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.

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.

Rolex OTTB Pedigree Comparison

 Because I love studying Thoroughbred pedigrees to see if I can find any names of famous horse, I decided to look into the pedigrees of the OTTBs that entered this year's Rolex, even if they didn't finish. I thought it would be fun to compare them and see what names they have in common. Click a Rolex horse's name to see the complete pedigree.

Mensa G
 I'll start with Mensa G, who placed fourteenth overall at Rolex. Mensa is by Colonial Affair and out Fire the Secretary, who is by Stop The Music, a well-known race foaled in 1970. Fire the Secretary's dam, Esdiev, is by Secretariat, who is by Bold Ruler and out of Somethingroyal. Bold Ruler. On Mensa's sire's side, we Northern Dancer and Raise A Native, two names that appear in almost every Thoroughbred pedigree these days.

Pirate
 Pirate is by Pirate Stronghold and out of Stars Heir, by Risen Star. Risen Star is by Secretariat, son of Bold Ruler and Somethingroyal. The dam of Stars Heir is Perceptive Heiress, by Vice Regent by Northern Dancer. If we trace Pirate Stronghold's line, we see his sire is Seeking Gold, by Mr. Prospector, who was sired by Raise A Native. Seeking Gold's dame, Con Game, was sired by Buckpasser.

Tsunami
 Tsunami is by Roanoke and Tsu Tsu Slew, who is by Tsunami Slew, son of Seattle Slew(by Bold Reasoning) and Barbs Compact. Tsu Tsu Slew is out of Even In Paradise,by Affirmed(Exclusive Native and Won't Tell You). Exclusive Native is by Raise A Native, and Won't Tell You is by Crafty Admiral, a descendent of War Admiral and Man o' War. I didn't find many well-known horses on Roanoke's side until I went back several generations and found Bold Ruler and Native Dancer.

Sir Rockstar
 Sir Rockstar is by Rockamundo and out of How Unusual, by Great Sun, son of Bold Ruler. Rockamundo is  by Key To The Mint, who is by Graustark and Key Bridge, the latter of which is the granddaughter of War Admiral(by Man o' War) on her dam's side. Rockamundo is out of Crystal Cup, by Nijinsky, son of Northern Dancer.

Parker
 Parker is the son of Marquetry and Hello Mom, by Caveat, son of Cannonade, whose sire, Bold Bidder, is the son of Bold Ruler. Hello Mom's dam is Road To Heaven, and is by Kennedy Road. Parker's sire is by Conquistador Cielo, by Mr. Prospector, son of Raise A native, by Native Dancer. Conquistador Cielo is out of K D Princess, by Bold Commander by Bold Ruler. When we look at Marquetry again, we see that he is by Regent's Walk, by Vice Regent, by Northern Dancer.

Irish Rhythm
 Irish Rhythm is by Vice Chancellor and Dawnsari, by Dawn Flight. Vice Chancellor is by Vice Regent, son of Northern Dancer, out of Natalma by Native Dancer. Alibi, by Birkhahn, is the dam of Vice Chancellor.

Ziggy
 Ziggy is by Ziggy's Boy and is out of Berry's Blush, by Foolish Pleasure. Foolish Pleasure is by What A Pleasure, son of Bold Ruler. Berry Blush is out of Cherry Berry, by Nice Dancer, son of Northern Dancer.

Houdini
 Houdini is by Hot Rock and is out of Nancy's Star, by Big Sal, son of In Reality, the son of Intentionally. Nancy's Star is out of Marching Star, by Marshua's Dancer, son of Raise A Native, by Native Dancer. Marching Star is out of Watch Her Go, by Riva Ridge, son of First Landing.

Shiraz
 Shiraz is by Gallapiat and is out of Bold Blossom, by Fountain Of Gold, son of Mr. Prospector, who is by Raise A Native, the son of Native Dancer. Bold Blossom is out of Blossom Deary, by Boldnesian, by Bold Ruler. Shiraz's sire, Gallapiat, is by Buckpasser, son of Tom Fool. Buckpasser is out of Busanda, by War Admiral, son of Man o' War. Gallapiat is out of Gay Missile, by Sir Gaylord, out of Somethingroyal.

Relentless Pursuit; credit

Relentless Pursuit
 Relentless Pursuit is A Lee Rover and is out of First Raise, by Raise A Cup, son of Raise A Native, by Native Dancer. Raise A Cup is out of Spring Sunshine, by Nashua, son of Bold Ruler's sire, Nasrullah. First Raise is out of Our First Pleasure, by What A Pleasure, son of Bold Ruler. Relentless Pursuit's sire, A Lee Rover, is Conquistador Cielo(see Parker), by Mr. Prospector, by Raise a Nativer, son of Native Dancer. Conquistador Cielo is out of K D Princess, by Bold Commander, son of Bold Ruler. A Lee Rover is out of Aware, by Buckpasser by Tom Fool.

Madison Park
 Madison Park is by Monaco Magic and is out of Mistress Of Mine, by Band Practice, son of Stop The Music, by Hail To Reason. Band Practice is out of Fleet Empress, out of Countess Fleet, by Count Fleet, a Triple Crown winner. Mistress Of Mine is out of Irish Lulabye, Real Top Deal. Irish Lulabye is out of Game Fleet, by Fleeting, by Count Fleet.

Collection Pass
 Collection Pass is by Collection Agent and is out of Winged Passage, by Assault Landing, by Buckfinder, son of Buckpasser and Shenanigans, the latter by Native Dancer. Assault Landing is out of Trail landing, by Solo landing, by First Landing. Winged Passage is out of Light Of Foot, by Majestic Light, who is by Majestic Prince, son of Raise a Native, the son of Native Dancer. Light Of Foot is out of Laughter, by Bold Ruler. Collection Agent, sire of Collection Pass, is by Dancing Master, son of Dancer's Image, by Native Dancer. Collection Agent is out of Contrary Brogue, by Mr. Brogann.

Here's To You
 Here's To You is by Wills Way and is out of China Sky, by Skywalker, the son of Relaunch, who was sired by In Reality, son of Intentionally. Skywalker is out of Bold Captive, by Boldnesian, son of Bold Ruler. Bold Captive is son of Captive Audience, son of Native Dancer. China Sky is out of Bolchina, son of Bolger, who was sired by Damascus. Will's Way is the son of Easy Goer, by Alydar, who was sired by Raise A Native, son of Native Dancer. Easy Goer is out of Relaxing, by Buckpasser. Will's Way is out of Willamae, by Tentam, son of Intentionally. Willamae's dam, Raclette, is out of Lauries Dancer, daughter of Northern dancer.

Expedience credit

Expedience
 Expedience is by Ayes Turn and is out of Promenador, by Cannonade, son of Bold Bidder, by Bold Ruler. Promenador is out of Hayseed Honey, by Jerry Crow. Hayseed Honey is out of Stormy Love, by Promised Land.

 If you read all these pedigrees, you may notice some similarities. For example, many have Raise A Native, Native Dancer, and Northern Dancer in them, as well as Bold Ruler. Buckpasser appeared in Here's To You, Collection Pass, Relentless Pursuit, Shiraz, and Pirate. You may also notice that Vice Regent appeared in Irish Rhythm, Parker, and Pirate. Mr. Prospector also appears in several pedigrees as well. What A Pleasure appeared in Relentless Pursuit and Ziggy, and Secretariat appeared in several. All in all, each had many names in common. Perhaps it is because those names are commonly found in Thoroughbred pedigrees, or maybe those sires and dams make great eventers.

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.

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.

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!

Interview: Lynn Reardon

 Last week, I was able to interview Lynn Reardon, who runs the LOPE(LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers) in Texas. She re-homes ex-racehorses, something I am interested in doing. It was a really fun interview and I thought you guys would enjoy it.

Midway, one of the horses Lynn rehomed.
credit

Do you need any special education or a license to rescue horses? No, that is not a requirement. I had owned horses before and had some very basic understanding of horse care needs -- which was helpful.

How did you first get interested in rescuing horses? How did you get started? I wrote a book (Beyond the Homestretch) about how I began my work -- it was a bestseller in Austin and Dallas, plus became the #1 horse book on Amazon for a short period. I actually never got interested in "rescuing" horses -- instead I had fallen in love with ex-racehorses and wanted to work with them very much. I wasn't a professional trainer and didn't have the usual credentials to become a trainer. My career had been in accounting and administrative management for nonprofit organizations -- horses were a hobby. I took lessons at a polo barn -- and nearly all of the horses were ex-racehorses. When I realized that ex-racehorses often need help transitioning to new lives after racing -- and that Texas didn't have a racehorse charity to do that -- boom, I had the idea to start LOPE. It was a way to combine my previous nonprofit experience with helping ex-racehorses :) We actually see ourselves as an employment agency for at-risk equine youth rather than a fireman kind of rescue place. 

What are your primary responsibilities around the rescue? At our ranch, I supervise the care of all the horses (feeding, vet care, farrier, etc). I also do the riding and training at our farm (though we also send some of our horses to professional trainers before being adopted). I am also responsible for fundraising, event management, updating the website and social media pages -- and writing for our blog.

How do you find the horses and how much do you usually buy them for? We take donations of horses directly from the racing industry -- which means that race owners, trainers and breeders donate their horses to LOPE that aren't racing anymore. We don't usually buy horses.

How do you decide which horses to rescue? We take horses on a first come, first serve basis from the industry. We do prefer that the horses have raced within the last year and that they be able to do another job with retraining and rehab.

Lynn on Mystery Blessing. credit

How much work does it take to train and rehabilitate the horses before you set them up for adoption? Each horse is an individual, so the answer to this question varies depending on the horse. Typically, we like to give the horses a month or so off from work (like a mini-vacation) before we start retraining them. The retraining might take just a few rides or a couple months. Rehabilitation also varies, depending on the type of injury. We have taken in horses with simple mild body soreness as well as horses requiring surgery to remove bone chips -- so the range is pretty broad :)

What sort of training exercises do you do with them to get them ready for being ridden off the track and prepare them for future careers(pleasure, jumping, etc)? We like the horsemanship school of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt. These two master horsemen are now deceased, but there are several excellent clinicians who studied with them -- such as Buck Brannaman, Peter Campbell and Tom Curtin. If you would like to get a better sense of this horsemanship, you might want to check out the documentary called "Buck" -- it is about Buck Brannaman and you might really enjoy it. The movie won the Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival and made the long list for an Oscar nomination.

But back to your question -- we like to help the horses with the basic foundation training (kind of like kindergarten for horses). We do ground work exercises, a gentle re-starting under saddle (so they learn that being ridden doesn't mean racing anymore) and overall building their confidence levels. If we help the horses get a good foundation in the basics, we think that will help them no matter what career (jumping, trail riding, etc) they go into later.

What is your favorite part about rescuing horses? I really love working with the horses and riding them! It is so much fun to help a horse learn new job skills that help keep him safe in the future :)

What is your advice to someone wanting to start a career in rescuing horses?(I realize that it's more of passion than something you do to make money) First, I would say it is important to narrow your goal. Do you want to rescue horses from neglect situations? Do you want to transition racehorses to new careers? Do you want to work with senior citizen horses? Or PMU foals? All of those things (and more) are considered forms of horse rescue -- but are all very different types of work. It's kind of fire fighting. Do you want to be the firefighter who pulls people from burning buildings and leaves them safely on the curb? Or do you want to be the nonprofit shelter that takes the people in while their house is being rebuilt? Or do you want to be the person who set ups smoke detectors in homes -- so that a fire wouldn't happen at all?

Also, I worked in the nonprofit world for years before I started a horse adoption charity. There is no reason why someone who runs a horse rescue shouldn't be paid -- it helps keep the organization stable to have a paid person running it and also is reassuring to funders to know that the charity is well-managed. I am paid for my work -- it's a very small salary, but my charity's board of directors insist that I take some payment for my work -- because they think it is important to value the efforts of the executive director position.

What do you do if a horse doesn't get adopted? That has never happened :) Once a horse comes to LOPE, he or she can stay as long as necessary to find the right home. One horse (Storm, who is in my book) was with us for almost two years -- but eventually found the perfect home for him.

Do you have a favorite horse that you have rescued? In my book, I talk about a beautiful stallion named Tawakoni. He was the son of a famous winner of the Kentucky Derby (Grindstone). I had never worked with a stallion before -- and when I asked horse neighbors for advice, they all thought I was crazy to have a stallion on our place (because in their biased world view, all stallions were dangerous). But Tawakoni was very gentle and well-mannered. He was adopted by a petite woman who owned a beautiful breeding facility for show horses. She worked with her stallions easily and had no fear of them. She and Tawakoni taught me how important it is to not accept the "conventional wisdom" on face value -- but instead to keep an active, inquisitive mind to learn the truth about horses.

Is there anything else you would like to add? No, you asked excellent questions -- thank you for that!

Also, do you allow visitors? Yes, we do allow visitors by appointment :)

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!