People with re schooling, TB or extreemly switched off horse experience please read

Saxon_Jasmine

Saxon_Jasmine

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Bit of background; got my TB mare from a dealer, found out she was very dodgy and had lied to me about horse. Researched horse, found out she's an ex racer, was sent to meat factory, bought by dealer, then bought by my BF and I. We had her re-vetted and she's all good (thank God!) and declaired fit to event. She also had teeth, back and saddle done. We've owned her for 6 months and been schooling her for 4 (spent 2 months eating and them getting fit).

I had been schooling her as you would a green horse, but now I've found out she has never been re schooled or even let down after finishing her racing carrier. Would you reccomend doing anything differently?

Onto next problem.. she has recently started napping. She is fine at home (kept at my house with a pony for company) but when we compete she rears violently and is very silly about going away from the other horses. We've only competed a few times and at low key events, but last weekend she was un-managable after we left the XC start box because of her rearing (I have a swollen face from it!) and we retired before the first fence. Luckily the organiser let us try again HC and I got her round with lots of vocal encouragement and a schooling whip. So, any ideas of what to do about that?

And the last problem.. she switches off the moment the bit goes into her mouth. She is completly unphased by anything. This is making it very hard to school her as she has so little impulsion. Hacking she's the same, if I kick her on she'll canter, but she'd rather walk slowly. At comps it's the same, she doesn't get excited at all so I'm finding it very hard to do anything with her. (She's been checked by the vet and he said it's just her temperment.)

Does anyone have any ideas? She's currently ridden in a snaffle with a lozenge and a standard bridle. I don't use spurs, but poss should? She is on quite a high energy diet and she is competition fit. She seems happy and healthy. (She's the horse in my sig.)

I'm seriously stuck with her as she is just too switched off all the time. Any help or greatly ideas appriecated. Thank you.
 
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How old is she?
I got mine as a 4yr ex racer and he was also very nappy in fields but has got better this yr, iv had him 2 yrs! but he still naps on hacks ... but tbh 4 months of reschooling aint that much imo

Mine is like urs, not phased by anything (although he is stubborn) and is a lazy bum :rolleyes: hes also on a high energy mix and it has helped a bit but not much ... but i do find LOTS of transitions keep him on his toes, walk to canters, leg yielding and teaching him something new to keep his brain ticking!
 
What was her racing name? quick search will give you a fair bit of history but she sounds to me like she possibly wore cheekpieces/blinkers! you'd be amazed how different this can make reschooling a horse from the track! you have a huge job to do to switch them on and get them keen on working. blinkers/cheekpieces are used on horses that are distracted easily, can be lazy and not particularly keen to work! it is a common misconception that ex-racers are all hot on their toes etc...half the time they've become an ex racer coz they are not quick enough or have no interest. i would say try her with a partner hacking and play around you behind, beside, in front. 4 months is not a huge amount of reschooling and tbh even on a schoolmaster you would only be figuring out what buttons to press after 4 months. keep at it, be patient and mix it up a bit! think outside the box. a great trainer i ride out for say that if a horse won't do a good piece of work then its the jockeys job to figure out how to switch him on! ie if it's not working then think outside the box to get it working!
 
I've checked what she wore racing and she just had the standard tack. Her racing name is Naomh Mhuire (I know she's registered as decessed -- she's been confirmed alive and it's going to be updated).

I know 4 months isn't a long time, I was just saying how long we've had her as a bit of background. I'm going to start thinking outside the box when I'm schooling her to make it more fun for both of us. I might also try some pairs XC just to get her going, although I'm worried this will make her more nappy. She isn't nappy at home or out hacking, it's only at comps.

As for the re schooling and the fact she was never let down, is that a problem? Should I give her a few months off? Or just continue but remembering she has never been taught properly?

Thank you.
 
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OK not quite the same but I took on a 7ish yr old Arab that at some point in his past had done a few Endurances and had a really bad fall resulting in serioulsy scarred knees. I got the ride because no one else could do anything with him.
I was meant to be training him up to get him fit and he WOULD NOT go forward. Walk was really slow and felt like the handbrake was on, trot was the slowest jog you could imagine, canter in slow motion except when going home - you ge the picture doing 10- 15km training rides was painful. If you pushed him forward too hard he slammed the breaks on and literally sat down. I did manage to change his frame of mind and turn him into a horse that willing went forward solo and in company, was light on the aids, and would jump and work in an arena (previously unheard of).
It only took 3 - 4 months (!) of daily riding out and just consistantly and quietly (well lots of voice not much leg) asking him to go forward. Any forward motion at any pace was rewarded with lots of pats. It was very slow and unbelieveable painful but the change was well worth it. So perhaps you could forget schooling in an arena and spend los of time on hacks just asking her to go forwards. If you do it over a variety of terrain you should find that she naturally balances her self and when you start to school she will have developed a degree of natural self carriage and the muscles to do the work.

The napping at shows is probably just a reaction to being asked to leave everyone, because as a racehorse she is probably used to doing everything in a group. Could you take her not to compete, to lots of comps and training days and just get her used to the idea of walking away from everyone? It might help...and in the mean time wear a face guard ;)
 
She wore cheekpieces on her last run over hurdles in October and they certainly worked. She made the running but ran out of steam. A holiday may be the first thing she needs as she had no real significant break in her career and certainly didn't appear in love with the game.
http://www.irishracing.com/v5horseinfo?prt=297384
Going by the dates here the most she was ever let down was prob to road work/walker/ hack cantering. a bit of pairs XC may help sweeten her up but I would say do as I suggested in the first post and have her upfront/in behind/upsides just to change it around for her. If she is napping at comps I think she's rying to tell you she's had enough and needs a holiday or short break. perhaps try get her to the beach or something or even a bit of local inhand showing...something she'll never have seen before to giver her something to inspire her a bit! Some of the Luso horses can be a little backwards in their heads sometimes and this is where a holiday may help
 
I am currently reschooling a TB gelding, he is also 8 and raced on the flat and over hurdles, last race end of Sept 09. He was then turned out and when I bought him in Feb he was skeletal. The first two months were spent getting lots of food into him and doing groundwork, going out for walks in hand etc which really helped me to get to know him and him me. He has been in ridden work for just 3 months, lunging, ridden work in school and hacking. He had absolutely no muscle (or fat!) when I got him so all the work I have done with him has been to develop the correct muscles and to learn how to carry himself in a riding horse way as opposed to a racehorse way!
You have been lucky in finding a horse that obviously has a very willing disposition, but she sounds like she has gone through an awful lot since she finished racing and needs a month out to chill and 'be a horse' again. You can then bring her back in and start working her slowly right from the basics.
How awful that she ended up at the abbattoir. At least she's got a nice home with you now. Good luck with her, TBs are soo worth it!
 
Main thing - don't give up. The answer is finding the key to what makes her tick.

I'd give her a break - turn her away. I did this with my 4 year old for 10 weeks and i learnt so much about his personality and attitude to work when he wasn't in work!

Bring her in and get her fit enough for some Autumn hunting - really freshens them up and gets them to enjoy life. Aim for the start of next season with a refreshed horse after a winter of slowly educating her.

I had a 3 year old out of training who was a compulsive rearer, just needed a lot of time and patience, you can outwit them if you have these attributes. She got bored in the end of rearing as it didn't provoke a reaction. She is now in a RC home and doing well.

Good Luck - it'll all be worth it in the end! :)
 
I reall feel for you, we too were lied to by a dealer. We bought a 12 year old tb from him and she cam to us so thin you could see her ribs and no muscle at all, she couldn;t even bend her head to the floor. It took us five years to get her calm and going really nicely in dressage now. We had the opposite problem to you though, our mare thinks its much more fun to gallop everwhere than to trot! lol.
With thoroughbred mares it takes a lot of patience and time. We had to completely reschool our mare over showjump as she was scared witless of them, even now she still refuses violently and out of the blue so we have given up competing jumping her now.
sorry not much advice. i would reccommend giving her time in the field to chill and be a horse. then start right from the beginning long reining and doing lots of different things to make things seem fun for her :)
 
Hi
I used to ride a horse by Luso and there are a few similarities! He got bored very easily in the school and wouldnt go forward - like riding through treacle and if you forced him on then he would flick him bum around in a huff. on the gallop he wasnt much better and went best if coaxed along by a sympathetic female rather than bullied by a lad. Maybe a break would help - she probably didnt enjoy training or racing. Do some groundwork and try and build a bond so she is more likely to trust you and want to work for you and when you bring her back in try to find something she likes e.g. hacking with a friend and do your schooling that way
good luck
 
Is there any chance she can have a good holiday with company to just be herself and get her mind happier? I'd also think about taking her for short days hunting after you have done some of the autumn fun rides where she can learn to enjoy going forward with some company. I certainly wouldn't give up on her, you just have to find ways to rekindle a bit of enthusiasm.
 
Thank you for eveyone's replies, they are really helpful.

She is off to a loan home till September (20mins away to someone I know) while I'm teaching sailing which I think will do her good. The loaner is a young, experienced (female) adult who will do lots of gentle hacking and some schooling. I'll see how she is after that, and either give her a break for a few months or keep going gently with her.

I'm definatly going to take her hunting and I have the feeling she will really love it. After Christmas I will keep going with the schooling and hopefull she will have found a new lease for life.

I think I have pushed her a little too soon, not entirely my fault as I was told she had done everything by the dealer, but we will stop competing and serious schooling now for a while and just get her enjoying herself again. I think the fact she got placed in our first 2 comps, but in the recent 2 was very silly is her way of saying she's being pushed too much.

She's my first horse, and first really green horse so any advise is really appreciated. I'm definatly not giving up on her. She really is perfect and we have bonded, and I'm sure with a bit of time out and them some gentle re schooling she'll begin to enjoy it all again :)
 
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