Update (pictures too!)

[Florrie]

I'm not a well known member on here but I have posted threads about my ex-racehorse project in the past and I'd just like to share our progress so far
I personally think we have come on in leaps and bounds, It's been 6 months so far since I bought him.
Now here's a little bit of background - before I bought Tag he did nothing but race for 7 or so years then sit in a field for a year. No schooling whatsoever. I wasn't looking for a horse at the time I went to view Tag. I somehow managed to get stuck with a death-trap of a horse who everytime I rode I'd end up in tears or knocked out on the floor. I came across Tag one night whilst looking on Dragon Driving (god forbid) but he looked so sweet, he captured my heart right away. I arranged a viewing and he was the perfect, down to earth horse I'd been wanting for so long. So quickly we sold on my other horse (luckily to a person who has the experience to deal with her, she's doing fantastic now!) and bought Tag.

So far we've managed to crack halt/walk/trot transitions with ease and got a sufficient outline. He actually bends into corners instead of dragging himself around. He is sufficiently supple within his movement. We still have a long way to go as with regards to canter work but we are slowly but surely getting there.
It may not seem like a lot but I am so chuffed with his progress (I was feeling down earlier as I felt we was not progressing) but after looking at before and after photos I feel much more confident and like we're heading in the right direction.

He has had the winter (December/January/February) in very light work. Today was our 4th or so proper schooling session after his Winter off. Only had the side reins on as he was ferrying around like a complete idiot for the first 20 minutes but they were taken off after the photos

When we first bought him -
(Yes, he would ferry about with his head up this high all the time)

Today -

I apologise for the bad photo quality. No critique or harsh comments please. This is a reflective post

 

[Dizzydancer]

He looks so much better! Im with you in th retraining stakes about to move yards tho as need a school really to help him develop now. Did you move yards to have a school also? Has it helped?
Also just out of interest why the side reins?
As i say Im retraining to so if you have found they help a specific problem then it may save me a battle in a few weeks!
Lovely boy tho! What are your plans?

 

[Florrie]

He looks so much better! Im with you in th retraining stakes about to move yards tho as need a school really to help him develop now. Did you move yards to have a school also? Has it helped?
Also just out of interest why the side reins?
As i say Im retraining to so if you have found they help a specific problem then it may save me a battle in a few weeks!
Lovely boy tho! What are your plans?

Moving to a yard with a school has definitely helped! With the old yard (grass paddock) it was constantly turned up and flooded so I was lucky to ride once per week so I couldn't really see us getting anything done. We moved him a month after we bought him.
I used the side reins for a few weeks of our early schooling, as he refused to work long and low and had some sort of fear (as I call it) of contact so whenever I taken up my reins his head would shoot sky high and he would tense throughout his quarters and back. I used them for approx 4 weeks (slack and whilst lunging) and it encouraged him to work through his body and relax and he soon enough learnt contact is something not to be afraid of I rarely need to use them now, just today as he was ferrying about and trying to avoid contact at all costs! So I put them on for 20 minutes or so just to remind him. Good luck with your retraining, it is such a rewarding experience!

Also just to add - I'm not too sure what to do with him yet. I think he'd make a lovely dressage horse (photos do him no justice!) but he has lovely, elastic paces. Hopefully if we can get a good jump out of him I want to take him down the Eventing route.

 

[indie999]

Hi

Nice horse my first thought was you have no bend in your elbows. I can see you have your hands down which is good to try to help correct the high head in air etc but just try to keep your elbows bent at your sides too. Like holding a tray. So lengthen reins and bend your elbows ie more 90 degrees.I appreciate his head is poked in the air without side reins.

But good luck he is lovely looking horse, am sure your hard work and efforts will pay off. Someone else may be able to give you more advice to help the head etc.

 

[Florrie]

Hi

Nice horse my first thought was you have no bend in your elbows. I can see you have your hands down which is good to try to help correct the high head in air etc but just try to keep your elbows bent at your sides too. Like holding a tray. So lengthen reins and bend your elbows ie more 90 degrees.I appreciate his head is poked in the air without side reins.

But good luck he is lovely looking horse, am sure your hard work and efforts will pay off. Someone else may be able to give you more advice to help the head etc.

Thanks for the tip. Definitely taken on board. My riding is not the best at the minute I will admit! My riding in the first 2 photos has improved so much since then (bear it mind that was 6 months ago)
Don't think it helps matters that I'm wearing an extremely baggy hoodie so it is quite hard to distinguish my elbows. But thank you!
And he is usually fine without the side reins, he was just having a bit of an off day today

 

[topstripelucy]

He looks fab...well done you. Its so rewarding looking back, my friend has done the same with her ex racer, she now competes him at eventing and is quite successful butnhas tons of fun...good luck for the future. Ps, my instructor used side reins (the ones with the elastic inserts) with me a few years back on my tense showjumper, just to start the session off, as they were better than my hands until i softened and she softened down and started listening so dont worry about riding in them...if it works for your horse...xxxx

 

[Adopter]

It is good to read a thread about things going well. Lovely horse.

Keep up the good work, there really is no replacement for the time you put into basic work, and a good surface makes such a difference.

Hope you enjoy the summer and have more success, do please post more as you progress.