# Starting an off the track Standardbred under saddle...



## Tabbi Kat (Nov 30, 2010)

I should state that I have a trainer that is guiding me with starting her but I want to hear other people's experiences.


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## ShutUpJoe (Nov 10, 2009)

We have a 13 year old off the track Standardbred mare here. She is fresh off the track. We took her on her first trail ride and she did decently for never being on one. She came with great ground manners and a jump start on training. BUT she is nervous and excitable.


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## Tabbi Kat (Nov 30, 2010)

I lucked out that this mare isn't very nervous or excitable unless it comes to small gates. Her previous owner would pop her hard with a stud chain multiple times before he would put her in a stall. I don't use a stud chain at all and let her walk into the gate herself and she is great. Grant it, I'm not keeping her in a stall and that may be why I'm not having any issues with her. She seems to be doing very well with a gentle hand.


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## highlander (Oct 26, 2008)

Sorry what's a stud chain? I've never heard of one. 
We restarted our own mare this winter, she's a ex-racing tb mare. We started by working on trust and basics like tacking up etc. I'm lucky, ours is a very chilled woman! Next thing I'd do is to get lunging to see what she knows, and re-affefirm what she does know. We then got on with someone holding her as a most racers are mounted on the go. Ours is just starting grid work now.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Tabbi Kat (Nov 30, 2010)

A stud chain is a thick chain that they run across the nose and hook the lead to. When the horse pulls in applies more pressure that a halter would. It is definitely not meant to be used like what her old owner did to her. Poor girl has some icky scares from it. Thanks for your story highlander! What you are doing with you ottb is what I was planning on doing with her. Lol it just reaffirms me and gives me confidence that I'm headed in the right direction


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