How do you disable a TB's internal compass?

S

shmoo

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 November 2012
Messages
382
Location
Out in the sticks
Visit site
New to forums - please excuse me if i'm rubbish at it!

I've recently bought/rescued a little TB mare. It took a while to get her healthy but now the time has come to ride. I've been out a handful of times and considering she's an ex-racer (left the track 10 years ago) she's quite good. Has to be in front or sulks but fairly calm. The milisecond you turn home she turns in foaming lunatic monster horse. Gnawing and chomping her bit, sideways here there and everywhere. Swishing and thratening her friends, who were all with us so its not like she anything rush home for. Up until you reach the wall in the yard she goes at this ridiculous pace. Like a power walker.

I'm at a total loss as to how to stop her? Anyone else know?

PS. Had teeth done - she seems worse if possible? Changed bit from a snaffle to a happy mouth dutch gag so we have brakes. She's up to weight, wormed, vaccinated and i can't think of anythng she's lacking?
 
Few things you could try, If you can do a full circuit, not turning at a point to head home again.

Another would be to just hack half as far as you would normally and when you get back to home entrance keep going for the same distance.

I would also have her work at home when you get back, in the school if possible so she doesn't have it in her head that she gets home put back into field or stable and fed, untacked an fussed over.
 
When my old loan pony did this we walked home and kept going until he was chilled and turned back for home if he got het up we walked past again and only when he was calm would he be allowed to go in :)
 
Maybe when you turn for home and she hurries you could turn round and ride back the other way for some time?

Changes of direction can stop a dog pulling on the lead and predicting what will happen next - I KNOW its not quite the same but it would break her mindset a little in the same sort of way

Also the idea of riding straight past home is a good one
 
Cool, I honestly didn't think of that. To be fair i've been so glad to get back to the yard intact i'm almost as pleased to see it as she is...

We do do the circular ride thing though, never a turn around, as she also has a tendancy to nap, the latest was on Sunday on a huge circuit i've never even seen so she certainly hasn't.

I think being so wound up has upset her? She's seemed a little down since, if you know what I mean.

And they said it would be easy ! Well I think they did - I may have misheard.
 
We are lucky in that we have several shortish rides which can be extended by adding more loops. This means that the horses cannot anticipate the return home, if at all possible OP, I suggest that you try this .
 
There is a loop I can add when coming back from any direction - an 'around the block' that takes around 5-10 mins. I'll give this a go.

Thanks for the advice. Superstars all !
 
Good ideas but also think about doing longer routes so she's tireder.

Incidentally, when she starts jogging etc, do you tense up and hold her short or do you let her have her head as racers are known to pull if you hold them up but relax better if you drop your hands and have you got her strapped up in a flash or anything as they're only used to plain cavessons so she could be fighting that too.
 
She's quite a tale of two horses. On the way out she is lovely and rounded, nicely collected and lots of impulsion from behind, then homeward goes all racehorse. Loose limbed, long backed (if that makes sense?) and feels a foot or so taller.

I don't tense up, I'm tending to sit tight, keep calm and not pull or give her anything to fight. A helpful girl at the yard once tried to put a flash on her with my daughter (not me) there. Needless to say she went doolally. We didn't bother with that one again. She's in a very ordinary caverson bridle, happy mouth DG but I'm going to be putting her martingale back on. She does a headshaking thing as well up and down, not side to side. Not snatching the bit just trying to spit on me I think.

I did try and fool her into thinking it was warmdown time and fairly dropped the reins the other day, she sort of got faster as she laughed at me. So, no, didn't seem to make a blind bit of difference.

She really is a darling, and 14 now so old enough to know better?
 
My little fella is the same!!! The minute he thinks we are on the homeward stretch (and he is always right!) he acts like we are going down to the start post - crabbing, yanking and trying to rush off. Yep I just sit there and act like it's boring. If I reassure him and pat him he goes off like a rocket!! He was very poor when I got him and was very docile; now I think he feels good. He has lots of miles under his belt and wins too so I guess I must just put up with it. After all getting home is a great motivator but I think ROR are out of the question. I have gone out for longer and further, I go in the school after a ride and go past home too - nothing works - he knows. If you find a miracle cure let me know but it beats being bored!!
 
I cannot recommend a cure either. An Arab of mine was just the same even on 25 mile circular routes he had never done before, and if we were away from home he would home in on the lorry! I started feeling better about it after reading that Jenny Loriston-Clarke admitted being unable to cure one of her horses of jogging on the way home. And when he got tired he would start pulling, getting him tired enough to give in would probably have seen one or both of us dead. He was the kind who never admits defeat. He also got fit very easily as he put so much energy into everything he did. H..ll of a pain at times but you have to respect a horse like that.
 
You've just described my boy (except he's a cob). It doesn't matter where we are. Even if he has never been there before he starts a homeward bound march.

At our last sponsored ride he started marching for home, so I asked at the next checkpoint how far we had to go. I was shocked when they told us he pretty much started marching at the halfway mark. Now there is no way he could not that, it's just a coincidence. But 6 miles of route marching isn't much fun and wasn't very conducive to having a chat with my friend I was riding with :o

He used to do endurance and also gets fit really easily. He could be ridden once a week and then go out and do a 12 mile ride without even thinking about it (not that I would of course, before anyone jumps on me). He finishes rides with everyone else blowing and he feels like he would go round the same again.

I've also accepted he is what he is.
 
How long have you had her and been hacking her?

I didn't turn my ex racer back on the spot for 6 months after I got him. I stuck to circular routes, he's fine to turn on the spot now although I don't make a habit of it. I'd try the circular routes back in the snaffle if you can.
 
Ahh, we've not been togther long. I originally bought her for my daughter. A sap and her money are easily parted ! I believed everything I was told and got her two weeks later. A week or two in I realised i'd made a huge mistake, sat back and thought - why the hell did I buy a 15.2 chestnut mare ex-racer for a 13 year old novice. Couldn't come up with one reason!

However, no surrender. I made the comitment to her when I bought her and stand by it. I loaned my daughter a fabby uber pony, then dusted off my boots and got back up in the saddle.

She was a mess, hatrack, bad feet (from neglect not inherant) so I spent a couple of months on the ground only, and a spate of lunging, then round the blocks a few times, then slightly further. Unfortunately its sporadic as I have 3 children, a full time job and a house (like millions of others, I know i'm not special) oh, forgot the husband. I like to see him every now and then. So i'm short on time, so to make a simple question painfullylong: We've been out hacking on long hacks 3 times.

I've had her around 6 months. Not long enough to really know what she's like. I did track down one previous owner and she was adamant she was the best horse she ever owned, and oddly she is confidence inspiring despite being so difficult for that last mile or two. She isn't nasty, just kinda naughty ?
 
My mum told me that many years ago my grandad had an ex racehorse that "danced" all the way home. He tried asorts of things with it but the only thing that settled the horse was to ride it in an exercise sheet - it stayed perfectly calm then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top