Interview: Event/OTTB Trainer Laurie Canty

 Today I have an interview with Laurie Canty, an eventing trainer in Southern California with a passion for OTTBs. She also trains Sarah and Hemie, so I met her through them at a horse trial just before I started riding and again last April.  Laurie is really knowledgeable about horses–read this great interview.

How did you get started in eventing?
 When it was time for me to go to college, I had a choice of going to college or going to Ireland to a riding school and getting my teaching certificate. Their called the British Horsemaster's Assistant Instructorship. I chose to go to Ireland to get my teaching certificate when I was out of high school, so I had just turned 18. I went to a school in Ireland. That is where I learned about eventing. I went to a couple of events while I was there with my Irish friends, and I fell in love with it. I got my teaching certificate six months later, returned home, and wanting to be able to do eventing. My first job that I got was with eventing trainer Cory Walkey. She owned one of the first la large barns in Southern California that taught eventing. It happened sort of by chance. I had never heard of eventing before going to Ireland, and that's how I fell in love with it.

Laurie's first event horse. She had since he was born and evented to Preliminary.

What caused you to become interested in OTTBs?
  When I was growing up, at about age six or seven, my father had a racing stable in Chino, California. He bred and raised racehorses. At the time, in the '40s and '50s, he raced Mexico. My father took me to the racetrack whenever he had a horse running. I was his partner in crime, so to speak. I got my first off-the-track racehorse when I was about 15 or 16. It was one of my father's horses, who couldn't run, that he brought back to me in order to ride. I can only say, he's lucky I didn't die. I was young, and had never ridden anything off the racetrack--I didn't have a clue. That was when I first got interested. My father was my very first connection to off-the-track racehorses, so before I even reached 17, I had another one that he got that had only raced a few times, and my next one he got for me from auction as a three year old for $500, and after that I went to Ireland. I had three off-the-track racehorses, and my father had the racehorse barn, so that's how became interested in OTTBs.

 What do like most about OTTBs?
 It's heart, mostly, and I think knowledge that the two foundation sires for the Thoroughbred were three Arabians. I have great respect for what Arabians can do, particularly the ones that are in the Thoroughbred. They have great heart and endurance, with ability to withstand high temperatures when you're riding. Warmbloods cannot handle heat as well as Thoroughbreds. I'd say I love their hearts, their stamina, and their desire to work with you.

What are some challenges training and competing OTTBs?
  The first year is the biggest challenge, because the first thing they ever did in their life was learn to be a racehorse. I've seen too many people be annoyed with what the thought was the right thing to do. They take hold of the bit and try to train then in ways that are confusing to the horse, rather than letting them maybe have six months in the pasture for on the trail, or something that allows the horse understand it has a new job. Especially for eventing, you never want to take that competitive spirit away.
 Could you tell me about your favorite OTTB you have ridden?
  My favorite was probably Attitude Approved. He was just incredibly intelligent and really a first class horse. He did go on later with Jil Walton to be a Four Star horse at Rolex Kentucky under the name Truly Triton.

Attitude Approved at a Novice at Pebble Beach.

 Could you tell me about an OTTB you are currently training?
 One of the horses we got from the HBO show called Luck. He's unusually because he does not have to wear shoes--he has very strong feet. He also did many miles of racing and has a completely sound body. He's one of the lovely horse's that you can get from the track that can be very useful for a long time.He has the natural ability to want to jump, and like a lot racehorses or Thoroughbreds, he finds the flatwork a little frustrating. That's only because they tendency to be horses that want to have a job. They want to working at all times, and sometimes dressage can just be dull, and they become off balance. tHis is what happens to the horse I'm training. Fortunately, we're able to put work into and he's become much better. I can also say that this horse is a perfect example that less is more. When something is hard, he doesn't want to pay attention. Because of this, we have rot take more time with than the average horse.

 I have a Thoroughbred I can probably get to Training Level in six months. Unfortunately he has a racing injury, so I can't do that, but he has the mentality to do it. With horses, you have to make sure the journey is just as much fun as the destination, and as we all know, with horse's there's no such thing as destination.

 Laurie has eventing at Pebble Beach Preliminary.

What do you look for in an OTTB event prospect?
 I look for a horse that has walk with a lot of overstep. There are a lot of lovely horses without a lot of overstep, but that is something I personally look for. As far as conformation goes, I like a shorter back. I'm not terribly picky about the trots that the event people sometimes die for that look like a warmblood trot. I would prefer to have an excellent canter because that's how we jump. The trot can either be average or a 7, because a 7 you can turn into an 8 with training. You can never fix a bad canter. I like a horse that is uphill, of course. That does not mean I would not take a horse that isn't uphill because sometimes with an excellent hind end and a short back, a horse that doesn't have a neck sticking up out of it's shoulders is still easy to get balanced. Of course I want a horse with an intelligent eye. I don't like a horse that stall walks or has some kind of a nervous disorder.

 They need to not be hot right off the bat. I don't mind a little bit of excitement, but you are going to exert them under a lot stress. I don't like a horse with some sort of stress issues, like herd bound problems. I like a horse that when I get on and canter it, it doesn't have a problem in canter. That usually happens if you get the conformation you want. It should have a very balanced canter and you don't have to teach it to go slow.

Shaula, mare Laurie rescued and evented to Preliminary, and later jumpers.
In this picture, they are at Foxfield Jumping Derby in 1982.

What advice do you have for a young rider who aspires to compete in the upper levels of eventing?
Try to find a job when you are a working student. You have to really careful of people taking advantage of you if you do that. The working student situation is something people are less likely to want to do these days. They may want more than knowledge. They don't understand that knowledge is power and that if you work at this barn and have that understanding, then the trainer will do everything they can to teach you. Find a trainer that's passionate. The most important thing is that you are learning, no matter how unfair it is. Be a sponge. Never question, keep your lips sealed, and listen.

 Anything else? 
 The sooner you can start reading books, especially on safety–there's a lot of Pony Club books–the better. Make yourself knowledgeable. Safety is most important, because I've seen people who should know better but don't.

Interview: Jodi

 I recently found Jodi's blog, Racing to Ride, and as I enjoy horse racing, I decided to interview her on job working with racehorses. Enjoy!

What are your responsibilities at the racing stable/track?

 I kind of do it all, though lately I haven't been doing much in the cleaning stalls category. Mostly, I tack horses, watch them train, ride the pony-horse, and occasionally take one of the race horses to the track. Leg (wrapping, mudding, sweating, icing, etc.) and body (massaging, stretching, and red lighting) work is also a big part. There is a lot more to the business than just taking care of the horses, so I also handle the billing and keeping Ty, my fiancé, and the owners in sync. I also help with picking horses to claim or buy.

What is a typical work day like?

I hate to admit this, but I'm a bit of a slacker when it comes to getting up in the mornings. I usually get up at about 5:45, which is pretty late for the track. My fiancé gets up a lot earlier. After arriving at the barn, I usually tack the first horse, watch it go, then go back and repeat. Or I take the pony with them. Every day is a little different. It depends on how many horses we need to track or if we are working (breezing) any that day. Watching the horses track and work is very important to me so I spend a large part of the morning doing that.

The races are in the afternoons and we usually only run about 1-3 horses a week. If we have one in, about two and a half to three hours is spent getting them ready. When we don't have a horse in, I usually spend the afternoons riding my dressage horses, resting, or watching the races.

The evenings are pretty easy. We feed and pick stalls mostly. This is usually when we do leg work too. Then go out to dinner with owners sometimes.

Could you tell me a little about some of the horses you are currently working with?

Oh, I could write a book on all of them. I will try to keep it short and down to just a few though.

Kama Su (Johnny)- He is kind of a head case, but I love him. He's beautiful! We claimed him out of California. He didn't have much of a foundation so we went back to the basics with him. Johnny is really starting to come around and I'm hoping that taking our time with him will pay off. My favorite part about him is that when he is coming back to the barn from the track, he perks up his ears and walks faster when he sees me. The jockey we put on him always tells Johnny "There's your girlfriend, bud!" as they start walking towards me. If he gets worked up in his stall, I can usually go pet him and get him calmed down. He doesn't really do that for anyone else.

Princessofthering (Princess)- I bought her off of a friend for $200. He was threatening to sell her as a recipient mare and I told him I would take her. She only had ten starts and had already been through three barns. I figured with a little consistency she could have some success on the track. She won a race with a $12,500 dollar purse about sixty days after I bought her. She is good to be around, smart, classy, and is starting to get very confident. I'm extremely proud of her!

Woody

Woodpulp (Woody)- He is a bit of a hard luck horse. If some weird thing can happen to him, it does. Woody is the sweetest thing in the world though. No matter what happens, he is always a happy horse and loves people. He has a huge stride and is a gorgeous mover. I'd really like to find him a home in a dressage barn when he retires (if we still have him). I hope he can still have more success on the track before that though. (Editor adds: Woodpulp is by Lucky Pulpit, California Chrome's sire.)

Pentagram (Berni)- He is the type of horse that you notice. He's plain bay, but is very pretty with a commanding presence. We've had some set backs with him, but I think he is starting to get lined out now. I'm looking forward to running him again.

Chopperette

Chopperette (Harley)- She was disgustingly skinny when we got her just over a year ago. So, of course I've spoiled her and now she thinks she's the queen of the barn. She's a little pushy and moody, but not in a mean way. I like a horse with a little bit of spunk anyway.

How and when did you first become interested in working with racehorses?

I've been infatuated with racehorses my entire life. My Grandpa was a trainer at one time. My dad took me to the races some when I was a kid.  I've always been interested in them, but never became actually involved with the racehorses until I met my fiancé in 2007. I didn't start working at the track until 2009.

Jodi's grandfather.

How did you get into the racing industry and working with racehorses?

Through my fiancé. I was working full time and riding dressage horses, which didn't leave much free time, but I spent every moment I could at the track. I always hated it when the season would end. My fiance would leave in the Fall to go to another track. I hated getting left behind. I missed him and racing. In 2009, the track at home didn't run. I had gotten hurt and couldn't ride anyway, so I quit my job and went to Arapaho Park in Denver with my fiancé. I gave up a lot to do this, but I don't regret it.

Justcallheraggie, one of the horses Jodi works with.

Who is you favorite racehorse you have ever worked with?

We've been lucky and had some pretty nice horses. It's hard to pick just one favorite, but I would have to say Scherzi. She won seven races and made just over $100,000 in the time we had her. That included a stakes win and some stakes placings. The owner had claimed her for $5,000.

Scherzi is probably the smartest horse I've ever worked with. She was little, about 15 hands, but had a heart of gold. She always tried hard. She was one of the most athletic horses I worked with! Scherzi was professional and classy, but also seemed to have a sense of humor.  She stomped in the paddock and post parade like a little Zenyatta.

Scherzi

Her half sister, So Many Ways, ended up being an extremely nice horse, so Scherzi is now a brood mare. She had her first foal, by Scat Daddy, this year.

What is your favorite part about working with racehorses?

I love the horses in general. Their different personalities and the challenges each one presents. I am constantly learning something new from them. They put so much trust into us, that I want to keep learning from them to be better for them. This is the case with any type of horse, but I think it's more extreme with racehorses. You have to pay attention to every little detail about them, physical and mental. This is a very high risk sport and if you aren't attentive enough to the horses, the results can be catastrophic. I love having to know each one so well. It's not necessarily the win that matters as much, but all of the work and pride put into getting them there.

What are the biggest challenges in working with racehorses?

Everything! Just kidding. Kind of. They are on a lot of high energy feed. They have to be able to focus and behave, no matter how good they are feeling, or it can become dangerous. Teaching them to use that energy in the right way can be difficult. You have to be very disciplined and draw the line.

It's also hard when a horse gets claimed or taken away for whatever reason. We are very hands on and spend a lot of time with these horses. It's hard to not get too attached. Mostly, it kills me if one gets hurt. Even if it was something that was out of my control, I feel responsible.

Beefeheart

Another of Beefeheart, Jodi's OTTB.

Since you work with racehorses, I was wondering---did you get your OTTB directly from the track(maybe you worked with him when he was a racing) or did you get him through an adoption center?

My fiancé trained my OTTB, Beefheart. He hadn't been running well, the owners wanted to sell him. No one really wanted him, so Ty ended up buying him for me. Gunner, our pony-horse that I also ride dressage,  was Ty's first racehorse. I have to stay away from the adoption centers because I have a tendency to want to rescue them all. I can only afford so many horses.

Gunner, another of her OTTBs.

 Gunner at his first show.

Because you are familiar with racehorses, do you have any advice for anyone working with or riding OTTBs?

I think people need to understand how the horse is trained on the track to be able to retrain correctly. Educate yourself about their training, so you understand why they do what they do and don't get frustrated. Be patient. The worst thing you can do is get mad and start muscling them around. Understanding them is the key to an OTTBs success. Most of what you ask will be new. They are going to depend on you for confidence and guidance, make sure you are able to give that to them before ever getting on.

What are some of the challenges in training your OTTB for dressage?

Probably redeveloping their muscles for dressage. I don't think many people think about this, but going slow and carrying their weight on their hind end is going to be a lot harder for them than going fast. It helps if they're already fit, but it still involves them having to use muscle groups differently. They have to learn to relax to be able to do this. They have to learn to bend through their body and stay loose over their topline. This involves the rider being able to control the rhythm of the horse. To do this, the horse has to be able to balance. So much goes into building the correct muscles that it includes most of the other challenges a rider will face with their OTTBs. It takes a lot of time and patience

Silk Indian

Anything else?

I think that's about it. Horseracing definitely keeps life interesting. We work seven days a week, including holidays. It's nearly impossible to take a vacation. It's not an easy life, but it's worth it to me and I love it!

Thank you Jodi! Go check out her blog if you don't know her yet!

Stories from off the Track: Wiz and AlchemyEventing

Our next featured pair for the Stories from off the Track is Wiz, from AlchemyEventing. Although he never raced, he is from racing bloodlines so I decided to feature him. Here's their story!

Between undergrad and law school, I worked for a year for a lawyer who had a small farm and breeding operation.  She specialized in rehabbing off-the-track-thoroughbreds, repurposing them as riding horses or infusing their bloodlines into her homebred stock. I spent the majority of my year working with her learning about barn management, injury care, breeding, and most importantly, how to properly introduce a young horse to his new career.  (I really hate the word “break” as it denotes some kind of violence- the way I was taught to “break” green horses never ended in violence.  Everything we did was very methodical and slow- first teaching them all the basic commands on the lunge, then introducing a surcingle, then a weighted surcingle, and then a pessoa system to help them learn to give to bit pressure before ever placing a human on their back.  By the time a human did lean on them, they already had six months to a year of ground work under their belts- and none of them protested at all when someone finally did climb up into the tack.  So, in my opinion, “break” is a very deceiving and ill-considered word!)

 During this year, there were several two year-old horses that I worked with consistently.  One of them was Wizard.  He was definitely the smallest and most awkward baby on the farm.  He was beat up by the herd and had to be brought in to stall care because of it.  He also had this annoying habit of laying down on you when you tried to pick his feet, and stopping in the middle of the gate and REFUSING to move when you were trying to take him in or out of a field.  Once up at the barn, he discovered he could pull himself under the electric tape wires (which were usually turned off), run around the farm, and then put himself back into his field!  He also broke out of his stall a few times and managed to destroy everything in the barn aisle…  In all honestly, he really quite frustrated me.  But the more I worked with him, the more I started to see the potential in him.  He had a puppy-dog personality, always seeking attention and positive praise, and was incredibly smart.  Sometimes too smart…

The blogger at AlchemyEventing riding Wiz for the first time

 When I left for law school, his breeder told me she would give him to me as a token for all of my hard work.  (To her, it was more important to find her horses good homes where they were loved and taken care of than to make a profit).   Because he had only just turned 3 at the time, and was still rather small, I put him back out in her field for a year to grow.  But in May of 2012, I brought him home to my trainer’s farm and officially called him mine.  I registered him with the USEA as “Alchemy,” which means “the process of taking something of little value and turning it into something of great value.”  I thought it was very fitting for what I wanted to do with this little “free” horse that had never been sat on.

Schooling show

 At that time, I began the process of introducing him to work under saddle, and we slowly started to make progress.  We went to a few small schooling shows that fall and I planned to debut him at his first event in April of 2013.  One thing I love about him is that when he gets to a show, he eats up the atmosphere.  Even though we didn’t have a great dressage score, and had a stop in both stadium and cross-country, he tried so hard to please me that first event, and handled it so well, that we moved up to Novice at our next event just two months later.  And again, he was such a star that only an unfortunate rail kept us from third place after a solid dressage test and clear cross-county run.

First Event

 But I knew at that time that something was off.  He had been incredibly skinny during the spring of 2013, despite my best efforts to put weight on him.  However, everyone just thought it was because he was a young, growing thoroughbred, and felt he would fatten up in the summer.  And while he did fatten up some, I still kept alert as he continued to show signs of discomfort in his back (which we thought was a saddle fit problem), lost his general exuberance, had extensive rain rot and poor coat condition, and did not gain the normal summer weight I remembered him having at his previous home.

 In late July, he noticed him starting to take the slightest off-step in his back right hind and I had him tested for EPM, as my trainer’s advance horse had just tested positive for it with similar symptoms.  Unfortunately, the test came back 95% positive.  However, I was fortunate that my vet would let me try a new drug called Orogin.  Because it’s still undergoing testing and not yet FDA approved, the drug only cost $150, versus the $1000 or more that the other treatments cost.  It was also only a 10 day treatment, versus the other treatments which can be anywhere from three months to a year.  And luckily, it worked—and fantastically!  Within five days, he had started to regain his weight, became increasingly shinier, eased his back pain, and regained his step.  But with all of that good health came a whole new set of problems—gone was my super well-behaved baby thoroughbred.  Here now was my just-turned five year-old thoroughbred who had an opinion about everything and was not afraid to express it!

 While I am glad we discovered the issue and found a way to cure it, once his health returned so did his piss and vinegar and I really had to learn to start riding!  Wizard is a very opinionated horse, and is not afraid to express his distaste or exuberance for something.  If we’re drilling a dressage move he’s not such a fan of, he’ll start finding things to “spook” at or give out a few bucks.  If he’s feeling extra good, he’ll fling himself over the fences, jumping them like they are four foot instead of three, and giving a joyful buck after.  (I’m not such a fan of that habit of his…).  He is always getting into everything, picking up whatever he can fit into his mouth.  He has successfully unseated me in front of both big-name clinicians we’ve ridden with so far—the first time because he couldn’t contain his excitement over some ponies in the arena (aka, mythical creatures that he had never seen before and had NO idea what they were) and the second time because he is not a fan of picking up the canter correctly (it’s hard work!).

But despite his idiosyncrasies, he is truly an amazing horse.  He will give you 110% every time when it counts.  When he steps off a trailer at an event, his entire attitude changes.  He loves to perform and show-off, and has saved my butt on multiple occasions in the show ring.  He is also incredibly intelligent, and while sometimes this can make him a difficult horse to ride, it can also be useful when trying to learn a new, difficult maneuver or introducing him to new jump questions.  His dressage is constantly improving, and while it’s definitely not his favorite, he’ll put his mind to it and aims to please, always picking up new things incredibly quickly.  And his jumping ability is incredible- he can just spring over anything with such ease.  I am so thankful to him for the confidence he’s instilled in me—before Wizard, I was terrified to jump even two feet.  Now, I regularly jump 3’3” without blinking an eye, and have jumped him 3’6”.  And cross-country?  It’s a blast.  I’ve never ridden a horse that looks for the next jump as much as Wizard does.  As soon as he sees it, he “locks on” and you can feel his whole body change—his ears pricked forward as he attacks the fence.

 As far as the future, I am taking it slow.  I have now owned him for two years, and he will be six in July.  We’ve completed one Beginner Novice event and four Novice events.  I am already so grateful for how much he has taught me, and all of the confidence he’s instilled in me—but I know it’s only the beginning for him.  I really feel as his dressage continues to improve and I learn how to give him the ride he needs in stadium and cross-county, his talent will shine and he will be a very successful eventer.  I do hope to do prelim with him eventually, which I think he is very capable of doing.  But who knows… perhaps we’ll even make it to Rolex one day.  If he has the scope for it, I definitely think he has the brains and the heart for it.  But really, it’s up to him.  I’m just along for the ride!

Thanks for participating! Do you want your OTTB to be featured? Email me at paola.pedranti@gmail.com.

How Did OTTBs Do in Rolex 2014?

This year at Rolex, there were fourteen off-the-track Thoroughbreds competing, eight completing the competition, four of which finished in the top twenty. This number goes to show how versatile OTTBs really are and how well they can perform in their careers after racing. I decided to write a brief overview of the OTTBs competing and how each one did this past week at Rolex.

OTTBs

Mensa G credit

 Mensa G---Michael Pollard
The OTTB that did the best at Rolex is Mensa G, a 1998 gelding ridden by Michael Pollard. For those you who are interested in Thoroughbred pedigrees, Mensa G, raced under the named Merisha G, is the son of Colonial Affair and Fire the Secretary, who is by Stop the Music. He raced 41 times on the track, winning five races and earning $92,000. After outdoing many warmbloods in dressage with a score of 49.5, he was in first place.  He placed 14th overall. A knocked down rail in show jumping cost him a better position.

Pirate---Megan O'Donoghue
 The second highest placing OTTB is the 2002 gelding, Pirate, ridden by Megan O"Donoghue, who placed 17th overall. Pirate's registered name is Pirate's Gold Star, and he raced only ten times. Pirate did exceptionally well in cross country, running the course both fast and clean and earning him the 17th position of all the many horses at Rolex.

Tsunami---Sarah Cousins
 Just behind Pirate is Tsunami, ridden by Sarah Cousins. Tsunami, a 1999 mare, is registered as Tsu Tsu Ro and is the granddaughter of Seattle Slew and Affirmed, both Triple Crown winners. she raced 24 times and earned just over $35,000. At Rolex, she too ran a fast cross country time, ending up 18th overall.

Sir Rockstar---Libby Head
Sir Rockstar, ridden by Libby Head, placed 19th overall. He raced 16 times but didn't do very well as a racehorse. He ran a fast an clean cross country course, and did very well in the show jumping phase. A clean round brought him from 28th place to his final position of 19.

Parker, by Gretchen Pelham credit

Parker---James Alliston
 Parker, ridden by James Alliston, is a 2002 gelding registered as Eastside Park. he raced ten times, earning little money, but he does well at eventing. In fact, he ran the fastest cross country time that day, placing 22nd overall.

Irish Rhythm---Rachel McDonough
 Placing 25th is Irish Rhythm, a 1999 gelding registered as Daniel Alexander. He raced 43 times, earning nearly $26,000 before finally retiring. At Rolex he ran cross country fast and clean, though he didn't do show jumping without any faults.

Ziggy---Rachel Jurgens
 Ziggy, ridden by Rachel Jurgens, is a 1996 gelding who has only raced twice, winning no races and earning no money. He is registered as Ziggy's Berry Boy, and his sire is Ziggy's Boy. His dam, Berry Blush, is the daughter of Foolish Pleasure. Like most of the other OTTBs, he ran cross country fast and clean.

Houdini---Katie Frei
 Houdini, registered as Rocky Times, is a 2004 gelding sired by Hot Rock, a descendent of Native Dancer. He raced only five times, never winning or placing. At Rolex he placed 34th.

*  *  *

 There were a few others entered, but those ones were either eliminated or withdrew halfway through. Among those are Shiraz, a 1998 ridden by Colleen Rutledge; Relentless Pursuit, a 1996 gelding ridden by Dana Widstrand; Madison Park, a 1998 gelding ridden by Kyle Carter; Collection Pass, a 2002 gelding ridden by Kate Chadderton; Here's to You, a 2000 gelding ridden by Emily Beshear; and Expedience, a 1997 mare who was injured during the competition and is ridden by Kaitlin Spurlock.

Stories from off the Track: Briana and River

 For the next addition of my Stories from off the Track series, I will be featuring Brianna and River, from Equestrian Diaries. If you don't know them, go check out their blog! 

Briana 

About River:

River (Jockey Club name Choptank) is an almost 9-year-old Thoroughbred who originally came off the Pimlico track in Maryland (I believe). Before that, he raced about 16 times; he only won once, but he was regularly placing in the second-third range. After coming off the track, he spent between a year and two years bouncing around to three different owners before I found him. I've been able to get in touch with two of those owners, but I haven't been able to contact the lady who originally got him off the track, so I don't know what led to his retirement in the first place. One fun thing is that even though he went to so many owners, I still have his registration papers, so I know his "real" birthday and even have documentation of his one and only win! 

How We Met:

Ok, this is going to be a bit long--first horse, you know... ;) I started looking for a horse after quitting a volunteer job riding off-track Arabians because the owner's standards and mine just didn't mesh. I'd already fallen in love with my coach's Thoroughbred mare, so I really wanted a Thoroughbred (though I was looking at other horses), and an off-track one appealed to me because I'd just finished riding the off-track Arabs. I went to look at several horses before I expanded my search distance and found an OTTB filly I liked. I called about her, but the lady who was selling her (A Pinch of Luck, <http://www.apinchofluck.com/> ) told me about a gelding she also had for sale, named Chops, that she thought I would like better. She e-mailed me pictures and a video of both horses, and I looked at Chops' (River's!) head shot and promptly fell in love and forgot all about the filly. My coach agreed that he sounded and looked like a better match, and I made the trip down to ride both horses, first just with my dad and then again with my coach. I didn't have any epiphany, but when I got off River, even though he was a slightly neurotic, very inward-focused, head-bobbing and weaving goose, I just felt right. I pretty much decided then that unless the vet check said he'd be unrideable in six months, I'd take him home. Needless to say, he passed and I brought him home! He is my first horse, my "boyfriend," and I adore him. :) 

Challenges:

 Our first challenge was his feet. When I bought him, even in shoes he was dealing with heel bruising and overall tenderness. When I brought him home he promptly pulled both shoes in turnout. He was a bit sore after that, but got really sore after I had someone out to trim him. It took several months (and several different trimmers) before his feet toughened up enough to go barefoot. Now he has fantastic feet though and happily goes barefoot without any problems! 

 Our second challenge, though it might seem odd, is his "try." He tries so hard to do what you ask that gets very nervous, anxious, and "shut down" if you push him too hard or don't make things clear to him. He needs me to "hold his hand" and walk him through everything, but he's also got a strong independent streak that gets rather offended and/or just shuts down if you boss him. (Don't tell, but I really think he's me in horse form!) It's still hard for me to know just how much to push him and when to back off and let him think. Also, his weight and overall muscle/body condition are always a challenge, but that's just him. ;)

What We Plan To Do:

 Rock the world with our awesomeness. ;) Okay, more realistically, jump a little bit, learn dressage, and play on the trails. Right now we're doing a lot of walking and trotting, building condition and teaching him how to carry himself. He wasn't ridden much at all in between coming off the track and when I bought him, so he still has a lot of racehorse habits that need to be un-learned!

Do you have an ex-racehorse and want him/her to be featured? Please email me at paola.pedranti@gmail.com.

Book Review: Beyond the Track

 As some of you may know, I really love the ex-racehorses and someday want to get one of my own. I also want to retrain ex-racehorses as riding horses when I grow up. Because of that, I read a book about retraining ex-racehorses, called Beyond the Track: Retraining the Thoroughbred from Racehorse to Riding Horse, by Anna Morgan Ford.

Summary

From Amazon

 Beyond the Track is a complete guide to retraining racehorses as riding horses. The first chapter talks about the life of a racehorse, from early life to yearling sales to training. It includes the typical everyday schedule of a racehorse and what life is like at the racetrack. Then it talks about why a racehorse would retire and what could happen next. It guides you on buying an OTTB from a trainer and also mentions adoption. Additionally, it mentions how to assess a Thoroughbred to see if he/she is suitable for you using conformation.

 The next part talks about injuries, hoof issues, etc. and how to treat them. Then it covers the horse's transition to a new lifestyle. The rest of the book covers different phases of training, starting with basics, such as leading, continuing with lungeing, side-reins, bitting, the first ride, and more.

What I Like
 The book is full of in-depth information on everything you need to know about the transition an racehorse to the life of a regular riding horse. It has pictures to help you understand what to do and even has a troubleshooting guide that explains the causes of common problems and how to solve them. I really love the book.

 Would I recommend it?
 I would recommend this book to anyone interested in training ex-racehorses or even OTTB owners who want to better understand their horse. It has a wealth of information that will be useful when I get an OTTB, though I won't be doing all the retraining.

Stories from off the Track: Aimee and Courage

 

For my second edition of Stories from off the Track, I will be featuring Aimee and Courage, from SprinklerBandits. If you haven't heard of their blog, go check it out. 

Aimee: 

A bit about Courage:

Courage is a 2005 OTTB out of California. My favorite bit of trivia about his early life is that the summer of his two year old year, he was sold for 60k and then 40k, so I call him my $100,000 horse. He ran very consistently as a young horse. He had a year off, which I believe is when he had chips removed from his ankles and knee. He returned to racing sound, and ran through his eight year old year. He won about 40k on the track, so not wildly successful, but no slacker. 

How we met:

We met at the racetrack. He was running out of a friend's barn at our local track. I was caught by his dashing good looks, charming personality, and incredible brain from day one. I started hanging out at the track and he was my buddy. When the owner decided to retire him, the trainer gave him to me. I was blown away by the generosity. I certainly couldn't say no. 

Challenges: 

Courage has only been off the track a little over six months at this point. I started him into work immediately because I wanted to put basics on him while the weather was good and he was still used to having a rider. He's had the past couple of months off to reset physically, but he's coming back great! He seems to remember everything we worked on last winter, but he's moving like a whole different horse. My biggest training challenge is just to remember that he's green at what I'm asking him to do and let him take his time. He's a quick study and a joy to be around. 

Future plans: 

I try not to make plans with horses. It never goes well. That said, I think he'll make a superb hunter/jumper. We're working in that direction. My end goal is a hunter derby, but we have a long ways to go to make it there. For now, I'm just enjoying introducing him to life as a sport horse and enjoying the ride. 

A painting I did of Aimee and Courage.

Note: Photographs are from SprinklerBandits. 

 I am always looking for people to spotlight, so if you own an OTTB and would like for him/her to be spotlighted, email me at paola.pedranti@gmail.com. I do have a couple people lined up, so yours will not be the next one but I will make sure you get your spotlight done.

Stories from off the Track: Sarah and Bohemian

 I decided to start a series on my blog, called Stories from off the Track, where I will spotlight bloggers with OTTBs. If you would like to be featured, you can submit your story by emailing me at paola.pedranti@gmail.com.

 Without further ado, I bring you Sarah and Bohemian, from Eventing in Color. If you don't know her, go check out her blog.

Photo by Sharon Weaver.

Their Story

 My horse's Jockey Club name is Bohemian Spirit. I kept the name Bohemian because it suits his personality. He is 9 years old this year. He was not a very talented racehorse, never "breaking his maiden" (winning a race). But he was smart and handsome, so HBO bought him and used him for filming the HBO TV series "Luck" with Dustin Hoffman. The show was cancelled after just one season and all the horses were adopted out.

 I got Hemie through Thoroughbred Rehab Training Center, Inc which is just a few minutes from Santa Anita Racetrack. My trainer and the rehab center's manager picked Hemie out for me based on my experience and goals - I did not try out a selection of horses as most people normally do. I met him in a box stall with my trainer and close friend. I did not test ride him or even trot him out - I just signed the paperwork and my trainer led him onto the trailer!

 We quickly became close friends and have a very special bond, but we certainly have had some challenges.

 Our first challenge was that Hemie had a problem with the idea of going forward. I thought this was quite ironic for an ex-racehorse. Especially early on in our training, he would get stuck in place and get more up-and-down rather than move out. Sometimes he would wiggle sideways or swing his hips or shoulders instead of just move forward. Luckily my trainer is very experienced with OTTBs and we've been able to address it through consistent, positive training. 

 Our second challenge was Hemie's inexperience as a personal pleasure mount. As a racehorse, and later as TV horse, he had a specific job to do. That job did not include looking out for the well-being of his rider. That job did not include easy-going relaxing rides, nor bareback work, et cetera. That was a fun challenge to fix - it took time but now Hemie knows how to just be a fun pleasure horse in addition to working on our "job" of eventing. Interestingly his spook has changed. He used to have huge spooks where he'd leap out sideways or bolt, but working bareback had taught him to look out for his rider and her balance, and now he has a much more subtle spook (even when under saddle).

A painting I made of Sarah and Bohemian.

 Right now we are starting our 2nd show season together. We are moving up from "Intro" to the "Beginner Novice" division in eventing. We both enjoy eventing so we plan to continue on in that discipline, potentially moving up levels as we gain skills and experience. I don't have particularly competitive goals - I just want us to do the best that we can.

Favorites

 I found this fun favorite quiz from Viva Carlos, so I decided I would love to participate so you can learn more about me.

Breeches: I have only used one pair of breeches, which I got from Dover, so I don't have anything to compare it to.
Footwear: I love my Saxon paddock boots.
Comfort food: I love Mexican food, particularly soft tacos, with fish tacos and breakfast tacos(with eggs and taco meat) being my favorites. Also, I like Bejieng beef, though there really is not any food I dislike.
Online personality: I'm pretty much the same person online as I am in real life. I love to share what I know with people and enjoy making friends.
Movie: Narrowing it down to just a few is hard, but I love Secretariat and Seabiscuit.
TV show: My all-time favorite is X-Files. I also enjoy watching both the Original series of Star Trek and the Next Generation, as well as the Yu-Gi-Oh.
Magazine: Horse Illustrated
Book: This may be strange, but I really enjoy reading non-fiction horse care and training books, such as the Original Horse Bible by Sharon Biggs and Beyond the Track by Anne Ford.

I want to watch this in person and someday compete.

Vacation destination: I would love to go on a horse vacation someday, such riding through Iceland on an Icelandic pony or watching the Lippizaners or the WEG. Of places I have visited, I enjoyed Hawaii.
City: I don't really have a favorite city.
Place to ride: I've only ridden at one place, the barn I ride in, but it would be cool to ride somewhere exotic.
Place to shop: I actually buy most of my stuff through Amazon. Books, movies, etc.
Type of restaurant: Mexican.
Non-horsey hobby: When not doing horse related things, I usually draw, read, blog, and play Yu-gi-oh, a popular trading card game.
Things to do with your family: I love playing the Star Trek Deck Building game, which my family does together.
Things to do with friends: I love sleepovers!
Memory in saddle: My first ride or my most recent ride, since I felt accomplished after improve my control of Reno, who was energetic the whole lesson.
Part of course to ride: I have not ridden any course, but I did to dressage serpetines, which were fun.
Type of horse: Sport horses, particularly Thoroughbreds, are my favorite.

OTTB Success Stories

 I had an idea that at least once a month, I will feature an OTTB success on my blog about another blogger and her OTTB. A success story doesn't have to be about a blue ribbon winner, just a Thoroughbred successfully transitioned from the racing life to that of a riding horse. Basically, I want to hear the story of how you met your OTTB, some major challenges you have faced, where you are now, and where you are going.

 If you are want to participate or want more information, email me and tell me your story. For those of you who have more than one OTTB, you can tell me about both of them, and I might feature both of their stories in the post. On January 31, I will select a pair to spotlight from all the emails sent, and every month throughout the year I'll do the same. My email is paola.pedranti@gmail.com. Also, could you please spread the word about it on your own blog. I thought this would be a fun thing to do and want everybody to know about. Thank you!

First Riding Lesson!!!

 Saturday I had my first ever riding lesson! It was so awesome; I was smiling the whole time.

 When I arrived at Silver Rose Ranch, where I would be taking the lesson, Meghan, my instructor, came up to talk to me. To my surprise and delight, she told me I would be getting my horse from the paddock. That made me really excited because I had been hoping to tack my horse as well as ride it. We walked around the barn, passing lots of bales of hay. On the way to the paddock, we stopped to remove the blanket of a grey OTTB in a small fenced area. Then, we reached three paddocks that were side by side. In one was Moe, a dark bay. Moe had once been a 3rd level dressage horse before her owner went away to college. Ginger, a chestnut jumper, was in the middle pen. Reno was in the last pen.

 Reno is a bay ex-Western pleasure currently used as a therapy horse. His calmness made him perfect for a first-time rider like myself. Meghan explained that I would start out by riding Reno, then as I progressed, I could move up to Ginger then Moe. After her explaination, we both entered Reno's paddock. Meghan taught me how the put the halter on. Once I did that, I led Reno to the barn and hooked him in the cross-ties. When he was securely hooked in, the two of us went to the talk room to bring out his gear. First, we got his grooming bucket. Meghan demonstrated how to groom him and how to safely walk behind. I groomed him a little, picked his hooves, and began to tack him. We started with his boots. I learned how to put them on properly. Next, we brought out the saddle pads(we used to:a fleece one and the regular one). I admit, I put the regular white one upside down at first, and Meghan had to correct me. Once the pads were on the right way, we fetched the saddle and girth. We put those on before grabbing a helmet, the bridel, and the reins. Surprisingly, the first helmet I tried fit comfortably. Yay! Meghan told me parents and I a little about fitting a helmet before teaching me how to put the bridle on and how to get the horse to open his mouth. We were then all tacked up.

 I led Reno to a large mounting block, one Meghan used for beginners to easily hop into the saddle. I mounted and was ready to roll. I learned about proper EQ---head up, heels down, back straight---all that good stuff. I started by learning to stop and go. Then, Meghan introduced steering. she also taught me about tightening the reins to make a horse stop if he just keeps on moving. After practicing all that for a while, Meghan asked if i wanted to do a quick trail ride around the barn to cool down. I was excited about testing my knew knowledge outside of the arena. While I ride, I talked to Meghan about various horse related stuff---she asked if I had learned about horse colors, and I identified Reno as a bay. I then pinted out a chestnut in the pasture nearby the barn.

 We also talked about OTTBs. I had told her I wanted one, and talked to her a little bit about Lynn Reardon(she owns a OTTB adoption center in Texas) and some of my blogging friends who also had OTTBs. I told her about the horse show I went to several weeks ago and Sarah, from Eventing in Color. Meghan told me that there is a schooling show coming up next week. Some of her students will be there.

 By then, we had reached the mounting block again. I dismounted, then untacked Reno and picked his hooves again. The cross-ties were being used, so we had to tie him to a metal loop using a quick-release knot, which Meghan taught me. I sprayed Reno with fly spray and led him back to his paddock.

 Riding for the first time was an awesome experience. I can't wait until my next lesson this coming Saturday. I have lots of pictures, but I can't upload them yet since the internet is down. I'll upload them from the camera later so hopefully you can see them later this week.

Book Review: Beyond the Homestretch, by Lynn Reardon

 Quite recently, I purchased a Beyond the Homestretch, by Lynn Reardon. Lynn founded LOPE(LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers), a Texan adoption center focusing on finding homes for ex-racehorses. It was an excellent read!

Click here to check it out

Summary
 Beyond the Homestretch talks about how Lynn quit her office job in Washington DC and moved out to Austin, Texas area. She became interested in Thoroughbreds and decided she wanted to rescue them. At first, she started out by just listing adds on her website for local trainers and owners, but one day, she  bought a 26 acre ranch and began taking horses to her ranch as well. The book is full of success stories, ranging from those of a docile filly, injured geldings, a stallion, and many more horses–all experiences of her own.

 I love her writing style, too. her descriptions are vivid, often involving humorous descriptions about certain situations.  I would recommend this book to any Thoroughbred lover, or people who are interested ex-racehorse success stories. Beyond the Homestretch is definitely high up on my favorites list!