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Expert
Posts: 2685
   
| Some people are made for it. Some people are not. I am not. I have a mare I love very much that I am going to have to get rid of I think. I really do get along with her but she would be my 2nd attempt at an OTT horse and also my 2nd failed attempt.
Any pointers? I can't seem to get her under herself and to stay that way and collected around a barrel. She flexes and X-rays clean. I don't believe she's hurting. I think it's me because I felt the same way with the last one. I miss my cowy, low to the ground horses and these just aren't like that. She's 15.3 and mostly leg.
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | My first thought is how old is she and second did you spend alot of time doing ground work, etc. Just riding and getting her supple? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 966
Location: Loco,Ok | Might be too long backed to really drop in the grouind.The cow horse is made to stop.Running horses mostly made to run.Back leg may be to straight also.Not all horses have a cow horse stop.They can all stop but not all alike.Conformation as a lot to do with it |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| It will probably take you twice as long to get an ott horse ready for the pattern.
You sort of need to start from square one and retrain the horse completely.
I know sending horses to trainers, most trainers say it takes them twice as long to retrain a horse that has holes in the training from someone else, then it does to start a wildy. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I haven't really started her on the pattern yet, just trying to lope around a barrel in a less that 14' radius is hard for her without kicking out that hind end. She tries but I think it might be the long back/ long leg thing too.
Here's a dumb question, how should I be doing slow work with her to start her on the pattern knowing that she won't be a stick it in the ground and dig kind of horse? Just riding her she feels very light on her feet, wants to be on top of the ground. She understands that when I touch her by the back girth on the outside to kick her hip under her and she does but not real far.
She is 6 :) |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | Watching as I'm planning on starting my OTTB soon. |
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | how long have you had her?Did she come to you straight from the track? |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| jake16 - 2016-02-23 6:51 PM
how long have you had her?Did she come to you straight from the track?
I have had her since Dec. She came from the track in Oct. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | 2 months is not long enough to get a horse going .. ground work should take a few months first.. she cant.. it can be a strength issue to.. you are cramming something into her that has not had enough time to develop.imho |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1032
Location: IL | Yeah I agree, two months is not near long enough. I spent a solid year just teaching my OTTB how to use her body. It was a good year before she had built up enough strength to lope a small circle. And at first, it was incredibly hard for her. Now she can corkscrew down and roll back over her hocks in the center and corkscrew back out like its no big deal. But it was a long road to get to that point. I did a ton of transitions with her. A LOT of transitions. And I would trot her, ask her to stop, ask her to back, and the moment I felt her rock back onto her hind end, I'd squeeze and ask her to push off with her hind end and immediately back into a trot. I did that for MONTHS! OTT horses are great but the reality is you are basically training as if they are the equivalent to a 3 yr old colt being trained. You have to teach them to use their body and put a foundation on them just like you would a colt. They are broke but haven't been asked to use their body the way we want them to. And often, the more starts they have, the longer it takes. Honestly, I didn't go over a trot with my OTTB for a long time. If she couldn't use her hind end correctly at a walk and a trot when I asked for it, she certainly couldn't do it at a lope. Once she was doing it correctly at a trot, we slowly began it at a lope. But like I said, it took a solid year of foundation training and slowly conditioning her body to be physically capable of working on her hind end. Have patience and go slow |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I agree 2 months isn't long enough.
You are asking her to in human terminology to go from crawling to running in a day. It takes kids 3-6 months to do this transition.
I have a horse right now who had 60 days professional training plus another 60 days of riding and she just started loping 8 foot circles.
I would try working squares this teaches them to stick their inside leg in and hold it while turning. I use this technique (Sharon Camarillo's) on horses who are drifting, rubber necking, or not engaging their hind end, and it does work. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 158
| If you are like me and used to little cow bred horses no matter what you do on a big horse it never feels "right" lol. I purchased a finished horse who is well over 16 hands, won jackpots on him and I still come out of the arena going wth was that! He has got me out of my comfort zone and I genuinely believe I ride my little horses better because of him but just as some people get on my little 14 hands with shoes on gelding and cant figure out why I like riding a 9yo that is yearling sized, I climb on my big gelding thinking how do people get used to this lol. Now it may be something with your specific horse, Im just saying I have one that is finished, works a pattern correct, is 100% sound, and I still feel off. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| TACKyPaints - 2016-02-23 7:25 PM
Yeah I agree, two months is not near long enough. I spent a solid year just teaching my OTTB how to use her body. It was a good year before she had built up enough strength to lope a small circle. And at first, it was incredibly hard for her. Now she can corkscrew down and roll back over her hocks in the center and corkscrew back out like its no big deal. But it was a long road to get to that point. I did a ton of transitions with her. A LOT of transitions. And I would trot her, ask her to stop, ask her to back, and the moment I felt her rock back onto her hind end, I'd squeeze and ask her to push off with her hind end and immediately back into a trot. I did that for MONTHS! OTT horses are great but the reality is you are basically training as if they are the equivalent to a 3 yr old colt being trained. You have to teach them to use their body and put a foundation on them just like you would a colt. They are broke but haven't been asked to use their body the way we want them to. And often, the more starts they have, the longer it takes. Honestly, I didn't go over a trot with my OTTB for a long time. If she couldn't use her hind end correctly at a walk and a trot when I asked for it, she certainly couldn't do it at a lope. Once she was doing it correctly at a trot, we slowly began it at a lope. But like I said, it took a solid year of foundation training and slowly conditioning her body to be physically capable of working on her hind end. Have patience and go slow
This! 2 months is definitely not long enough. When I used to get track horses it took them 2 months just to figure out how to pick up and hold the right (not the correct, but the right side) lead at the lope without falling out and/or switching back to the left lead.) They really *aren't* broke how most of us like them. Yes, you can put a saddle on and ride...at a run or get your arms yanked out of the sockets at a fast trot, but that's about it. Turning in a circle at all is a totally foreign concept to them and they have no idea how to do it, much less with their bodies underneath them. These are the types that clock BETWEEN the barrels and lose time AROUND them. Much different than your quick, catty little horses with the short legs that can turn on a dime. |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | I've only had one of the track and he was way easier than my barrel bred prospect. It does take time, though - prly a good 6 mos before I started on barrels.
In my limited experience, I don't think a horse that is bred to run is ever going to work like a horse that was bred to cow. Of course there are always exceptions. |
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 Scorpions R Us
Posts: 9586
Location: So. Cali. | I've had a few off the track Quarters so I'll give my two cents. I completely agree with you, it's for some and its not for everyone! I prefer the big, free running barrel horses compared to the catty push style barrel horse. I believe majority of the time when you get an off the track horse you're in for a free running barrel horse, so if that is not a style you prefer this is not the project for you.
And as with anything else, no two off the track quarters are the same. If it is an option, I do recommend sending them out for basics for atleast 30 days. My first mare was 5 when I got her off the track, purchased her in April and was entering her just as a cruise thru by September. She was bit thrown into it because I needed something going quick, I spent alot of time going back to basics with her because of it. Another I got as an only coming 3year old, He spent a year with me and was hardly loping the pattern when I sold him. He took a few years to grow into himself and mature, he was a very big goofy boy, but is a very competitve barrel horse now. Another mare I got after she had been turned out for about 4 years, sent her out immediately for 30 days, owned her just shy of a year and had just started to enter and cruise her thru before I sold her, she very quickly has become a competitive barrel horse. Lastly there was a gelding I purchased who had the most impressive track record of all I've owned, had been off the track acouple years. Spent a year with him and his mind just could not handle the speed. If he went faster than a high lope he was a run away on the pattern so he became a very good trail horse.
Its alot of time, patience, repetition, and reward. Racehorses look for that 'pat' of approval. They want to work and have a job. I look forward to hearing updates! 
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | RoaniePonie11 - 2016-02-23 4:04 PM Some people are made for it. Some people are not. I am not. I have a mare I love very much that I am going to have to get rid of I think. I really do get along with her but she would be my 2nd attempt at an OTT horse and also my 2nd failed attempt. Any pointers? I can't seem to get her under herself and to stay that way and collected around a barrel. She flexes and X-rays clean. I don't believe she's hurting. I think it's me because I felt the same way with the last one. I miss my cowy, low to the ground horses and these just aren't like that. She's 15.3 and mostly leg.
If you really like the mare - why not go take some lessons maybe once a week from someone that's been successful with horses off the track? Just get a little guidance while you're working on her? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
Location: London Ontario | I've had my mare since sept. She had a month off in sept and a month off in jan. She is by far the most athletic horse I have ever rode. It mainly took me just riding her to figure out how she wanted to be rode. I have just started hauling her and she is going great. I will definitely get another OTT but they for sure aren't for everyone. |
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Location: NE Texas | Spiraling circles at a walk, trot, lope, quick stop and then spiral back out - repeat other direction. If she braces on the bit, try pressure/release - don't let her keep bracing against you - bring her to a tighter circle if she braces or go ahead and ask her to stop. Mix it up... keep her guessing and don't lose your patience when she gets frustrated or isn't sure what you're asking. Always end riding session on a positive/encouraging note so she enjoys the workout - trail ride and let them relax and be a horse as much as you work.
My two cents for what it's worth... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 634
| RoaniePonie11 - 2016-02-23 4:04 PM
Some people are made for it. Some people are not. I am not. I have a mare I love very much that I am going to have to get rid of I think. I really do get along with her but she would be my 2nd attempt at an OTT horse and also my 2nd failed attempt.
Any pointers? I can't seem to get her under herself and to stay that way and collected around a barrel. She flexes and X-rays clean. I don't believe she's hurting. I think it's me because I felt the same way with the last one. I miss my cowy, low to the ground horses and these just aren't like that. She's 15.3 and mostly leg.
Patience, patience, patience. It will all be worth it in the end. OT horses make great ones! I like draw reins on mine, it really makes him get his booty underneath him in the turns. Worth a shot. Good luck. Do you have video? |
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 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | I prefer to ride NOT, not off track horses. I prefer for my horses to be taught to give to pressure than go into it, I prefer sound horses to crippled, & I prefer non steroided up horses to horses that fall apart physically when you get them home.
Edited by mollibtexan 2016-02-25 11:17 PM
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