My Thoroughbreds Ground Manners

Question
Hey Rick. I am 27 years old and I have been around horses, mostly off the track horses since I was 6 years old. Me and my boyfriend just opened out our riding facility on Long Island, NY and I've been getting horses (including TB's raced and not raced) and a whole batch of other breeds. About 2 weeks ago, some guy dropped off 2 Thoroughbreds -- one was not raced named Mya, who I got sold for 9500 as a jumping prospect, while the other one was recently off the track named Leona, who I been trying to get trained to be a nice and easy going mare for someone to take to the shows and have as an all around all purpose horse. She has VERY BAD ground manners, which is no surprise and I've run into horses that have been worse. She will constantly neigh --I realized the mare that came in with her was like her pal, and she left. She is turned out like 3 hours a day, and then is kept in her stall pretty much the rest of the time because she paces, paces, paces, and paces some more... which is also usual for a Thoroughbred. Her turnout is next to other horses, actually next to my daughters pony, which is a mare also. They love each other. Shes really good under saddle, spooky but that's expectable from a thoroughbred mare.

Ok, now for the question. I been dealing with these types of animals for years and years, and I can usually get them to get their ground manners under control and safe for others to be around. She rears, drags, bolts forward out of NOWHERE, will not cross tie even when watched. She isn't aggressive at all but she will not work with me and it's becoming a hassle. If you have any tips, training tools, etc that could help me make her ground manners any better. That would be awesome and that would help me out alot.

Answer
Hi Rick,

First of all kudos for you for taking in these two horses. I'd start with giving them mor time. Two weeks is not enough time for an OTTB to adjust. I'd continue to turn them out, get to know them etc., but I'd hold off on any formal training or lessons for atleast another two weeks. Also seperate the two of them, with as much distance as possible, gradually their attachement to each other will fade. As far as tieing, especailly cross-tying, race horses are not taught to tie and never cross tie, so you'll want to to go back to the basics and get her moving and responding to pressure before attempting to tie her. It sounds like you are off to a great start and the horses are lucky to have "found" you.

Jen