I was told my TB mare "needs to run"

[Jumpin_Horses]

and I think they are right

my mare (6 years old) is a Sec. g.daughter

she has never been on a track. she is in Dressage/Jump training.

you know, sometimes she is just SOOOOO pent up. and I dont think its bad training, or unhappy at her job. I think its just in her blood. sometimes I feel like she just needs to fly.

I dont have a safe place to allow her to open up, and Im not sure if it would be a good thing to do, or how to do it right.

she is well-trained and is a good girl, but, I feel she is missing something that she needs, and Im not sure how (or what) to give her what she needs

so I thought Id come here where the all the TB experts are for advise.

someone mentioned that perhaps she can work on a track as a "pony horse". that way I can let her run

[AppJumpr08]

Are there any fields near you? Even a good sized jumper arena - just get up off her back and let her roll around. :yes:

I wouldn't go for the pony horse suggestion - there is MUCH more to being a pony horse then just going to the track and running (besides, they really don't do much galloping.. they are responsible for keeping the racehorses in one piece before going into the gate)

[Arcadien]

You're on the right track and kudos to you for sensing what your TB needs - but stay away from the actual track, lol -

Find a companion with a forward moving horse, haul to a trail head, shorten your stirrups and GO. Not all out (you don't want real speed, if she hasn't been conditioned up to it, that could get her hurt), just a nice forward trail ride, lots of long, strong trots, a few strong canters/hand gallops, with a walk break or two. It's most fun with another buddy on a TB!

Go home, a nice hose down & liniment rub, and then a nice long nap (for both of you lol) and the next day you will have a horse happy to work in the ring again.

Rinse & repeat every 2 weeks or so = happy TB sporthorse. Enjoy your TB!

Arcadien

[danceronice]

Well, the ponies who work mornings do gallop a bit, but I wouldnt' suggest it for a horse who's going to be a show horse.

I would just let my horse run loose in the big outdoor, and he really did need that running sometimes.

[AppJumpr08]

Well, the ponies who work mornings do gallop a bit, but I wouldnt' suggest it for a horse who's going to be a show horse.


True :) I forgot about that. But I agree that it probably isn't the best route for your mare.

Galloping your horse is FUN once you get over the OMG we're going FAST! Factor :D

[Chall]

Find a big hill. Let her rip at the bottom of the hill going up. My trainer thought my Arab needed to let loose and so galloped him (on the flat). So my Arab learned he is allowed to gallop flat out for a distance. Trainer did not teach me how to do this. :eek: So I have had the occasionally unintentional long distance gallop, which is not in my agenda, but horse thinks its acceptable behavior. Watch what you teach him.

[LaurieB]

If your mare has turn-out time in a decent sized pasture, then I would assume that she's capable of giving herself all the running she feels she needs.

[DLee]

I agree with LaurieB totally. I sold an OTTB to a friend a few years ago, and he does NOT get out enough. :( And because of that, he can be a total fruitcake. I know he loves to run because I had him for a couple of years. All of my horses (all TB's) NEED to be able to blow off steam, they love it! They do it in the field, have a ball, and look gorgeous doing it. :yes:

Turnout, turnout, turnout.

[Jumpin_Horses]

she is on 24/7 turn out. 12 acres she shares with only 2 donkeys. and she does run pastures on her own every day.

so how can she need more? heck.... it just seems like she needs more

do you guys think there may be another reason she gets so pent up sometimes? saddle fits great (chiro approved) teeth done every year, they are in good shape. she is healthy, sound, ulcer free, and she is athletic... high fiber diet, low NSCs/sugars.

do you guys think it might be me? like maybe when Im pent up, or nervous, she gets that way?

BTW - Ive owned a lot of horses, but, she is my first pure TB, her sensitivity astounds me sometimes....

Im the only person in her life. Ive owned her since the day she turned 1. im her owner, trainer, caretaker, farrier, etc. Im the only one who rides her, I started her, and I did all her training.. do you guys think perhaps we are too close? maybe I should have someone else ride her?

Galloping your horse is FUN once you get over the OMG we're going FAST! Factor

HA HA - yea, I have run her in the pasture, but, Im afraid to go too fast (the OMG factor), you never know where all the gopher holes are. Ive had her almost in 2nd gear, and d*** its - pee-your-pants - FAST.....

ETA - do you guys think maybe she needs a TB buddy to play with in the pasture? the donks really dont provide her that much entertainment.

ETA 2 - appJumr, can you advise? how do I do this? we have short stirrups, (jumper short) do they need to be shorter? knees together?
just get up off her back and let her roll around

[DickHertz]

You can send her to JessiP...they allow 6 year old maidens to run at Waterford Park.

[Equibrit]

Check your FEED !

[findeight]

Maybe she is just a little too energetic at this point in her training for what she is being asked to do? They do not all like to go slow all the time and some never will get to like it much. She's only 6 after all. And none of them really will work THAT hard out in the field...unless they are nuts.

You just have a youngter that needs an outlet. Ask your trainer to get on her if you don't want to and just get out of the small ring and gallop. Forget the adjusting and picking about frame and speed and leads and just go someplace with her.

Have some friends with a Secretariat granddaughter and she is about 6 now, pretty quiet over all-but she needs to go sometimes and a nice gallop really relaxes her. OPs doesn't need to go to a racetrack and probably does not even want to really blow herself out, just open up and flow without having to turn every 7 strides.

Almost all the breeds like to go gallop once in awhile at any age but the young ones usually really benefit from just moving forward once in awhile. It's a horse. They like to run.

[AppJumpr08]

ETA 2 - appJumr, can you advise? how do I do this? we have short stirrups, (jumper short) do they need to be shorter? knees together?

I wouldn't go much shorter. When I was a WS for an eventer, we used to put our stirrups up to jumping length, and gallop up a hill in pairs, reins bridged across the horses' necks.
That was conditioning galloping, and at a fairly fast pace up a STEEP hill. When my (OT)TB feels like he needs to move, I get off his back and let him roll along... I don't push him to go faster, just let him find his pace and relax and move through his back.

If she is getting to run out in the field, then it might not be that she needs the speed, maybe she just needs a chance to relax and roll along under saddle every now and then. :)

[Jumpin_Horses]

thanks, I will give it a try :p sounds like fun anyway

[anchorsaway]

I'm lucky enough to have a trainer who loves hunting and has a cross country course on site :)
My guy isn't much for tearing around his paddock(i.e. would rather be standing at the gate having somebody love on him) but I do find that when he get ornery in the ring or just not himself; we head out back:yes:
We hack up and down the hill or toodle around the course. There's only one place I let him run and he knows this, but also respects it; until I ask. After a day outside, he's back to old self!

He's on full turn out as well.

[selah]

I have an OTTB mare who loves to stretch her legs on crisp, cool mornings. Here is a pic of her and her son on a fall morning.

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww246/Selahwayfarm/PA280573.jpg

I also find that she likes/needs more warmup time when going undersaddle...and prefers not to be interfered with until she's ready. Like even just doing a fast trot with the rider staying quiet and not bugging her. When she is warmed up, she will start to round and stretch through her back and be ready to work...at about the point that other horses think they are done for the day!

[SBH]

My OTTB loved to run. We always let her go for a good gallop (on top of her usual conditioning work) the week before an event. Letting her "go for a blow" always made her much happier and easier to work with at an event. She could actually relax and concentrate on dressage at the show.

[Lincoln]

Selah, what a picture!

My four year old OTTB is also on 24/7 turnout with buddies that rip it up with him and a high fat, low carb diet. Helps a lot. He loves the big hill routine - he'll push up at a good canter, happy as a clam and is all satisfied at the top. The amazing thing about TBs -- he's not even winded at the top; if I do the same thing with my stock type QH he's puffing and blowing and making all sorts of drama about how hard it is.

I had (retired) racing greyhounds for years before the TBs. Also bred to love to run. Some would only need to uncork maybe once a year, but most would need a daily sprint to get sane and then they'd go back to dozing in the sun. Hard to explain to prospective adoptors that they didn't need a lot of running, but they needed some time "off the leash" to just be what they were bred to be.

[Blinkers On]

I personally am hesitant to suggest that you let the mare go all out fast. The gopher hole thing scares me a whole load. Sometimes a "tease" of letting them out because they need to gets a whole lot more run on their mind. And can in some situations create more demand for speed.
I would check how much energy creating feed she is getting and keep her on the turn out. JMO

[billiebob]

Maybe she just needs a simple trail ride. Our trail rides usually include a strong canter/handgallop (depending on the level of riders--sometimes we only do walk/trot). She might just need a break from ringwork, especially at such a young age.

[caryledee]

Get her off high carb feeds if she is on them. I've had 2 OTTBs that just wouldn't settle down until I changed to low sugar, high fat diet. I get good results with plain ole Horse Chow 100 and oil, but there are a variety of different feeds you can use. Also, Mare Magic is great stuff! :)