This is the kindest thing I think I have ever read; thank you 🥹 Will definitely hold these words close, especially as we approach our first rated show.
You’re so right – who knew I’d be so grateful for a sale not going through!!
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Well, what a weekend! Here I am writing live from Cloud Nine! We just tied off on our first ever A show and it was such a whirlwind.
Poe and the barn arrived onsite Wednesday, where he did a handful of classes on Thursday and Friday with the pro. I arrived Friday morning to discover he’d won a handful of ribbons. By the time Saturday morning rolled around, I barely recognized my 7 year old OTTB. Though Poe typically lives on 24/7 turnout, he was handling being stalled for several days like an unbothered king – our handwalks around the venue were wholly uneventful, even with bicycles, inflatable reindeer, and tractor drags surrounding him.
Saturday bore our first few classes as a pair. Ironically, we had a lovely warm up, a terrible Hunter 1 where Poe forgot what brakes were (nothing dangerous we were just making it look like a jumper round), and a significantly improved Hunter 2 – still a bit speedy but much more controlled. I went into Sunday quite optimistic, only to be supremely humbled with an under saddle, our first class, that birthed a manic canter from Poe. Under saddles are normally our strength, and while I can’t know for sure, my best guess is he just was feeling the lack of turnout and the energy.
I’m not too proud to admit that while the pro was giving him a short lunge, I had a good cry. I wasn’t mad at him, just frustrated. There was a not insignificant lump of dread living in my stomach rent free about getting back on for our final two over fences trips. After pep talks from a friend and my trainer, I got back in the saddle. Poe seemed quiet as a church mouse and I promised myself that I’d take it step by step – first pop over a fence in the schooling arena and see what came next.
Boy, am I glad I did. The following two trips were not perfect by any means, by they WERE the best of the weekend, the best we’ve ever had, actually. We were straight as an arrow down our lines, only 1 or 2 simple changes but several flying on his own, we were quiet, we flowed! I left the arena with a big ole grin on my face.
Upon exiting the gate, my trainer turned to me and said, “You really are a good rider, very few riders could go out there, handle him, and make improvements round over round” and I promptly burst into tears. The good ones, this time! Poe and I didn’t win any ribbons ourselves and frankly, I don’t care. This weekend truly felt like such a culmination of, well, everything. A year ago, I was afraid to get back on this horse, and here we are, doing a rated show (albeit unrated classes – ha!) with minimal antics and significant progress.
Now, he’s getting some time off, some bodywork, and endless carrots. I’m hoping to send him to a much smaller-sized rated show next month just to help him get used to the environment and the stall time. Why, you ask? Well, my big goal is Pin Oak – I’d like to do the Low Adults. We’ll adjust expectations as needed but, for the first time, it really feels possible.
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Great report! Congrats. Give him a carrot from me. 
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Give yourself a glass of wine and a hot bath too. You are on track and trainer seems to have you exactly where you should be. The rest will come as you continue to improve and gain the polish to start pinning in your classes.
Believe it or not, when the fences get higher and the oxers broader, it gets easier. The fences shape more of a jump, they push off behind which lifts you out of the tack, they use their knees more bringing the shoulders up and more jump makes those lines ride dead on if you just stay straight and look up.
Lots of fun ahead for you.
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Two of my OTTBs were very hard to keep weight on. How do you do it without grain?
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This thread has been rolling for almost a full year and think OP and her current trainer have worked out any management problems. It is also hard to generalize situations without actually having the whole IRL picture.
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My TB is unrideable on alfalfa, forget any kind of grain. He was chronically underweight until I started weighing his hay to make sure he got enough. He also always got additional timothy hay pellets and a pound of rice bran daily. By hay I mean 1/2 oat hay and half timothy hay.
He’s always been boarded and some barns are stingier than others with the amount of hay.
He’s easier now that he’s retired, and can have one flake of alfalfa per day without losing his mind.
I did manage to keep weight on him for years without grain or alfalfa. It was hard!
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Ugh I’ve been following this story and I just wanna say - you are my people! I love your attitude about EVERYTHING. Your story is so real and some of your experiences and feelings about them resonate with me (also an ammy with a young, imperfect OTTB). So proud of you for doing the thing! Thank you for sharing your story!
More horse people should aspire to be like you!
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Hello world, it’s me again! Poe and I had the opportunity to do another rated show this weekend and I am beyond thrilled to report that it went SO WELL. We’re still playing in the unrated divisions, 2’3" specifically, with the goal of hitting the Low Adults in time for Pin Oak.
Right away, this show felt different. Poe came out totally different from our last show in December. He was cool as a cucumber, acting as if he’d been a show horse his entire life. He killed it on Wednesday with the pro and by the time I hopped on on Thursday, I literally didn’t know how to ride this new horse! In a time when we’ve been working on needing brakes, suddenly I had to add leg – crazy! Friday, I had mentally prepared for the New Poe but he caught me by surprise once again.
The temperature had significantly dropped, and there was a nice wind blowing in through one of the open roll up doors. He wound up being much stronger and more forward than the previous two days but most importantly, he was manageable. Already the difference within a month alone has been surreal. We wound up placing in this class, sixth out of a class of ten, even with our adds and a few wrong leads. I swear, I can see the change in real time, even in my own riding ability. We also managed third in our under saddle class of twelve!
It’s so funny, a year and a half ago I would’ve been upset, frustrated, even. But now, how can I be anything but proud? Just this past January, we were post-rehab from Kissing Spine surgery and starting back under saddle (I hope linking my IG post is okay!), I was filled with anxiety just to get back on. Now, we’re coursing, and even when he’s strong, he’s still listening and responsive!!
Looking back, I still don’t think it would’ve been a mistake to sell him; I was so afraid. Had I not found this program, with these amazing trainers, who knows what the world would look like. Something my trainer said this weekend has really stuck with me – she praised me for “how present” I have become in riding Poe. She explained that she likes that now, when he behaves a certain way, I react in that moment to that behavior, I address it, and I move on – as a result, we don’t carry baggage throughout the round or from one round to the next.
I think that the compliment really encapsulates the ups and downs since I started posting here. Dealing with a young OTTB like Poe, I can’t carry the baggage, just have to ride the horse I have in that moment. And in each moment, I’m really thrilled with the growth this horse is showing.
Anyway, next stop is Pin Oak. If you us around, say hi! I’ll be the one who is just happy to be there!
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Love, love, love this update! Big congratulations to you and Poe!
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Thanks for allowing us to keep following your journey.
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Thrilled for you! Keep up the good work and great attitude. 
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Thank you for sharing - your round just made me smile!
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I’m in love with that sweet boy. That round was lovely.
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He’s such a sweet boy! Truly just so willing to please!
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you’re doing amazing. i love you attitude, your riding, and your poe!! keep it up and update us!!
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OP, you know you never formally introduced us to Poe. It’s time now that it sounds like you will be keeping him.
Do you have his JC name and pedigree? TB fans love this kind of info and can help you find it if it’s incomplete.
And is he Poe as in Edgar Allen, the rebel pilot with the cool jacket in Star Wars or does it come from his family tree?
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Ah, I suppose I didn’t! I think it was initially an attempt to be anonymous and then here we are dropping photos and rounds – ha!
Meet Poe! The name is his barn name stemming from my love of literature, alas, his JC name (“Mula Wild”) doesn’t lend itself well to any fun barn names. Poe is Texas born and bred and, as far as I know, doesn’t have any sort of sexy bloodlines. We show under the USEF/USHJA name “Tell Tale Heart,” another homage to literature 
forgive the bit size, we’d graduated from the pelham and were trying something new!
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Dark and moody poet it is 
ETA about his pedigree? His grandpa did win the Kentucky Derby (Lil E Tee) and there are quite a few notable racers and producers on the damside not too far back. Not surprised to see Seattle Slew in there either.
No accident he is a good horse. At all.
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Huh, well look at that! I had no idea!
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