Equine Transformation - Naughty Baby and Tara Heap

Our Equine Transformation series shows what a little bit of hard work, persistence, determination and vision can achieve...

As seen in the June 2019 issue of Horse Deals.

Horse’s name, age, height, breeding? Naughty Baby (Aus) aka Nigel. 9yo, 16hh, Thoroughbred ex-racehorse. Sire: Danehill Dancer. Dam: Alexandrina Hills.

How and when did Nigel come into your life? I used to ride as a child and owned an OTTB as my first horse. I’ve loved Thoroughbreds ever since! So after a 15 year break in riding, I started lessons again in 2016 at 30yo. By 2017 I was on the hunt for my own horse. I immediately knew I wanted another OTTB, but I told myself no out of work horses and no chestnuts. I ended up going to look at a horse on the NSW Central Coast and knew after about 5mins he was not the right fit for me. The owner at the time told me she had another horse for me to look at and pulled Nigel out of his yard – 18 months retired from racing, out of work and a chestnut.

What potential did you see in him? I jumped on Nigel as his first ever ride off the track. Although there were some very obvious balance and straightness issues, he was willing, accepting and really not fussed by anything. I really liked Nigel’s attitude and knew straight away we could make a really great team. Once I had met him, it didn’t matter that he was a chestnut or out of work. It mattered that he had a sane mind and a good temperament.

What was his condition and temperament like on arrival? Nigel was very clearly out of work – under muscled and an almost dull looking appearance. He needed some spunk put back into him. Even though he was in a completely new place, he was super calm and just wanted to have a pick of grass. He loves his food (anything and everything!) and settled into his yard straight away with a big biscuit of hay.

What did you do with him in the first month? Nigel had already had a full vet check as part of the buying process, so I was satisfied with his general health. His feet and teeth were not great and needed some immediate attention, so this was done in his first week at home. He did come up foot sore after the farrier, which wasn’t a surprise given the condition of his feet, combined with a thrush issue. We started clicker training as part of our ground work, and once he was ready we got him back into work gradually by lunging, combined with short rides.

How did he progress over six months? My coach gave me some sound advice at the time of buying Nigel; “you need to know that some horses change temperament once you put them back into work.” She was completely right, but this wasn’t a bad thing. I found that Nigel had more life in him and he was enjoying having a purpose. It was such a great transformation to be a part of. He did start to show more ‘racehorse’ traits in his training, but that was OK. In the first six months we tackled horse shyness, issues with correct canter leads, building fitness and muscle, and exposure to different riding environments (arena, bush, etc).

Progression after 12 months? The 12 month mark was a bit more of a sweet spot for us. There was a lot less unexpected behaviour or reactions, which gave us the opportunity to start expanding on his re-education. We started doing small jumps and riding more comfortably around other horses without shying. Nigel has always maintained a willing attitude, but wasn’t shy of throwing in a buck or pigroot out of frustration, as he is very sensitive to some aids, so overuse of leg or noisy hands really bothers him.

How did he cope with the retraining process? Nigel is super intelligent and really enjoys being in work. This has made retraining a really rewarding experience for me. Our biggest issue to overcome has been Nigel’s ability to pick up the correct canter leads. He has really struggled to build hind end strength, and initially it was hard work to get the left lead as he always wanted to naturally pick up the right lead. Once we resolved that and started working him into the contact more, we had issues with picking up the right lead. Go figure! It was definitely a process to work through, but we got there in the end and have just started working on collecting the canter a little more, and really refining the aids and his balance in canter. The one thing I really try to pay attention to is taking my time and staying consistent.

What was his first outing and how did he cope? Nigel’s first outing was in June 2018 to a dressage competition in Somersby, NSW. We weren’t competing, but rather just going along for the exposure and experience. Nigel was fantastic floating and stood tied at the float so calmly all day. This had me feeling really comfortable to jump on for a warm up and ride, however as we were walking down the track to the warm up arena Nigel started getting more and more anxious. He was completely overwhelmed by the warm up arena and would scoot out from underneath me and try to bolt if I didn’t keep him on a small circle. I ended up jumping off to lunge him, which really helped to get some more control of the situation. By our next outing and first competition in July 2018, I had a much better plan prepared and he reacted beautifully to the new environment and horses. We even scored a ribbon for our first comp. Nigel does not like to feel rushed, so I have definitely learnt that I need to give him time to take in his environment at a comp, and a lunging session for warm up.

What is Nigel up to today? At the moment we are training basic lateral movements like leg yielding, shoulder in and travers and are super eager to keep competing. Nigel is in work five days a week with a mix of arena work and cross country work. We don’t jump big. That’s not my thing. But pole work and small jumps are still important to incorporate as part of our training. We recently competed in two off the track dressage classes at Sydney Equestrian and achieved first place in both.

What are your biggest achievements to date? Taking on an OTTB from scratch has pushed me to really challenge myself and to work outside of my comfort zone. I think my biggest achievement is forgetting the nerves and getting out to compete with Nigel. There have been a few times while out and about that he has been quite reactive to a situation, however I can’t forget that he has had 42 official race starts and has only been to four competitions. When you put that into perspective, a reaction to a bolting horse or a crowded warm up arena is so minor and a real achievement that Nigel can keep his head in check in a brand new environment.

Does he have any special needs? If you asked Nigel that question, he would say carrots and liquorice! But on a serious note, he has a flat foot on his off fore which needs to be kept in check with the farrier. We’ve been able to manage it nicely with a heart bar shoe and have had some really good heel growth as a result.

What was the key to his transformation? The key has been consistency in training, good horse care and the ongoing support of my coach and trainer Christine Johnson. I’ve really made a point to ensure Nigel is worked four to five times a week and not on and off. I also work full time, so it’s not always easy. Sometimes you are tired and just want to go home after a long day at work, but I’ve tried my best to stay committed and push myself through the hard weeks. Nigel responds really well to the consistency in his training, so this is a huge motivator for me.

What advice would you give to someone considering taking on an off the track horse? You can’t go wrong when you surround yourself with people who know racehorses and are knowledgeable in the re-education of OTTB’s. I still have a weekly lesson on Nigel and schedule regular schooling sessions for him to ensure we can continue to grow and develop as a team. Surround yourself with good horsey people and do your research. OTTB’s can be really challenging, but very rewarding at the same time!

What does the future hold for him? For Nigel, the future is unwritten but full of potential. I actually didn’t take him on with the intention to be out competing and training dressage, but here we are. And I know that as he continues to learn, he will continue to surprise me with everything that he is capable of. I would love to see if we can compete at elementary by the end of this year or early next year.

Would you do it all again? Yes, definitely! The first six to nine months were the most challenging, but I’ve really enjoyed every single minute. I’ve found a horse that I connect closely with and I would do it a hundred times over if given the chance.

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