Tommy Boy meets Jack

New Friends

We decided to introduce our new horse, Tommy Boy, to Jack. I think it went very well...
They are both OTTB (off the track Thoroughbreds i.e. they were race horses) although Tommy Boy's racing career was more successful than Jack's!
Jack is 3 yrs old and 17 hh
Tommy Boy is 16 yrs old and 16 hh
But I think they are going to be great friends, in spite of their age difference!

New Hunter/Jumper Prospect for KHA

Yesterday, Jessika and I drove down to Escondido to look at an older Hunter/Jumper Thoroughbred that was being offered for sale on Craigslist. He's a 16 yr old (16 hh) flea bitten gray OTTB, with a long, successful history of Hunter/Jumper competitions. Because of his past,competitive work, he is now not able to do much jumping (that sport wears horses out fast!), but he appears to have many good years left in him and his temperament was sweet and willing.


He is currently boarded at a facility in a small 12 x 12 paddock, and turned out infrequently; rarely ridden. When we saw him, he had just been turned out and was buckin' up a gleeful storm!! Jessika then lounged him, and he was a dream on the lounge line.

Jesskia then rode him and he was also well behaved, responsive and obedient. (We are considering him for an adult beginner horse).

The only issue was that he began showing some lameness after awhile, which we all assumed was from a combination of not getting out enough, then getting out with uncontrolled exuberance, and old age. We were told he does not have lameness issues, but it is something of a concern and will have to be addressed.

Jack Begins Under Saddle Work

Make no mistake about it, Jack being three year old off the track, but never raced, racehorse, has been ridden and probably ridden hard and fast! And when we first brought him home, we did put a saddle on him and "rode" him - it was like being on a newborn baby giraffe; he couldn't keep from tripping on his feet, he had no idea where to put his head in the space of things, it's hard to believe that Swiss Yodeler is his dad!!!

So, we took the saddle off and began at the beginning...
Relaxation is the first element of the horse's education and the very foundation for all further training.

"Keep your horse happy. Happy horses don't get tense." The Elements of Dressage; A Guide for Training the Young Horse - Kurd Albrecht Von Ziegner.




The first serious work begins on the lounge line, and Jack has had many months on the lounge line, beginning with basic voice commands at walk, trot, canter; and recently work over ground poles and cavalletti, first in hand, then on the lounge line to loosen the back muscles and encourage relaxation. Jack is relaxed! Jack is laid back!! Ok..next!! Get him to pick up his feet. He is very sloppy at the walk, but when he picks up the trot, either on lounge line or as today, under saddle, he becomes....almost graceful and there is hope for dressage in his future!


Just look at him picking up that hind leg to step over the cavalletti! This is all new and exciting work for Jack!!