Firn's Blog Post # 3

Talent, Trust and Technique

This month marks two years since I started leasing the beautiful grey OTTB Magic, who later became mine. It seems like only yesterday that I first rode him and instantly fell in love with his kind expression and tremendous jump, but looking back, I have mixed feelings about our progress.

Magic was just starting to jump tiny crosses when I got him. Now, with his absolutely insane amount of talent - I once sent a photo of him free jumping to Robert Gage, who said that "you could really have something here" - I expected him to spring right up the grades. In fact I was so excited about him that within the first six months we tried jumping 3' 6" just to see if we could, and he cleared it apparently without effort, although I had to hang onto the mane and still nearly came off from shock, excitement or adrenalin.

Of course, my dreams took flight. I saw us being the youngest winners of the South African Derby (which is a lot like the Hickstead, but not so famous) in history. Of course, I messed up. I was so excited about his jumping that I woefully neglected his flatwork, which was, frankly, deplorable. He was only a few months off the track and went everywhere with his nose in the air, poking out to one side for good measure. He only cantered on one lead, fought his figure-eight noseband and running martingale for every step and had no idea of what to do with his hindlegs. Also, he startled if you moved too quickly near him, and would dawdle behind you on the very end of his lead rein as if terrified that you were going to hit him if he came too close. I suspect this happened at the track a few times, because he's so lively that I can easily see him dragging his grooms around.

I think it was around June this year that the holes I'd left in our training finally caught up with me. Magic had to have a few weeks off - he had a quarrel with his pasture buddy and got a bite mark right where his saddle sits - and when I got back on him, I was riding a cross between a pogo stick and a giraffe on steroids. He pulled on my hands. He panicked whenever I touched his mouth, used my legs, or in fact did anything. As for jumping? He rushed at the jump, he stopped in front the jump, he overjumped the jump, and then he ran away from it as if it was all its fault I was riding like a sack of potatoes.

So I did what I always end up having to do when I find out that I messed up: took it all right back to basics. As in, groundwork. Not flatwork, groundwork. I spent several sessions with a pressure halter and a bum rope, showing him that he could walk next to me and I wouldn't hurt him. I spent extra time grooming him every day, rediscovering all his itchy spots, getting him used to my presence again. I lunged him and free jumped him to let him learn over fences without a terrified sack of potatoes clinging to his mane. When I did ride, we did endless flatwork, then at the end of each session jumped cross-rails. 6" cross-rails. With my big time horse, my top horse, my 4' horse. It was humiliating and frustrating and all so worth it.

Because today when I went to fetch him in the pasture he was right at the far end of it, so I got on him bareback (5' 4" me got on 15.2hh Magic from the ground! Minor win!) and trotted him up to the gate. He had had three days off, which is a lot for him, but I threw on his tack without lunging him first, went to the arena and got straight to work. The only precaution I took was to put him in his Kimberwick instead of his snaffle, just in case I needed a bit of extra stopping power. And we jumped around 2' 3", and it was awesomely fun. Not terrifying, and not awfully challenging either; just fun. He overjumped a bit and I laughed at him because I trust him now. I got left behind a little and caught him in his mouth slightly and he just carried on, because he trusts me now. And he goes forward in a rhythm and balance and suppleness, and looks like a dressage horse instead of a baby OTTB; he adjusts his strides and picks his distances so much better now that he understands his flatwork.

Now we have the trust, and he has always had the talent. I'm afraid, though, before we put the jumps up, we'll have to fix the technique. He does everything from Superman impressions with one foreleg poking out, to distances so long he might as well be clearing the water jump at the Derby. As for me, it's all I can do to keep my hands forward and leave his mouth alone, even with my reins as long as a cutting horse's. I'm not entirely sure what both of us think we're doing, but I do know that we're safe and enjoying it, so the only way we can go now is forward.

On that note, and looking at our photos, any tips for our techniques from my readers? I would try some grids, but I think he might panic and flail through the poles. Has anyone had experience with drama queening OTTBs and grids?