Not your typical Thoroughbred

[Madnellie]

So, Libby has been with us for a week. Yesterday as you all know, it was blowing a gale, and we only have an outdoor menage here, Libby is used to working indoors.

But I decided to bite the bullet and take her into the menage for a walk around on the lead rein. First obstacle is a wheelbarrow and a bucket that have blown across the track leading up from her field. (I take a shortcut down to the field so I hadn't spotted them on the way down)
No problem, just walk around them.
Into the menage, gate clanks shut behind us.
No response.
Farmer starts up tractor in the barn right next to us.
Ears forward, takes a look, not interested.
Black plastic sheeting on bales blowing around like I don't know what.
Not interested.
Dust storm across the school
OK not too keen on that, but I'll just shuffle my bum round and its fine.
Then happily wander round like a dope on a rope for 10 minutes.

This morning.
Long Rein for the first time.
Yep I can do this, don't I look pretty!

This is not what I was expecting from my 4 year old thoroughbred, not complaining mind!!!!!

[Loz]

Aww she sounds like she's taking it all in her stride which is lovely! Too many people think TBs are nutters and they're not!
My friend can't believe I feed Rou (tb) haylage and competition mix without her blowing a gasket. She can have her moments, but so can any horse, irrelevant of what breed they are.

Glad to hear it's all going well for you though, do we get some more pictures soon?

[fougere]

Sounds great. TB's sometimes get bad press, but I always found Gemma much easier to handle than my unpredictable NF pony.

[Teej]

She sounds like a gem

Chip is brilliant in so many ways too. He won't flinch at tractors, huge noisy combine harvesters, massive scary lorries, a spring loaded access gate slamming shut on his bum & more (I'm sure no worse than starting stalls). BUT invisible monsters or any other microscopic object that wasn't there yesterday bother him alot! That's fine & typical of many horses but the one thing I do not take very kindly to is when he prats about trying to do playful bucks going down a steep hill towards a T-junction..... only because he can see paddocks of horses and cows at the bottom of the valley on the other side that we don't go anywhere near ! He gives TB's a bad name when he's in that frame of mind!!!

[lil_legs]

Not all TB's are like that, and alot of the time the way they behave has a hell of alot to do with their past. She sounds lovely and like she is taking it all in her stride.

[zoes87]

Bless her, she sounds like she's doing fab!!

I have to admit, I'm not a massive fan of TB's but Jack is my full TB rescue who was backed as a 2 & 1/2 / 3yr old (not very nicely from what we can gather) & then ditched in a field unhandled for 11years. Apart from the problems riding - he's so much bolder than my IDxTB, who freaks out at anything & everything!!!

[Zeitgeist Mom]

That's why I like TB's so much. All the ex racers I have had have been pretty much bomb proof. I find ponies far more challenging. I bought Louis as a 4 yr old and thought nothing of hacking him home 4 miles on a main road. Wouldn't dream of doing that with Misty!!

[Madnellie]

My previous TB experience was with a 17.2 Gelding that had raced for 7 years. He was fine when you were sat on his back (getting on wasn't straightforward but once you were there...) But if you were on the ground he spent most of his time on his back legs, which was very disconcerting! He would also try to take a chunk out of anything within range. I cured him of doing this with me by poking him very hard on the nose whenever he went for me. His problems were certainly manmade and I guess I'm lucky with Libby that she never made the race track and seems to have been taught very good manners in the last year. I just wasn't expecting her to be That good!