Thoroughbred With No Manners

[rissaxbmth]

I just got a horse who absolutely has NO manners.
I think she'll have great potential if she learns manners
She bites if you try to tighten her girth and pins her ears
Also she will try to dance around before you mount
She paws the ground if you tighten her girth as well
when mounted she will hop around and try to get her way
She's an OTTB but I want some methods to teach her to learn her manners and know that I am the boss

[misspacific]

Have you double-checked your saddle fit? The things you've mentioned sound to me like she could be in pain. She could be associating that discomfort with saddling/riding. Just a thought.

Aside from that, I'm sure others will have some training tips.

Welcome to ER!

[filly]

First, welcome to ER! Second, we NEED to see pics! ;D
Third, the first thing that comes to mind is ulcers and saddle fit as was mentioned. How long has your pony been off the track? I would first rule out health issues before turning to behavior issues, especially if it's only when you are putting on the girth and mount. She also might have had a bad experience or remembers racing, etc? That's why I asked how long she had been off the track.

[rissaxbmth]

She has been off the track for quite sometime
We've had her over looked by the vet and there is nothing health-wise wrong
She had has some cracks in her hooves from neglect before her old owners had her
I'm not exactly sure how long its been since she's been off the track but she is 12 years old now
She doesn't act like this only when putting the saddle on, mounting, and riding. I think she may still have the racing idea in her head.

[BoyleHeightsKid]

I will third checking saddle fit. This often gets over looked, even by a vet. It's the cause of SO many "behavior" or "training" issues. Congrats on your new girl and welcome to the board!

[fancyhorse]

Thats not an uncommon thing at the track. Many of them learn those habits from the track. When you pull them out of the stall, most do not stop and stand while the rider mounts, many of them walk as the rider is legged up and its all go go go from there.

I bet the chincy part of her is from sensitive skin. Most of what I've seen don't like the girth, because it pulls on their skins. Try a fleese grith and try to keep it on the looser side until after you mount then tighten as you are walking her, this will allow the skin to stretch while the girth is being tigthened.

With the dancing, just patients and lots of time will help that out. Spend lots of time with her tacked up standing at the mounting block, just standing there. She will get it, its just not what she is acustom to.

[rissaxbmth]

Thanks I made a training diary for her so I can record her habits, how to resolve them, and our future goals. I plan on recording our bad days and good days and how she behaves. I will try to make sure her saddle is okay and try getting a fleece girth.

[adcooper]

Hi, rissa. I have an off track mare, too. Is this your first thoroughbred? It's not uncommon for people who've had quarterhorses or other breeds to be frustrated by thoroughbreds. My mare has never enjoyed grooming or tacking, though after a long getting-to-know-you period, she settled enough to be polite if not happy. A friend had a TB mare for years who never quit snorting and stomping and acting like she'd rather die than be handled. In that case, the rider negotiated a bottom line agreement with the mare--you can be as ugly as you want, but you can't touch me with your teeth or feet.

Sometimes with the mares you have to negotiate. If you get into a You will! I won't! You will! I won't dynamic, they will just escalate and get worse. If your mare is biting at you and dancing around, that's dangerous and she is not ready to ride. I'd do a lot of patient ground work with her. Leading in all directions. Halting. Backing. Standing. etc. Keep it very easy and don't provide any opportunities for her to fail. Let her come to associate "work" with relaxation. Then gradually work your way up to mounting. Just because you are ready to ride doesn't mean she is, regardless of her background.

Good luck!

[Deb]

Hi and Welcome!! You have received some really good advice here. Hang in there with your horse and keep us updated on your progress.

[numerologist]

You say you just got her, and she is 12, and been off the track for a while. I'd be curious about her situation in between. Sounds like she was with a person that she could dominate. I second the opinion about the groundwork. You need to become her boss, not the other way around. When I got my OTTB, I spent the first winter with him doing natural horsemanship exercises. I think they are really useful. Good luck!

[elizabethann]

Ditto to what everyone else said. I'm on my 2nd tb and neither liked being groomed, or tightening the girth. TB's have very very thing (sensitive skin), however that is no excuse to be rude. I need to try what another poster said and get a fleece girth. Also, like everyone said, check saddle fit. After you work her does she have even sweat marks? Is she ouchy whne you press on certain parts of her back.

Also, my other tb did not have this but my new guy straight from the track has been much calmer with the saddle after starting him on Ugard for ulcers. I knew nothing about ulcers but apparently tbs are prone to them, especially from the track, after on ugard for 2 weeks he was much better! Its pretty inexpensive from smartpak.

And of course give her time Congrats on the new horse. I'm still pretty new here but there is a wealth of information!!!

[elizabethann]

Oops, one more thing.

If she has no manners altogether and you think she's just been allowed to "walk all over people", you may see if there is a trainer or someone you trust at your barn (if you board) to help.

My other horses I had no problem disciplining, and now I am comfortable with Guinness, but I am no trainer, and when I first got him, I was really unsure of how to discipline a horse I didn't know. He was high strung and I wanted everything to be pleasant, and to do the right thing, and I just didn't know how patient I should be or how fast to discipline. But my trainer was huge help, she stepped in for maybe a day or two and then after that I felt fine. Getting to know a horse and knowing how to discipline them when you don't know how they will respond can be difficult, and the first day my role as a leader and a friend got a little blurry, but that's me

[Big Tee©]

Do have saddle fit checked as others have said.......but she DOES have manners, just ones different to horses not track trained. At the track, there is little time for fussing, treat feeding, and all kinds of things causual owners do - things are done quickly and efficiently with no fuss or bother. Any fussing/horse petting/treat feeding is done after work is done, but until then, efficiency and speed are the watchwords. Shorten your grooming time, and don't fuss with her until you get to know her better and learn her limits and let her learn yours.

Earpinning mares, and even geldings are pretty common on the track - it's more a game than actual aggresion for most and if they scare someone, it is a bonus. By way of example. a few years ago, we were stabled next to someone who was afraid of two of our horses, and he would dodge sideways down the aisle to avoid them. Well, pretty soon the rest learned to pin ears and make ugly faces at this man and he would stagger down the aisle trying to avoid all these horses - even the nicest horse in the barn joined the fun. The humans were no help either as we just laughed at the sight. So she will either get over herself and quit pinning her ears or will keep on doing it.

As to getting her used to your methods, go right back to basics, treat her as if she isn't broke/trained because basically, track horses are NOT broke compared to 'regular' horses, and I have trouble dealing with regular horses

[picasso]

When I first got Mark (a 10 y.o. exracer that had been off the track a few years), he would paw, kick, try to bite, freak out over being brushed, bolt away from me while leading or putting on/removing the bridle, dance around, jig like crazy at the walk, etc. He was a nightmare to work around and ride.

Now, he is a joy. He will never be 100% dead to the world while grooming, but he tolerates it nicely as long as I don't push his buttons too hard (for example, he HATES having anything picked off him- scabs, etc- so I try to avoid doing that). He rarely ever jigs and has learned to open up his stride and walk on a long rein quietly. And he ground ties like a champ.

I achieved all this through repetition, repetition, repetition. If he kicked or pawed, he got immediately reprimanded every time and lots of pats and good boys when he didn't. For the jigging, I would transition everytime he jigged. You want to trot? Nope, we are halting. Over and over and over until he got it.
It takes time and LOADS of patience to change the behaviors, but it can be done.

Good luck, and I agree, we need pictures!

[rissaxbmth]

I can get more pictures of her soon
I'm bringing her home Friday I just need lots of advice and help with training her
She is my first Thoroughbred

This is her original owner riding


this is the only one of us, sorry its blurry I'll get more!