If you adopted an OTTB, please Help!

Arabgirl99 · 09-24-2005, 02:00 PM

I want to adopt an OTTB but am not sure about it. I need to hear some success stories. To those who adopted calm OTTB's I have some Questions:

How was it handling them?

Is it easy to retrain them?

Do they learn quickly?

Do they bond good with people?

Just some randome questions I have!

Arabgirl99 · 09-24-2005, 02:14 PM

Bumpidy Bump Bump

Caterina · 09-24-2005, 02:17 PM

maybe give us a little more then 14 minutes, before you bump up your thread

Gracypug · 09-24-2005, 02:20 PM

My first horse was an OTTB. He probably wasn't the best choice for a first horse but, he turned out to be an awesome all around horse. I wouldn't recommend an OTTB if you haven't been around horses for a long time. Handling wasn't to bad, he was a tad bit spooky at first, I used some great bomb proofing lessons on him. Like paper bags, plastic, making him walk over tarps, etc...It worked out great because he turned out to be very brave. I did alot of ground work before even attempting to ride him so I could gain his trust. This way when I got on him he knew me very well and responded to be nicely. He was very very forward moving and I never really broke him of that but he did learn to respect me and slow down. I'm sure that even OTTB is different Dudley wasn't to hard to retrain it took alot of time and patients. I'm not sure what you would consider hard. I trained quite a few horses and he was easier than training any other young horse. Dudley caught on very quickly as long as I didn't put to much pressure on him. I learned quickly that if I asked to much of him at once I would lose all the training I taught him that day, and would have to restart fresh. I ended up having an awesome bond with him because I worked with him so much. I think that we grew together because it was really my first challenging horse I worked with. I hope that helped a little bit....I'm sure that every OTTB is going to act differently and maybe not be as easy to train.

Julia

Caterina · 09-24-2005, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arabgirl99

I want to adopt an OTTB but am not sure about it. I need to hear some success stories. To those who adopted calm OTTB's I have some Questions:

How was it handling them?

Is it easy to retrain them?

Do they learn quickly?

Do they bond good with people?

Just some randome questions I have!

to your first ?....it really depends on the horse, its background, it everything....

I wouldnt be looking for a "calm", you wont know its true personality till after you get it home and let it lead a normal horsey life.

Like any horse....they can be easy and hard to retrain, it can be fullfilling and/or youll want to pull all your hair out.

Being patient with them is essential, as some can easily "meltdown" if pushed too hard too fast....remember some are coming form being stalled most of the time and only handwalked and have only raced orianted riding.

A calm, patient, knowledagble trainer will be helpful....

Kinda like young green hroses dont go with young green riders....same can be said for OTTB's.

You'll find some can pick up new habits like they've always done it, while others have a hard time adjusting.

ITs like any horse...only these are trained to run their brains out...patience...patience...pateince....

they will bond, just like any horse....they are no different in that respect....some will be more trusing then others...some willl be more cuddly, while others will be distant and stand off ish....

Slowrider · 09-24-2005, 02:27 PM

I used to own one. But it wasn't a success story. He was easy enough to retrain and bonded well with me. We couldn't figure him out though. He would be just lovely to ride for 6 or 7 times then he would just 'blow up'. He would jump off the ground with all four feet and squeal (just like a pig, but loud) and then would take off running and bucking. The first time it happened I thought he was bit by a bug or something. But it kept happening and it was so unpredictable. Right out of the blue during an otherwise great ride. We had the farrier and vet out but said that he seemed fine. And he was always great to handle on the ground (never a problem there). Eventually I sold him to a more experienced jumper and he used him for a few years before selling him as a chariot racer. I could have kept him but I really love to trail ride and I just couldn't trust him not to dump me and run off in the middle of nowhere. Sorry I didn't have a nicer story for you, but that was my experience.

BTW, we did try everything from different feed to having teeth done, to new saddle, etc. But as I said, he was very unpredictable. He would be good for a week or two and then blow up for the next two rides, then good again. I am a very good rider and he never bucked me off, but I was scared that when he did, it wouldn't be pretty.

Gracypug · 09-24-2005, 02:31 PM

I think that goes to show that you never know what you are going to get. I got an awesome TB, and Slowrider got an unpredictable one.. It's kind of a gamble, you have to be willing to take the chance of getting a not so great horse.

Julia

Slowrider · 09-24-2005, 02:34 PM

I should also add that this horse was a recommendation for me to buy from my Level 2 dressage coach. We did take it really slow with his training and asked other coaches around the area to help as well but the last thing my vet said was that she figured he may have been having some type of seizures. He raced for 5 years and I owned him for 2 before I gave up and sold him for something a bit more trustworthy (for me at least). I did love him though, and it was really hard to make the decision to sell him.

Friesiangirl · 09-24-2005, 04:58 PM

i personaly, would jump at the chance to own a healthy ottb. But, yeah, right. They day my dad will sigh THAT paper is the day i get a %100 in math

Dre55 · 09-24-2005, 05:18 PM

Where do you get an OTTB? I have been looking but I can not find anywhere in GA to get one?

09-24-2005, 02:00 PM	#1
Arabgirl99 Banned Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York Posts: 495 Images: 23	If you adopted an OTTB, please Help! I want to adopt an OTTB but am not sure about it. I need to hear some success stories. To those who adopted calm OTTB's I have some Questions: How was it handling them? Is it easy to retrain them? Do they learn quickly? Do they bond good with people? Just some randome questions I have!

09-24-2005, 02:27 PM	#6
Slowrider Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,989 Images: 116	I used to own one. But it wasn't a success story. He was easy enough to retrain and bonded well with me. We couldn't figure him out though. He would be just lovely to ride for 6 or 7 times then he would just 'blow up'. He would jump off the ground with all four feet and squeal (just like a pig, but loud) and then would take off running and bucking. The first time it happened I thought he was bit by a bug or something. But it kept happening and it was so unpredictable. Right out of the blue during an otherwise great ride. We had the farrier and vet out but said that he seemed fine. And he was always great to handle on the ground (never a problem there). Eventually I sold him to a more experienced jumper and he used him for a few years before selling him as a chariot racer. I could have kept him but I really love to trail ride and I just couldn't trust him not to dump me and run off in the middle of nowhere. Sorry I didn't have a nicer story for you, but that was my experience. BTW, we did try everything from different feed to having teeth done, to new saddle, etc. But as I said, he was very unpredictable. He would be good for a week or two and then blow up for the next two rides, then good again. I am a very good rider and he never bucked me off, but I was scared that when he did, it wouldn't be pretty. __________________ http://www.goldencreekranch.com

09-24-2005, 02:34 PM	#8
Slowrider Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,989 Images: 116	I should also add that this horse was a recommendation for me to buy from my Level 2 dressage coach. We did take it really slow with his training and asked other coaches around the area to help as well but the last thing my vet said was that she figured he may have been having some type of seizures. He raced for 5 years and I owned him for 2 before I gave up and sold him for something a bit more trustworthy (for me at least). I did love him though, and it was really hard to make the decision to sell him. __________________ http://www.goldencreekranch.com

09-24-2005, 04:58 PM	#9
Friesiangirl Senior Member+ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Oregon Posts: 9,846 Images: 226 Blog Entries: 22	i personaly, would jump at the chance to own a healthy ottb. But, yeah, right. They day my dad will sigh THAT paper is the day i get a %100 in math __________________ A ruthlessly condensed training only leads to a general superficiality, to travesties of the movements, and to a premature unsoundness of the horse. Nature cannot be violated. Colonel Alois Podhajsky

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09-24-2005, 02:14 PM	#2
Arabgirl99 Banned Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York Posts: 495 Images: 23	Bumpidy Bump Bump

09-24-2005, 02:20 PM	#4
Gracypug Banned Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 36	My first horse was an OTTB. He probably wasn't the best choice for a first horse but, he turned out to be an awesome all around horse. I wouldn't recommend an OTTB if you haven't been around horses for a long time. Handling wasn't to bad, he was a tad bit spooky at first, I used some great bomb proofing lessons on him. Like paper bags, plastic, making him walk over tarps, etc...It worked out great because he turned out to be very brave. I did alot of ground work before even attempting to ride him so I could gain his trust. This way when I got on him he knew me very well and responded to be nicely. He was very very forward moving and I never really broke him of that but he did learn to respect me and slow down. I'm sure that even OTTB is different Dudley wasn't to hard to retrain it took alot of time and patients. I'm not sure what you would consider hard. I trained quite a few horses and he was easier than training any other young horse. Dudley caught on very quickly as long as I didn't put to much pressure on him. I learned quickly that if I asked to much of him at once I would lose all the training I taught him that day, and would have to restart fresh. I ended up having an awesome bond with him because I worked with him so much. I think that we grew together because it was really my first challenging horse I worked with. I hope that helped a little bit....I'm sure that every OTTB is going to act differently and maybe not be as easy to train. Julia

09-24-2005, 02:31 PM	#7
Gracypug Banned Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 36	I think that goes to show that you never know what you are going to get. I got an awesome TB, and Slowrider got an unpredictable one.. It's kind of a gamble, you have to be willing to take the chance of getting a not so great horse. Julia

09-24-2005, 05:18 PM	#10
Dre55 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Cordele, Georgia Posts: 537 Images: 26	Where do you get an OTTB? I have been looking but I can not find anywhere in GA to get one?