to walk more of a distance on the way back and get on at a point where you are fairly certain that he’ll be comfortable ‘leading the way’ with you on his back.

[chism]

[QUOTE=Guilherme;4161458]
IMO you evaluate a horse for purchase and use on three criteria:

Temperment
Conformation
Way of going

Sadly a huge number of OTTBs fail on the first criteria. This is not such a surprise, as they were bred and born for one thing: running fast.

Put another way, genetics counts.

The training they receive re-inforces this breeding.

A percentage can sometimes do other things (hunting, dressage, jumping) but a really distressingly large number seem to be unable to get past their breeding and training.

Some horses are never going to make good trail mounts. They just don’t have the temperment for it. If that’s the case the owner should sell them and find one that does. Trying to fit this “square peg into a round hole” leads to frustration and, not infrequently, injury. It’s just not worth it.

G.[/QUOTE]

I have to respectfully submit that this is NOT solely an OTTB issue. I’ve known many non TB’s that are unsafe out on a trail & I know many OTTB’s that trail ride beautifully. It’s all about giving them positive experiences so they can be confident. I own four OTTB’s, whom I bought right off the track. Every single one of them trail rides like a champ, three of them will even go out alone now. It takes time & patience. Temperament is not breed specific.

[AlfalfaGirl]

I don’t have an OTTB but I do have an OTQH! Red raced for 3 years with some success…garnering an AQHA Register of Merit in racing with a .98 AAA speed index. He does have quiet a bit of TB blood and is built somewhat like a smaller TB.

I wanted a trail horse. Red’s former owner turned him out in the pasture after racing for a rest and occasionally rode him around her property. He never spooks at machinery, trucks, cars, etc. Most race horses don’t. They are used to all kinds of stuff rattling around.

I got hurt trying a horse (after 26 years of not riding) last November so I am not anxious to get my leg the color of purple anytime soon so I am a cautious rider that had to get back into a groove of riding. I started in the arena. My husband started riding Red out of the arena first and around the marsh trails near by. I rode on my 50th birthday out on the trails with my husband on a borrowed very calm trail horse. Red went along quietly. Two days later I went with a friend. He spooked at something (we think it was a snake) but all he did was jump like a pawn forward and to the left and stopped dead in his tracks. He is not spooky thank goodness. I started slow following other horses that were used to these trails. I have slowly increased my own confidence.

I took him up to his former owners and we followed her horse and Red would follow former owner anywhere…even going through water that he always acted like was liquid fire. Following her gave ME confidence too.

Once I trailered him to ride which a group of gals in my new Brenderup. Got to the trail and there was a huge motorcycle thing going on. I got on Red (trails were wet, muddy and yukky) and he was acting like someone charged him up. I ended up getting off, walking him, and putting him back in the trailer and took him home. I guess the trailer ride in a totally different ramp trailer, the loud cycles and mud were too much for me. Red would have probably calmed down but I didn’t have the cajones at the time. I am working on me, too!

Red is a pretty lazy kinda laid back guy which is great for me. I did take him on a big trail ride sponsored by former owners Cowboy Church. It was his first trail ride with lots of horses. I trailered him for 75 miles to get there. We had to tack his shoe back on and get in another trailer and go 8 miles to the trail head. Red was pretty excited by that time. Off we go and he is having a good time. He wants to be at the front and I was having to hold back this normally lazy slow moving former race horse. He got right up behind the wagon being pulled by mules with music blaring right in his face and he loved it. I think Red thought he was back at the race track…lots of people…lots of horses…the wagon I think he thought was the starting gate! :lol: :lol: :lol:

We rode 7.5 miles down roads that were either sandy or rocky and stopped for 2 hours at former owners house for lunch. Started off again and he got REALLY over done by the wagons taking off. Later, truck going by I pulled into a driveway and he started going sideways and I tried to move him forward but he didn’t want to go through the ditch. He backed into a yucca plant :eek: poked himself in the butt, sidestepped across the front of the ditch and former owner came across the ditch and grabbed his halter and led me out. That day we rode 14.5 miles through water half way up to his knees following former owner, had horses with teenagers blast by, blaring music, cranky mules that were throwing themselves over when we would stop to rest, 18 wheelers, trucks, cars going by, crossed bridges, etc.

It did a TON for my own confidence. I was able to control Red when he was obviously quiet excited, and had a blast doing it.

I ride out on the ranch on a regular basis with the girls there. They are riding Arabian, and Tennessee Walkers and Quarter Horses. So different temperments going on. Every ride makes me more confident and Red more confident.

Go slow and introduce him and yourself to how he reacts. Don’t be afraid to pack it in…I have and I am glad I did. I do NOT want a repeat of last year. I am afraid if I was thrown like that again I would never ride again. We just bought my husband a horse that was trained for cutting and team penning. He is not a relaxed trail horse at all and we are slowly introducing him to the trails.

Try to go with someone experienced and that is on a trusty old trail horse as others have suggested. It makes a difference in your horse and you too.

Sorry to drag this out but I am working with the same thing right now. My horse is coming along pretty good but he still has a long way to go.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

@Guilherme;4161458

IMO you evaluate a horse for purchase and use on three criteria:

Temperment
Conformation
Way of going

Sadly a huge number of OTTBs fail on the first criteria. This is not such a surprise, as they were bred and born for one thing: running fast.

Put another way, genetics counts.

The training they receive re-inforces this breeding.

A percentage can sometimes do other things (hunting, dressage, jumping) but a really distressingly large number seem to be unable to get past their breeding and training.

Some horses are never going to make good trail mounts. They just don’t have the temperment for it. If that’s the case the owner should sell them and find one that does. Trying to fit this “square peg into a round hole” leads to frustration and, not infrequently, injury. It’s just not worth it.

G.

Bullsh&t. I’ve had over a dozen OTTBs…ALL of them dead quiet on trail rides (in company and alone)…good minds and very nice horses. Hell…I had a stakes winning well bred OTTB who could pack a dead dead beginner out on trail rides when he was less than a year into his re-training. He was also fantastic alone.

IME…it is the exception to have an OTTB that isn’t good out hacking quietly on the trails. And yes…there are exceptions.

BUT they do require a good rider to re-train them off the track. Someone who knows what they are doing. They do need to be on a knowledgable feeding program…and some need to be in consistent work and have good turn out. Really…this can apply to a whole lot of horses…not just OTTBs.

Although I do have one that I can get right on after months off…including months of stall rest…and go right out on a trail ride on the buckle. Just like any horse though…riders must find horses who match their abilities and personalities. And an OTTB right off the track isn’t one that I would recommend for begginers or someone without experience in green horses.

[Vesper_Sparrow]

If you watch enough races, you’ll see that the horses who just bolt often don’t win anything. The ones who have good heads, who can deal with the excitement of a race, can be steered through the pack and rated when they need to be, do win. Plus, OTTBs have to learn to deal with the distractions of a crowd, all the equipment and hubbub of the track and paddock and, last but not least, the starting gate–all while being fed massive amounts of grain and not getting much turnout. They have to be trainable and have reasonably good heads.

From what I can see, TBs vary in temperament just like any other breed. At my barn, we have TBs who are quiet as can be on the trail and warmbloods and draft crosses who no one would want to take on a trail ride.

[cashin_IN]

SING! or say your ABCs, count whatever. it will make you fell stupid and relax you if your horse acts up. i have done a few trail rides with my OTTBs making the WHOOOO hooo (the hooo in a lower tone)sound almost the whole time while making circles til i was dizzy. i had my OTTB (he had already been retrained) 10 days and hitched a ride with friends to an out of state trail ride/camping weekend (since he was perfect at home, even rode out alone). we saddled, everything was great… til two kids galloped past us… and all hell broke loose. after jigging for at least a mile, me close to tears (because i am a wimp, with an affinity for Tbs that can kill me), i got off, and walked. he calmed, i got back on, and made lots of circles anytime he got excited or upset. ain’t much they can do with their heads on your knee. eventually he calmed and the next day he was lovely.
fast forward a few years, my OTTB rides double at night at the big 3-400 horse trail ride campsites. and gallops through the woods like freaking Cigar!

my point in this rambling post is: you have got to work through your fear. or fake it til you make it. son’t be afraid to get off and walk, don’t be afraid to talk or sing or BREATHE! trust me they know when you’re not breathing, it makes you tense.

[soduswoods]

i retrain tbs to trail ride. but first are you taking a fresh horse out. does your horse relax in the pasture. or are you trying to take a stalled fresh horse out. lungeing will not really help here since it is being able to be comfortable in the great out doors.
all my horses go out on trails it doesnt matter if they are off yesterday or last yr. it is also how you handle strange situations do you tense up. if you show any fear here that is how they will remember it. if it is just another day riding then they adapt very well. I have no ring and any riding is out on the trails.
also take longer trails that gives them time to get excited, then tired lastly relax and find out it is not so scary. if you are relaxed and can handle the horse galloping, if he is a quiet galloper this works allow him to gallop as long as he wants. don’t go fast just a canter speed is good until they relax. then let him come down to a walk, most tbs are taught to gallop it is a relaxing exercise for them once they do so they can relax they do know once they are done galloping they walk back home.
also just trail ride for a while once they understand it is just a other way to ride they look forward to the ride.

[matryoshka]

@soduswoods;4338990

i… if he is a quiet galloper this works allow him to gallop as long as he wants. don’t go fast just a canter speed is good until they relax. then let him come down to a walk, most tbs are taught to gallop it is a relaxing exercise for them once they do so they can relax they do know once they are done galloping they walk back home…

I have found this to be true. My boy would get all worked up and lathered when held to a walk but would dry out and relax once allowed to gallop. However, he only got to gallop as a reward for keeping to the pace I set at the beginning of the ride. There is no point in allowing them to think they get to gallop every ride as soon as they get to an open field. Not saying you suggested this, but if done very often, it becomes a habit. We need to change their expectations, not pander to them. JMHO.