Serious Sirius

Eventing adventures with a young OTTB.

[ilovelaica]

William Fox-Pitt & Chilli Morning.

© by www.toffiimages.de

[jumplittlebean]

“The ‘give’ encourages the horse to move with an active hind leg, with schwung, a soft neck to a gentle inviting contact.”

[iheartreykjavik]

Awesome Reykjavík #streetart 👍🦄🌈 #helloreykjavik #iceland #Reykjavik

[theatlantic]

Photographer Ann Sophie Lindström spent several months documenting  a group of horsemen in North Philadelphia who have been countering crime through their love for horses.  For more riveting photos of the equestrians of North Philly, here’s this week’s Spotlight essay from Emily Anne Epstein.

A stallion named Dusty rears up as Jamil Prattis, 25, leads him to the lot across from the Fletcher Street Stables, October 19, 2013. Jamil became involved with the horses when he was 12 years old, after he saw a group of urban cowboys riding through the streets of North Philadelphia. (Ann Sophie Lindström)

Jamil Prattis sits in front of his house on French Street, May 23, 2014. (Ann Sophie Lindström)

Stephfon Darnell Tolbert, 31, teases a pony named Harlem, making him rear up, October 2, 2013. Harlem is known for being aggressive when someone gets too close. (Ann Sophie Lindström) 

A horse is tied up in front of a vacant lot on Fletcher Street while horsemen clean the stalls, October 6, 2016. (Ann Sophie Lindström) 

Stable manager Edward E. Ward cuddles a horse named Maverick, September 29, 2013. (Ann Sophie Lindström) 

Tymeir Sanders, 17, stops by a friend’s house on West Harold Street while out on a ride with Rosie, June 1, 2014. (Ann Sophie Lindström) 

Stephfon Darnell Tolbert, 24, prepares feed for the horses, October 16, 2016. The horsemen have tack rooms where they keep supplies, feed, and hay. (Ann Sophie Lindström) 

Donnell Glenn takes Cash out for an evening walk, October 9, 2013. (Ann Sophie Lindström) 

Stevie Spann, 50, checks on the horses before closing the stable for the evening, August 22, 2014.  (Ann Sophie Lindström)

Jamil Prattis, Stevie Spann, and Nate Benson sit inside a horse trailer to escape the sun and smoke, May 25, 2014. (Ann Sophie Lindström)

There is no indoor arena at the Fletcher Stable, so the horsemen like use the vacant lot across the street to train their animals, October 6, 2013. (Ann Sophie Lindström) 

Romere Burch,13, rides bareback on a stallion named Ace N da Whole on Glennwood Avenue, October 3, 2013. (Ann Sophie Lindström) 

[baylone]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea that these guys are utilizing horses to combat the negative effects of being isolated in low-income areas though and the horses in the pictures all look well cared for!

[jumplittlebean]

Completely agree with this. 

[ottbs]

elisa wallace & simply priceless.

[poshhorse]

[jumplittlebean]

I need this.

[jumplittlebean]

Badass suffragette Inez Milholland. Pacifist, suffragist, labor lawyer. 

[mkristiansen]

Kuling at the Norwegian fjord horse nationals

follow me on instagram! Maz_foto

[diaryofaworkingstudent]

Our 2016 Thoroughbred Ambassador Award Winner Michelle Craig with her horse-of-a-lifetime Youmightbearedneck at the end of her show jumping round, bitless and bridleless because that’s how she had to train him after the trailer accident that required surgeons to wire his face back together.

[jumplittlebean]

Sunny chilly October mornings with this one are my favorite.

[all-the-horses]

Little Brother

Mongolian Horse, Gelding

[scarlettjane22]

Llangollen Stud

[starbucksandsamshields]

[jumplittlebean]

Ready for the hunter pace, @carlindarling ?

[nicomorgan]

Mad side saddle nutters, otherwise known as the Dianas of the Chase, jumping across high Quorn Country.

[jumplittlebean]

What does it take to get an OTTB ready to learn a second career?

“What does it take to get an OTTB ready to learn a second career? Well, plenty of time, plenty of patience, the hands of a good trainer and most importantly, LOTS of turnout. Everyone is always looking for that "secret potion" to make a good horse. They want a horse to leave the track and instantly be ready to trot a 20 meter circle, jump a fence or go out on a trail ride. And some horses are ready to try those things right off the track, but most are not. And sadly for some of those horses who are not, people actually turn to "secret potions" in the form of drugs to start a horse off the track. Even one well-know book advocates drugging an OTTB for those first few rides, something that still shocks us that such a thing would ever be advocated.

Time and patience are pretty obvious pieces to the puzzle. A horse coming off the track needs to time to letdown from being racing fit, from being on a carbohydrate rich (ie sugar and zippy energy!) diet and from the mental stress of simply being at the track. Time lets their body soreness subside, ulcers heal and for their mind to unwind. Never short a horse on downtime after leaving the track. If they need a month, give it to them. If they need 6 months, give it to them and if it takes 2 years, well then that is what it takes. Giving them that time takes PATIENCE on the part of the owner--sure you want to start riding and training on them right away, but is that the best for the horse? Not usually. Give them time, all the time they need, and they will let you know when they are ready. We've had horses come off the track so sour at the world that they pinned their ears every time we can within 10 feet of them. So we left them be until they told us they wanted to be part of our world again. And every time, just one day they were over it and interested in us--ear pricked, following us to the gate, BEGGING to be allowed to go see and do the fun things the others were. That is when you know they are ready.

When your horse is finally ready, the hands of a good trainer are also key. That good trainer might be you but if you don't have the skills, don't ever hesitate to enlist the help of those who do. Many a good Thoroughbred have been ruined by being restarted by those without the skills to properly train them. If you feel so apprehensive of retraining an OTTB that you have to resort to tranquilizing the horse for a training sessions, then you might want to consider enlisting professional help. Do it right the first time and everyone reaps the benefits.

And last, TURN THEM OUT. Horses aren't meant to be in a stall 24/7 or even 12 hours a day. Their entire physiology is meant for continuous movement...it helps their legs, it helps their digestive system and most of all, it helps their brains. And if you can, turn them out with friends. Sure they might get some teeth marks but the benefits of group turnout far outweigh the negatives. All of our horses are turned out 24/7, 365 days a year. They have run-in sheds which are rarely used, even in the dead of winter, and they are happy with life that way. They have friends and room to roam and that benefit to their attitude and trainability can never be found in the bottom of a bottle of drugs. There are no shortcuts in training a horse, but there are tools you can use that make things easier for everyone involved.”

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