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 Veteran
Posts: 241
 
| How hard was it to get them soft in the face and not bracing against you when you asked for them to give to the bit at all gates. i have a good start at a walk and trot and have a good stop on him.but im thinking of going back to the round pen to see if it might make things easier. i dont no much about re training race horses but i was hoping to hear anything on how you got your horse nice broke and light. i am riding him in a o ring snaffle if anyone wants to no. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| I did it once. He never was super light like I want (having worked with reined cow horses) but he always put his feet where I wanted them when he was finished. Lots of slow work at walk and trot with an INSTANT release for flexion. Start out of the ground in a regular (non rope) halter just getting him to bend to pressure. Make it a game - see how light of oressure you can give before he flexes. Give lots of scratches and pets for a little progress.
I also found he never thought about where to put his feet. I went out in the desert and circled him around random bushes and trail rode him a lot. He was by Chicks Beduino so that may have contributed but I found he responded better to the proverbial carrot than the stick. Meaning, it's best to praise for the good than pick or punish for the bad. Just keep him working until he does right, THEN stop. As soon as you get a little progress, stop asking. Pet, scratch, praise, and get off.
Good luck!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 383
| I have a ott he is an awesome 1d and pro rodeo horse he is all business gives his heart and soul and ya when we are at home he's soft and flex's pretty well - when he gets away at a race he does tend to push at the bit- but I have learned that's just part of his first learning that is just a part of him- and as the other person said- praise praise praise for these ott guys they (mine for sure) is very sensitive and harshness will only upset him and ruin his confidence - if things aren't going like I want, I just move on to something else that he does very well and then come back later to what I am trying to show him- ott horses seem to take a lot of patience and thought- but I will tell you mine is worth every bit I have ever put into him-he has sure enough give everything he's got to me |
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Veteran
Posts: 241
| thank you ladys. i have a good 4 month that i am going to be doing slow work for. he tries hard and stays pretty quiet at a walk and trot. not bad at a lowp just very strong and i do not like how much it have to hang on him to get some give so im staying at a walk and trot till he is light.i dont no if he will ever be reiner light ither but i really just want him really nice broke. i put a good handle on my horsesso i no what i can do we ith one that hasn't been raced but im sure in time i can get him working well. i no it will be slow going but it will be worth it. thank you for some feed back and i would love to hear more. i can see it definitely takes pations !! lol |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
 
Location: Opelousas, LA | I have found that it is much easier to get an OTT horse light if you go straight to a very short shank bit with a mild mouthpiece.
They are trained to lean on the bit and the faster they go, the harder they pull. That is hard to overcome when the pull of an O-ring feels the same to them. Maybe it is incorrect horsemanship to go to a shanked bit before they are soft in an O-ring, but I can be so much softer with my hands that way.
It will also help to be super consistent with your body position, ask for the stop with your body first then back it up with your hands if needed. You can get an OTT soft, just not the same way you do it with one that has never raced. |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | barnmom gave you great advice, I've used a hack as well on some. Loved the many OTT horses that I got to start. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 193
Location: USA | Barnmom - 2014-10-26 10:48 AM
I have found that it is much easier to get an OTT horse light if you go straight to a very short shank bit with a mild mouthpiece.
They are trained to lean on the bit and the faster they go, the harder they pull. That is hard to overcome when the pull of an O-ring feels the same to them. Maybe it is incorrect horsemanship to go to a shanked bit before they are soft in an O-ring, but I can be so much softer with my hands that way.
It will also help to be super consistent with your body position, ask for the stop with your body first then back it up with your hands if needed. You can get an OTT soft, just not the same way you do it with one that has never raced.
This might be long-I agree with this. I had to basically re-start my ott mare and she's Dash For Cash, Beduino, Six Fols bred and she's really smart. I mean brilliant! I've gotten her to bow, give me kisses and even dance! I've never had a horse as smart as she is and when I first got her she didn't like plastic bags, tarps, bridges, etc; Scared of her own shadow basically. I thought she was going to be really fragile minded and crazy if I didn't take it slow. But she proved me wrong. I did start her in O-ring snaffle and she didn't have problem she never did pull on me but she always got front-endy with me, because she never really knew how or did any work off of her butt. But I soon started to work with her in a tom-thumb and yes some people disagree with this but for her, it worked. I worked on nothing but stops and turns with her for the first couple months. Then once she was getting really good all the way to a high canter and working off of her butt. I brought her back to a D-Ring Snaffle and I still ride her in that when training on flat work. But I use a Jr. Cowhorse when working on barrel drills or exercises. And a Million Dollar Bit on our runs. And this whole process took 7 months and I don't have an indoor arena so we had to wait for our arena to dry when it rained so in all it's taken me 7 months :)
But she's really quick and light on her feet now, almost like a cutting horse which I thought was weird for a ott horse to be like that because of the ones I've worked with. Even after training their not that quick like my push-styles. But also, I could show her a drill or exercise one time at a walk and she'd get it right every single time even at a trot and canter (if the drill included a canter) She's really smart and she eventually calmed down after the first month and I've hauled her to trail rides, 4-H shows and Open Shows, Barrel Races and she's absolutely perfect!
But if yours is getting front-endy or wants to push on you, when he does stop, back up, roll back towards the fence and go the other way :) That always helps me :) It also helps them get back under themselves. |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | That used to be all I did. :) I usually switched to a hack at first because it was different pressure and you could teach them to back off your hands, then if I needed to, I could always go back to a bit....however, I love hacks. :) I'm like barnmom....you need something with a different feel than a regular snaffle because they've learned to lean into that, so something with a shank and a curb or a hack will have a completely different feel and you can pretty easily teach them to lighten up. I love OTT horses. I love that they already know how to run and I love their big hearts. I never had to put up with them sulling up or trying to cheat me and I love that. They can be a little dense sometimes, especially when the run hits them, but overall, I would take an OTT (that's sound) over any other horse any time. :) Good luck!
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  Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | I have trained a few. I always ride my colts in a bosal so I didn't have any trouble getting them light in the face. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | My mare was on the track for 3 years. I'm not the one that retrained her but she's very light in her face and sides, so it can be done. She's a 2D barrel horse, would be 1D if I could ride worth a darn (I know a lot of people say that but I watch my videos and I just feel bad for my horse lol).
ETA also I agree with sometimes going to a shanked bit can help get one lighter. If you really understand how to release pressure instantly, I think you can skip the snaffle but not actually be skipping a step in training. I had a horse that used to bolt constantly and he'd lean on my hands really bad. I tried retraining him in the roundpen with a snaffle but eventually I started switching between a pretzel bit and a fast stop. He learned a lot faster that way and he was no longer allowed to get away with bolting and being heavy on my hands, and now I can ride him in literally any bit (including an O-ring snaffle) without him leaning on me and he stops no matter what.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2014-10-26 1:59 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| I used to ride jumpers and used to retrain these guys for a living. It can be quite lucrative if you work them right.
Race horses are trained the OPPOSITE of what would seem to make sense to the rest of the riding world. When you pull back on the reins or add any kind of contact that is their cue to brace down on the bit and RUN! I had an ex-racehorse who used to run off with me daily until I learned if I wanted him to stop...THROW the reins at his ears! He became quite a successful hunter and jumper in his teens...as long as you rode with a loose rein approaching the jump or in hunters, and picked up the reins in the straightaways for jumpers so that he opened up his stride.
Getting them to turn is a whole other story: set your hand forward and open up your inside rein while adding leg into the turn. They will get it eventually.  |
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Veteran
Posts: 241
| thank you all for the feed back!! :) have a happy Halloween |
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Veteran
Posts: 180
| I am in agreement with those that go to a type of hack. I have a short shank Dutton I love to use. I have used one of his that is like the Hank bit and the draw bit with a rope nose on it. I have used this on one with 15 starts (SI 93) in money on track 10 times and one that was on track for 4 yrs. and in money with wins. They really seemed to like the rope nose hack. I have to remember not to hang and I keep the curb loose. More of a bump release and right then left with my hands.
I love OTT's. They already know how to run and I just want to sit there, smooch and say whoa to turn. I am lazy like that. I have problems with ratey ones. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| I am on my fourth ott horse prospect. My first was a 5 yr old, 16'2 appendix who'd been on vacation for 2 yrs since coming home from track. I completely started over with him from ground. I used a d-ring AND a martingale to keep him from pushing on my hands. Draw reins are good too. I still trail ride and work him in d , I run him in a short shank 2 piece Jr cow. He let me know when I was pushing to hard, to fast. I hauled him lightly for 2 yrs. This year we hit races hard. He is a solid 1/2 d horse in tough Texas competition. My 4 yr old ott double Bedouino is so soft in the face the race horse vet called him a dud and said he rides like a western pleasure horse. He will be hitting barrel pen in 2015 due to injury . My 5 yr old ott mare rides like a cow horse, naturally broke over at poll and carried her head so low it is annoying. My 4th is a 3 yr old I just got and we started ground work Monday. They all ride in d ring to trail ride or work. I CAN make a run in d ring on my gelding but like the Jr better for my runs. I broke them all to my seat, so I push him forward by jockeying him. When I sit and say whoa he stops. Rarely do I have to pick up my reins to get him to stop. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I prefer off the track horses :) |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 331
Location: Loma Linda, CA | My gelding isn't necessarily re-trained, barrels is what I've always wanted to do with him.
However, I did spend this summer re-starting him due to having sold him as a 3 year old and he was left in a stall that whole time. He'd ride under saddle, but was still very, very green.
I put him in an o-ring snaffle worked on lots of bending, serpentines, tipping his nose to my foot to give to pressure, round pen work, and him moving off my body (I'd take him in the arena, ask for walk/trot/lope but not guide him with my reins which I had no hold of, I just let him go wherever he wanted to in the arena and if he tried to go in ropers boxes or anything I just pushed him to keep moving).
He is now very responsive off my seat and legs and very light in the face in comparison to just a few months ago.
I have before videos of him at his first gymkhana and now he is really pushing hard to run barrels and moving off my legs, bending with the cue of my heel and becoming one heck of a wicked pole horse too. Lol.
Last month he graduated from his o-ring to a jr cow horse and has been doing nothing short of amazing in it.
I was gonna take him to a play day to see how he does in a competition setting, but of course my radiator in my truck went out -.-
Gotta get that fixed first lol.
Edited by Phxbarrel 2014-10-30 7:04 PM
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Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | iloveequine40 - 2014-10-30 6:41 PM I am on my fourth ott horse prospect. My first was a 5 yr old, 16'2 appendix who'd been on vacation for 2 yrs since coming home from track. I completely started over with him from ground. I used a d-ring AND a martingale to keep him from pushing on my hands. Draw reins are good too. I still trail ride and work him in d , I run him in a short shank 2 piece Jr cow. He let me know when I was pushing to hard, to fast. I hauled him lightly for 2 yrs. This year we hit races hard. He is a solid 1/2 d horse in tough Texas competition. My 4 yr old ott double Bedouino is so soft in the face the race horse vet called him a dud and said he rides like a western pleasure horse. He will be hitting barrel pen in 2015 due to injury . My 5 yr old ott mare rides like a cow horse, naturally broke over at poll and carried her head so low it is annoying. My 4th is a 3 yr old I just got and we started ground work Monday. They all ride in d ring to trail ride or work. I CAN make a run in d ring on my gelding but like the Jr better for my runs. I broke them all to my seat, so I push him forward by jockeying him. When I sit and say whoa he stops. Rarely do I have to pick up my reins to get him to stop.
I just sold one like that. She never would run to her capabilities and once I brought her home and started riding her I knew why she wouldn't run. You almost had to pedal her to keep her in a lope and the second you sat down and touched her face, she would drop her butt and park it. Certainly an example of one bred to the hilt that was just not meant to be a racehorse. |
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Veteran
Posts: 171
| When I was in high school I had an OTT finished barrel horse,and loved him very few could out run us. (This was before the 4D's were popular)
My second horse we purchased of the track, I trained and he was by seattle slew, awesome horse.
I rode many cow bred horses, which my family raises.
But a couple years ago I purchased an OTT and love him, love knowing the run is there. He has a 94 speed index and my husband refers to him as a plug with wheels.
Love him. Yes he is a chicks bedino and easily smashed. I agree he is sensitive and responds best to praise, but like to do his job and be left alone.
Did I mention I love him |
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You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I have honestly found *most* of my OTT horses to be big calm horses. I have a Stoli daughter who I should have put on the pattern but I bought her to be a career broodie. She did get started on the pattern and is the lightest mouthed horse I've had. SMART mare too. I played with her on the pattern one day after she had her 2014 baby and I found out she was open for this year.. so I hopped on her and we worked the barrels like she had done it yesterday. She's cool.
Then I had a Shazoom daughter that SG now owns…she was such an awesome mare. I was so proud of her because she was so easy to train and came along so nicely. We were cruising 1D times with no effort. Ran a 17.8 as a 4YO at ANHA on a standard pattern and that was her first big show ever. Unfortunately she had a stifle OCD chip I didn't find until she suddenly started running totally unlike herself. We removed it and I bet she would come back nicely, but she's getting bred to some AWESOME stallions so I'm more excited to watch what SG and RockinAS do with them.
I had a This Snow Is Royal that was a total POS.
I had an Okey Dokey Dale out of a TB mare who was an 870 horse and was retired unsound. I got her just to be a broodmare and now another BB has her. She's been making some nice babies.
My Strawflyin Buds daughter Ms Rare Buds was off the track. She totally does not feel like it either. Dusky really put a handle on her and made her soft.
Long story short, the race track "track broke" part doesn't scare me off. The soundness after the track is my only concern, and I've been pretty lucky. I also like to get fillies off the track in case something does come up, I have a back up plan. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1969
Location: Texas | It's very easy. Bought a Tb, Brooks Open Gold, aka Steel in April, ran him 5 more times on the track and started him on barrels. He is 6 and has had 35 outs! http://youtu.be/tth4EiaCpm0
This filly also had several track out! If you actually know what you're doing you should be successful... Both horses had their heads tied down in the round pen and broke at the pole and backing up before I stepped foot on them.
http://youtu.be/UjDS70F4rzA
Edited by HaleyT 2014-10-31 10:33 AM
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