I've decided that I'm going to do a trial with him for the month of June and not make any decisions until then. I'm on the fence about him - he has a lot of pros and a few cons that I seriously need to take into consideration. I over-horsed myself a few years ago and it ended in a broken arm and I don't want to do that again.
My skills and confidence have grown a fair bit, but I'm not sure that I can handle a green horse.
Hank was raced as a 2 and 3yr old (he was a pacer). He did ok as he had decent speed, but had no instinct to want to win. His trainer said he had too much of a puppy-dog personality to do well on the track. He often worked hard to catch the other horses, but then backed off as soon as he caught up. He just wanted to stay with the "herd" and nothing they did could get him past that.
 |
| Hank in the round pen on Sunday |
I've handled him on the ground several times and he is fine. He listens well and is quite calm for an ex-racehorse. He is good for the vet and farrier - since they get handled so much at the track, that stuff is all quite solid. He doesn't seem to be very spooky so far, which is nice. If he is concerned about something, he will snort and stop. With a bit of encouragement, he will just keep moving.
I rode Hank for the second time last night - it was so-so...I think I was expecting more of a "wow! I love this horse" kinda moment. He was obedient and did what I asked, but there were four things that sort of made me think more seriously about this situation:
- He is very green and it shows alot in his steering. Sure, I can get him to go where I want in the round pen, but it doesn't have any finesse. He sometimes moves off your leg, but sometimes also moves into the pressure. I'm not sure if that is something from his driving training - anyone have any thoughts there?
- He is always looking around while riding and it is hard to keep his attention. He is obedient, but one ear and one eye are always on the lookout. This could just be because he hasn't had much of a life outside his paddock since last fall... He is also a horse with a higher head-set than I am used to and I wonder if I can ride him well enough to work on getting him to lower his head and use his back more...
- He feels "wiggly" when trotting (maybe because his head is high?). It feels as if he has a giant spring in his middle and his back end goes one way and the front goes the other. This could be because he is green and it could also be that I'm just not used to his big stride... Most of the horses I've ridden in the past couple of years have been western trained quarter horses, so that is what I'm comparing him to at this point.
- I don't think my western saddle fits him 100%. That bothers me a bit since my saddle is my "safety net" - I'm very comfortable in it and I'm confident of my seat when I use it. He was pinning his ears at the trot and after I took the saddle off, it was a bit sweaty just in the shoulder area. I really don't want to try and find another saddle for a horse that I am just trying out... I'm going to have to try and borrow one or something.
Most of these issues are totally "fix-able" and aren't that big of a deal. The biggest issue that I didn't list is ME.
I don't think I have the skill to train or work with a green horse under saddle. On the ground - no problem. I was working on his back-up, whoa and turn on the fore from the ground and he was getting the hang of it quite quickly.
I am a bit worried that I won't be able to make progress in his training so that he is more safe and moving properly under saddle. Even though he will just be used on the trails (and maybe endurance) I would like a horse that has some training in the bridle - if you know what I mean. I want him to be able to flex and bend and carry himself properly as much as possible.
Anyway - enough about my lack of skills - I'm hoping that I can overcome some of that and make this work. Only time will tell at this point!
11 comments:
Standardbreds are NOT AT ALL like your typical "off the track" horse. They are almost always much calmer and obedient. STBs love having a "job"....they are the blue collar workers of the horse world. Once they know what you want, they try very hard to please! I have never had a horse with such work ethic as my STBs.
To try to answer some of your questions...
Remember he is not 100% sure about bending. A STB does not have to bend their rib cage in the sulky. So while he might "steer" well, you need to teach him how to move off your leg and bend to get that finesse you are talking about. I start this on the ground and transfer it to under saddle work. Again, they want to do it right, they just don't know what RIGHT is! :-)
One of my STB mares is young and has terrible ADD. LOL! It is starting to fade as she matures, but I have found that keeping her busy during a ride helps. Lots of changes of direction, halts, circles, bending, leg yielding, ground poles, etc. She is starting to take her work more seriously and listening to me instead of gawking at everything else.
He will definitely lower his head as you begin to strengthen his hind end. I ride dressage anyway, but my STBs have had an easy time understanding how to stretch to the bit and come up underneath themselves. It really just takes time and patience. Hill work and cavelletti help too!
His trot is going to feel huge and springy became it is HUGE compared to a stock horse's jog. :-) STBs have a very large range of motion in the trot...I have a pacer and a trotter and they both have very nice extended trots! LOL! ANd once he begins to muscle up and use his back, you will be able to better "contain" that big trot into something more "collected".
Good luck with your saddle.....I feel for you there! My girls are hard to fit because while they are wide and have large shoulders, they also have withers. I have had to do some work to find suitable saddles.
Don't give up! STBs do take a bit more time than other breeds, but they are such awesome horses! A lot of what you are describing is very typical green STB things. Give it time, consistent work, and patience! Have fun!!! :-)
STBE has actual experience with SB's, I don't have any with that particular breed, but...
1) If Hank is green, his responses sound normal. I don't know about the driving part, but it's completely normal for greenies of any breed to sometimes move into pressure.
2) Looki-looing pretty normal responses for a green horse. Hank looks to have a more upright headset, which is normal for these types of horses. With time, training and conditioning of course he will learn to relax and his head will come down. He just may not be a horse that carries it down all the time.
3) Since Hank probably isn't using his back and hindquarter, he probably is wiggly, but he is going to have a lot more action than the typical stock horse.
4) If you can't immediately tell that the saddle is NOT fitting him, I wouldn't get overly worried about the sweat marks. Most of Hank's energy is coming from his shoulder action, so it will sweat more. If you continue to ride him and work on getting him to use his back and hindquarter more, you should start to notice the sweat patterns changing.
It does sound like Hank is maybe greener than what you intend...but...if you have the time to invest over the next 30 days, it might be a fun and learning experience for you. I would stick to a lot of round pen work and arena work, bending, flexing, getting him to move off of your leg and work on his reining. Have the owner ride him on the trails (with you on Rusty, so you can see how he acts) the first few times.
STB's rock! The higher head set comes usually from 2 thing- conformation and training. They are taught to lean into the check rein while jogging and racing. Your handsome friend there should be easy to teach it is OK to lower your head. They are smart guys!
I concur 100% w/ what STBE says too ;) (She knows her stuff!)
Good luck Laura- he is a nice fellow!
Thanks for the awesome feedback, guys!
STBE - thank you!!! Wanna come up to Canada and help me train him?? lol I need to do more work on the ground with bending and stuff. That will probably help. Good to know that the ADD *should* mature out a bit.
BEC - thank you! I'm going to give him some nice consistent work for the rest of the month and see what happens.
Mrs Mom - STBs are winning me over. I just need to step up and get him going well.
Sounds like you have a whole heck of a lot to think about. Trust your instincts most of all.
Good luck,
~Lisa
It sounds like Hank might be really, really good for you. He'd encourage you to grow as a rider and as a horsewoman. I can't wait to hear how it continues!
Awww, I'd love to come help you! I am done teaching for the summer on June 21....bummer that I have these pesky things called a family and responsibilities....ha ha ha. ;-D You will do great! I am always just an email away if you have any questions! Trust your instincts. I know you will do well! :-D
I agree with everyone else's comments about the green-ness. It just takes time and patience and training!
He sounds like a great horse and I can't wait to hear how things go!
I think you should give him a chance as long as your gut isn't sending red flags. Hank may be just the challenge you need to advance your horsemanship... kinda like what Voodoo has done for me:)
I have only been given the pleasure to work with one STB but he won me over, such an honest and stoic horse with a great personality. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if the right one were to come my way.
You've got a lot of good advice here, especially from STBE (with all that STB experience!) and BEC (with all her young horse experience)
I don't know anything about STB's other than they are horses and usually start off pacing. Looks to me like you got lots of great information here. The one thing I will add is that as expensive as horses are to keep, I believe your heart needs to go zing as well as everything else being a good fit.
It's fun to read about you going through this horse search journey! I agree with Oregonsunshine~ this will help you to be a better rider. I have found that riding many different horses on the ranch has helped me to become a more confident rider. I still have so far to go, though! ;)
Keep us posted!
Post a Comment