COMPETITION PREPARATION FOR THE EVENTING SEASON
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- čas přidán 5. 03. 2023
- Join Ember and I as we take part in not one, but TWO competitions in preparation for the Eventing season. One went slightly better than the other 😅
Thank you for watching, if you enjoyed what you see, make sure you let me know in the comments below, give the video a like and subscribe if you want to see more! 💙 - Sport
You can tell he loves his jumping! I agree as long as its a rhythm and finding his stride it doesn't matter what kind or what it looks like.
My mare now retired went around the whole 1.20m jumping course on every outing doing flying bucks but that was just her trainers tried to train it out of her but she got upset, frustrated and started having poles down so i stopped and let her do her thing and accepted it!
Everybody at the shows that watched our round used to go "Huh" "gasp" and laughed at her just doing her flying bucks all the round! She is a character 😄🤷
Years ago, I had a small, high energy off-the-track thoroughbred much like Ember. I had to board him out, so unfortunately, he was not kept at my home. Meaning that I couldn’t get turnout when and for how long as I wanted it all of the time.
I remember before one competition in the summer, when it was good weather outside, I asked my boarding barn to turn him out all night. I can truthfully say that that was the only time he was relaxed in the dressage ring! I think he was actually half-sleep, which made a nice change.
As he went more places and realized that they weren’t all that exciting, I eventually got a calm horse. But it took several years.
So, I really empathize with the issues you’re facing, but he is such a fantastic course. He’ll be worth it in the end.
Well done 🇮🇪🍀💚👍🥰
TBs are bred to run. Most truly love it. With that said, maybe a warm up that uses up more of his energy. Then bring him down to a counted canter. Also, I've found doing alot of ground pole work really helps in building a consistant, smooth, rhythmic canter. You must count while working the poles (1,2,3,4 etc) to get the rhythm. Ps: I really agree with JMH Equestrian. Stay safe. 💙🐎😎
Very Good!! And seeing Bonnie was wonderful!! 🥰❤️❤️
Even if he still has his speed demon moments, you can really see Ember's growth, and the way you've successfully applied all the techniques you learned in that "just breathe" lesson you showed us months ago. (As a scaredy cat, I remain in admiration of your sangfroid while he attempts to Superman his way over some of those!)
Well done Lucy - his progress is huge. He's trying so hard for you!
My mare is so similar in the trot Literally have to be crawling in order for her to work in a relaxed shape and not look like a grenade about to blow!
He was lovely and controlled in the arena eventing warm up. He's getting there.
He looked very happy skippy all the way around. Well done!
It is interesting, it’s like he has an idea in his head and it does not involved doing anything but taking off in a full gallop. Must commend him for trying to comply at least !
well done, he sure is coming along great!!
Well done Ember ~ 5th ~ concentrate on the direction of the course Lucy! Good to see you out and about again! All the best for the 2023 season.
What a super star!! Ember was trying so hard both in the dressage and the arena eventing! And you are soooo wonderful with him. He really is coming along beautifully. Love the vlog!!!
I definitely enjoyed this! The realistic progress is refreshing. It inspires me to just keep going in my own projects. One of my favorite things about vlogs is seeing things I wouldn't do (like get an OTTB because I know it would have to be the laziest TB ever and I'm just not up to that kind of retraining) and enjoying someone else's joy without even needing to have been in their shoes.
Ps. I'm still obsessed with his flicky toes.
Ember has really improved!
Your dressage wasn’t bad at all! Ex racers are a different kettle of fish & you did amazing! My mare used to show her teeth also! You are doing amazing! If you could do a vlog on tips of getting canter leads please! I struggle with my boy (ex race horse) with left canter lead! Thank you xx
If your horse is reluctant to lead change on one particular rein but does on the other and knows what you are asking of him then theres a chance he's feeling something and as an ex racer I would say its probably a certain that he is sore somewhere either in his neck, back, whither, legs or hocks. Has he been pinn fired at all on any of his legs?
I have an ex racer he's in the profile picture, I re trained him as a show jumper and went on to jump Foxhunter/ discovery 1.10m - 1.20m. He's semi retired now and lives at home with my other horse.
Well done Lucy Ember is coming on a treat and he enjoyed himself jumping. He made me laugh looking at his rosette 🏵 lol. He was tired too bless him. You ride him very well sitting quietly when he gets excited but he’ll settle the more you do things with him he’s a lovely boy reminds me of my Gold Arena in a lot of ways I loved that tb.tfs😎🏇😎
You did a really good job in the dressage, just keep taking him out to them, and also I would highly recommend doing two tests, as he should hopefully be a lot more relaxed in the second. He is a fab jumper! Well done 😊
Oh and also put him in a really thick sheepskin noseband, will really encourage him to lower his head when jumping 😁
I partly miss seeing Lara dragging you away from the trailer. Because I don't want y'all to get hurt, but it did make me giggle 🤭. Well done, both you and Ember!
There’s such a large improvement visible from when you bought him until now. I would also echo one of the other commenters regarding his behaviour being because he is a TB. The most chilled and relaxed horse I ever owned was an off the track TB. Ember’s behaviours aren’t necessarily because of his breed, maybe just specific to him. It’s great you’re finding some moments of relaxation with him. Have you considered trying groundwork with him (like the type Miri Hackett trains)? It’s completely focused on allowing the horse to find relaxation in their body by using certain groundwork patterns that can be replicated anywhere.
Totally agree, you have both come on leaps and bounds x well done
Nice music at the end. Congrats 👏
that arena is huge
Aww bless him, he is doing well xx
Well done Lucy and Ember! Great progress 😊
Nice dressage test, and a clear in the arena *cough* 😉, and a rosette to boot!!! Good boy Ember!!
Well done I love him xx
I love the way Ember is trying so hard for you, his jumping is coming on really well, brave and honest, he still looks green in dressage but it is such a different thing for him as an ex flat horse so be patient he obviously has a good brain but will take a little while to get him to chill, I think you are both doing really well xx
He’s looking so confident with his jumping! Well done, you’re doing a really good job x
Loved this!
He looked really good out arena eventing! He is such a tricky horse but I think he will be worth all the effort one day. I think you do really well with working with what he gives you on the day, I know sometimes it can feel like your fighting an uphill battle but he's definitely going in the right direction! Xx
you both did awesome
The scream 😅😅😅😅 xxx
Eeek can't wait x
🧡🦄
Give him a calmer to help him enjoy the day - the test wasn’t that bad he didn’t stop or buck or shy he was tracking up so the basics are there in the warm up to help the tension keep him busy not just riding circles - leg yield shoulder in on and back in all the paces just need to get his focus he is much improved from when you first got him
Have you considered calming cookies or adding a calming powder to his feed? I plead guilty to calming powder for my horse when he's in work. He's a volatile behemoth and I'm too young to die.
I was going to suggest calming cookies as well. 😊
I have an ex racehorse who is so similar to Ember (also ginger and a bit bonkers) and he does the teeth thing. The minute he is excited or thinks we're going the wrong way out on a hack... must be a tb thing!
Cool ,hes turned a corner.well ridden in the dressage you did that right ridding the horse under you.
He definitely looked more chilled, and far less leaping and head-in-the-air than before. Well ridden Lucy, keep repeating!
Im invested in your journey and want to see more
Have you ever tried calming cookies before an event? They might help him relax.
oh wow brilliant ....re dressage 65 honestly!!!! the 80cm really good well done...i always forget where im going at limekiln
So happy for you and Ember doing competition how exciting fun you do amazing job and sending prayers energy for you and Ember! 💘💘💘🐴❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹💕💜💜💜🐴❤️🩹💙💙💙🤎🧡❤️💛💛💘💛💚💚💓❤️🔥🖤🖤💞💞💞💗💖💞❤️🔥💙❤️🩹❤️🩹🐴🐴❤️🩹💙💙❤️🩹🐴💕💜💜🐴🖤🖤💚💚💚💛💛❤️❤️🧡💔💔💞🤍💖💖💖💖💞💝🤎🤎💙❤️🩹🐴
Fantastic job Ember and Lucy well done! So proud of you! 💜🐴🐴🐴🐴💜🐴💛💙💙💛🐴💚💚🖤💞💞💞💞💜❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹🐴💜🐴❤️🩹💛💙💗🖤🖤💕💞💔💓🤎🤎🤎🐴🐴❤️🩹💛💙💖💓💝❣️❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥💝
Oh sure Lucy, make him come back to life and then 🙄?
I'd encourage you to be mindful about such statements as "Because he is an ex race horse he does (insert behavior here)." Especially when mentioning behaviors that can be considered as unwanted. I have been riding off the track thoroughbreds almost exclusively for 16 years and they are all completely different, both physically and mentally. There are a lot of people who slam the breed without ever even working with one based off of such comments. Some barns won't even board thoroughbreds because of what they have heard, but never experienced. Does his specific line of TB carry such behavioral traits as he exhibits? Possibly, but it is not solely due to the fact that he is a TB. There are horses of all breeds that exhibit behaviors such as his. That being said, I think you are handling him well and riding the horse you have the day you have him.
Good advice, I’ve seen very laid back TB’s mine however is not. He’s lovely not spooky and very bold jumping but like a little bottle of pop when something fun is a foot. I guess it’s important to be aware of the breed as a whole though. Some tb are not for nervous or novice riders, same could be said for some cobs I suppose!
I only partially agree with you. I love thoroughbreds - they're an intelligent, sensitive and supremely adaptable breed. I love OTTBs - I've had one (and he was labelled very difficult when I got him, having gone through a couple of abortive retraining attempts). However, although all horses are individuals and you will get a range of individuals within any one breed (some OTTBs are complete chilled plods ridden by kids), we have developed breeds for a reason - because they share characteristics. This is true of OTTBs. In some ways, they're easier than another three or four year old you might pick up - they tend to have had a lot more experience of travelling, of hacking out on roads or in company (although it sounds by your mentions of boarding and barns that you're US based, where I think racing culture is very different to here in the UK). But the fact is that when you get one they've been trained already in a completely different job, and you're going to be *retraining* - they're not just learning, they're unlearning and relearning. It's important to be aware of what it is that they expect, and how you need to address that. Jockeys use different aids, racehorses are expected to behave differently to pressure on their mouth, on you sitting on their backs or off their backs. Racehorses are often much more one-sided than another youngster. You might end up with a chilled OTTB that isn't phased by anything, but you might also have to do a lot of work. In general, there are trends to expect (lots of OTTBs take a while to settle into competition atmospheres, as their only previous experience with that sort of thing was being asked to gallop).
I think Lucy is giving an accurate representation of the challenges you might meet with an OTTB. There are probably more Embers than there are plods. Many to most OTTBs aren't beginner friendly (yes, some are - but they aren't the majority). I think pretending that there are no potential issues with retraining a racehorse, or that there aren't a general trend of things to be aware of with ex-racehorses, is just as damaging as acting like all OTTBs are lunatic nutters with behavioural problems.
Her intention might not be as negative as you think, a carriage horse will also have speacial behaviors or movements, like high knees - because they were bred for a certain thing (and might now have to learn and relearn as someone else mentioned). Thoroughbreds are bred to run fast, and that will come with some behaviors. Some more than others! I have an ottb who also wants to run and keep his head in the air and I didn’t react that negative of her comment. I also owned a tb mare that always carried her head really low. My point is that some behaviors are more common in some races but not every individual will be like that ofc. That’s quite easy to understand. She’s just mention that she’s working on that problem with her ottbs unwanted behavior, that actually is quite common among the hot headed tb’s. I think her videos is really inspiring for me with my ottb. He have problems to float and gets super tense and stressed. He wants to run around with his head in the air and we’re working on that. I love to see her working with her horse and showing that it is possible to jump, event and do dressage! Even if every horse is a different individual. 🐴💕 Excuse my English btw. 🇸🇪
@Linda Lillhammar I don't believe that her intention was to be negative towards the breed with her comments in the video at all. However, those comments can be taken as negative and influence the perspective other's have on a breed with which they may not have much experience. I too enjoy Lucy's videos and am enjoying her journey with Ember. My comment was to shed light on the language being used and to hopefully help shift the focus from speaking in absolutes about a breed, verses an individual horse.
@Squimbelina I agree with your statement that breeds have general characteristics due to how they are bred. Draft horses, for example, are generally bred to be more docile in nature because of their size. A hot draft horse, though they exist, is harder to manage and work with than one who is naturally more mentally at ease.
I also agree that TBs are not for everyone, which is a true statement when looking at any other breed as well.
If you re-read my comment, it did not talk about retraining, nor general characteristics of a breed. I would hope that all equestrians know that certain breeds MAY exhibit certain traits due to their breed, training, experience, etc.. but also to remain open minded when looking into specific breeds. The issue I addressed is when one begins to use absolutes when speaking about a breed of horse. Absolute statements about any breed are not productive and can potentially cause a spread of misinformation.
You also mention that you believe MOST thoroughbreds, specifically ones previously trained in racing, exhibit behaviors like Ember. I strongly disagree. Out of the 20+ off the track racehorses I personally have retrained and shown to various degrees, I would say only 1 acted like it was Race Day at his first show. It was smooth sailing after his first Dressage test, and in his future shows. I will say that a majority of the others showed some level of tension and nerves, but I would also go to say that a young/green horse of any breed has the potential to be tense their first time experiencing the atmosphere at a show, or any atmosphere different to their day to day, until they have gotten more experience. I am in the US, so as you said there may be some differences in how TBs are bred/handled/ etc. I believe that the US generally has somewhat lower quality in certain breeding circles, but that's an entirely different topic.
I will restate that I have enjoyed following Ember's journey and Lucy is doing well with him. She takes things in stride and treats Ember fairly. My comment was purely to shed light on the potential problems that can arise when speaking in absolutes. Yes, certain breeds generally have certain characteristics, but I believe people (especially influencers) should shift from using absolutes about a breed, to speaking about their horse as an individual.
I have faith and always believe in you both Lucy and you can do this and sending positive energy vibes and fairy dust for you and your training for your upcoming competition! YOUR THE BEST Lucy! 💞💞💚💖💖🤎🤎💖❤️🩹🐴🐴❤️🩹💙💙💞💞💛💔💔🖤💚💜🤎💖💙❤️🩹🐴🐴❤️🩹💙💖💞💞💔💓💓🖤🖤🧡❤️❤️🤎💖❤️🩹❤️🩹🐴🐴🐴🐴❤️🩹💙💖🧡💚💚💚💚💙💙💖🧡🧡🧡🤍🤍💓💓
Happy Monday Lucy and Ember have amazing fun day xoxo 😘 ❤️🩹❤️🩹💛💓🐴🐴💔💜💔🐴💓💓🤎❤️🩹❤️🩹💘💘💛💜💔🐴🐴🐴💓💓🤎💕💞💞❤️💙💚💛💛🧡❤️❤️❤️💛💚💙💙💜💜💜🤍🤎❤️🔥❤️🔥❣️💕💝💘❤️🩹❤️🩹❣️💕💕💕🖤🧡🧡🧡🧡💜
Such a beautiful course and love it Lucy! Perfect challenging for Ember and skills etc 🖤🖤💖💖🤍❤️🩹❤️🩹🐴💚🧡💙💙💚💚🐴❤️🩹❤️🩹🐴💚🧡💓💓🖤💔💜❤️❤️❤️💞💞🖤🖤🤎💔💕💕💝💜🐴🐴🐴🐴❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹💙🧡🧡💙💚💗💗💛💛💜💜💜💛