Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: 10 Things Your Thoroughbred Wants for Christmas
“I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, Only a hippopotamus will do…” Okay, your OTTB probably doesn’t want a hippopotamus for Christmas, but here are 10 other things it DOES want.
Welcome to the next installment of Thoroughbred Logic. In this weekly series, Anthropologist and trainer Aubrey Graham, of Kivu Sport Horses, offers insight and training experience when it comes to working with Thoroughbreds (although much will apply to all breeds). This week ride along as Aubrey shares her logic your horse’s Christmas wish list.
Happy Holidays, Folks! While I often buy my horses candy canes for Christmas around here, and that’s a pretty exciting time at the barn, there’s a whole lot more your Thoroughbred might want for the Holidays. In no particular order:
1. Their Own Human
Each year I have enough Thoroughbreds through the barn to know that they all prefer to have their own human. I have a handful who have somehow chosen me (and get hilariously jealous of each other — here’s looking at you, Rhodie, Needles, Wolf, Neil, Koops, etc.), but there are oodles of them who do pretty well overall in a training barn, but you can just tell that they want that one person to bond with and to trust — and I’m not it. Sure, most enjoy the time I spend with them and they enjoy my working students, but there’s the sense that they are still a bit adrift until they find that person. Their own human sits right a the top of their holiday list.
This pretty thing (Mojito Margarita) is still on the lookout for her own human for the holidays. Photo by Lily Drew.
Even on days that are not all sunshine, unicorns and rainbows, I still think you should be your horse’s favorite person (or at least really, really close to the top of their list). Their ears should shoot up when they hear your footfalls or whistle, and they should want to come in when you head to the gate. Nothing is ever perfect and there are always days or months of discord, but nonetheless each Thoroughbred deserves that person who thinks they hung the moon, goofy antics and all.
(Link below: Indy (Star Player) showing off his usual ridiculousness around feeding time.
2. Cookies & Boundaries
And what comes with loving a horse, but ample cookies. They would like you to figure out which they like most, hunt down the best German molasses muffins and keep these on hand at all times. Forrest (Don’t Noc It) won the lottery when my good friend needed a Beginner Novice horse for her daughter. I sent him south on a lease and he landed on a beautiful farm and in a teenage girl’s heart. I’m pretty sure if that horse could talk it would be a terrible, obnoxious loop of “Hey young lady, I like you, treats?” “Hey lady, treats?” “Hey hey hey hey… treats?”
Forrest (Don’t Noc It) living his best life with Adela Narovich, featured at a Kivu clinic at Simmons Sporthorses. Photo by Dawn Lynch of Dawnlight Photography.
And so as a lock step to treats, they also need boundaries. The Thoroughbreds I know are smart enough to try to leave that one off the list; however, they’re happier with them. They need someone who is clear in their communication and is able to set parameters before just doling out the cookies they so desire. Consistent boundaries and clear rules keep them able to understand of the lay of the land, and thus calm and sane. So grab the cookie jar but don’t dole them out to keep them in line — do so because they remain there toeing said line like good four legged kids.
3. A Thoroughbred-Loving Trainer
And while you get to be their human, your Thoroughbred doesn’t know it, but they want their human to have a solidly good, knowledgable trainer (who also likes the breed). Thoroughbreds — especially the young, green, off-trackers — need someone who will help act as a guide through the labyrinth that “getting the Thoroughbred right” can be.
They need an expert who will be there when their human gets stuck, needs different exercises, or worries about how to tackle the new challenge, problem, or that move up. They need someone who will knowledgeably help their person figure out the complexities of owning, caring for and riding a TB — from nutrition to feet to soreness issues and let down time. They need someone who will encourage them to ride forward and get their horse out in front of their leg and encourage riding through bungee elbows as opposed to hard hands. And they need someone who will help reinforce those aforementioned boundaries when too many cookies aren’t making the situation any better.
Muddy-mess Alfredo (Making Amends) may also have asked for a cat on his Christmas list. Photo by author.
I caveated above a trainer who likes the breed. Your horse will thank you for that added detail. I cannot tell you how many lovely horses I have taken in who came from barns where the trainers neither wanted Thoroughbreds there, nor understood their needs on the ground or in the saddle. So do your horse a favor and find a farm and an expert who thinks these horses are as amazing as I do. Believe me, it makes a difference.
4. Proper Fitting Tack
Part of that whole trainer thing is the knowledge to help folks find proper tack and get it appropriately fitted. Saddle fit can make the difference in whether or not your horse is comfortable, ridable and quiet under saddle. The bridle and bit can make a big shift in how they feel reaching into contact. I am pretty sure all of us horse people love having new, quality tack — and that’s half the fun of holiday shopping (especially if a tack store is on the route). Just make sure the pretty things and the new-to-you-and-your-horse things fit well. So treat both of you to a saddle fitting and get an expert opinion, even if all you end up purchasing is a high quality half pad or a reflocking of some wool.
Good saddle fit (thanks, County Saddlery) and high quality girths (here’s looking at you, Tapestry Equine Products) make a huge difference in ridability with these guys and gals. Featured here: Leni (Chooslov) at home at Kivu. Photo by Lily Drew.
5. High Quality Shoeing
And while we’re talking about buying new things, for that next set of shoes that your kiddo gets nailed, glued, or strapped/velcoed on (in the case of boots), be sure they do the desired things. Thoroughbreds usually want shoes (though I’m of course grateful for those who can survive barefoot for a while). But they don’t just want any shoes slapped on by just anyone. They want a kind, knowledgable farrier who can look at their angles and know how to bring the toe back and support their heels. They want a foot that grows with a neutral or lightly positive Palmer angle and minimal flare, not something that sets them in the negatives and causes knock-on pain through their joints and up to their SI. So in the usual round of money we spend on these creatures every five weeks, add quality shoeing to the list by someone who understands Thoroughbred feet, not just someone who thinks all Thoroughbreds have crappy feet, so why bother.
Koops can’t go without all four feet in steel, and I’m grateful for the good farriers who keep him correct. Photo by Lily Drew.
6. Alfalfa & High Quality Nutrition
Another easy holiday gift for the Thoroughbred is that bright green bale of alfalfa. Of course, this ought to be the gift that keeps coming all year long, but they’ll thank you for it each time. I’m not even going to get into the discussion of “alfalfa makes them hot” here. Nope, it gives them proper calories and packs on the proper pounds — so, that said, dish out the good stuff and your over-grown pony will be happier and healthier year-round (but hey, its chilly outside, no reason not not toss a few extra flakes in their stall through the holidays).
Indy (Star Player) noshing on his pile of alfalfa/Little’s s “bed” while he hung out as a non-compete at the 2024 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover. Photo by author.
Overall, good nutrition – quality hay and grain – is a mainstay for keeping these guys healthy and happy to work. If you’re not sure if what you’re feeding is working, check to see where they are on a body score chart. Are they a 4.5 or above, looking fat with topline and overall shiny? If not, it might be worth reaching out to a nutritionist or a quality feed rep to chat about what you’re feeding and what changes might be needed)
7. A Friend or Seven to Play With
Thoroughbreds are social critters — they make friends, form alliances, and sort out hierarchy on a day-to-day basis. An isolated TB can be one that is more prone to behavioral issues, ulcers and general grumpiness. While herds definitely increase the risk of goofy field injuries (especially among young geldings… here’s looking at you, Alfredo (Making Amends)), they also increase equine happiness. So if you need an excuse to do more horse shopping over the holidays, you can blame it on the fact that these guys do better with additional buddies. And two horses can create a buddy-sour situation, so better to have three or four in a field… in which case, you’ll barely even notice the fifth or seventh horse. Happy shopping, but be sure to throw some idiot-healing wound care in the cart too.
Can’t beat friends and a roundbale when wintering in the north. Photo by author.
8. Days and Exercises that Break Up the Monotony
An inexpensive thing that can be gifted during the holidays (and year-round) is a ride or set of activities that break up the monotony of training. Do you feel like all you do is go in circles? Your horse probably feels the same way. Bored with the same serpentines and figure eights? Mix it up by getting out of the ring, outside or on a trail. Go hack somewhere with friends. Add in a day of cross country schooling (if the ground is not frozen). Go do a road walk (on back roads preferably). Or get outside in hand and play some training games. Cross training days where they get to do something different, get out of the indoor, and mess around with new skills and new places are just as good for your horses’ brain as they are for yours. So change it up, have some fun, and then go back to the circles and patterns with a bit of refreshed energy.
It was finally nice enough out to get Snowman outside to play with some small jumps for the first time. Photo by Lily Drew.
9. Barn Staff with a Sense of Humor
Linked to the trainer who likes your type of horse is barn staff who not only enjoy their job, but also have a sense of humor. You want everyone who touches your horse and its environment to take pride in their work and to have a good set of skills to deal with the goofy, eye-roll-enducing horses. Oh, they pooped in their water bucket (again)? That ought to be lightly comical as opposed to bringing forth the expletives. Your young horse is annoying and wants to chew on the pitchfork while they muck? Let’s hope that the staff can not only set boundaries, but also laugh at them in the process.
These three from Georgia – Jules Burr, Alanah Giltmier and Greta Colley) are an outstanding example of hard work, humor, and perseverance (especially against the spiders). Photo by author.
I have written this a lot, but laughter is one of the only ways to deal with these big, smart, kind, goofy critters. If you have great barn staff who is out breaking up the ice this time of year, bedding the horses deep in the cold months, and kindly placing a hand on their flank when they pass, please please please do something nice for them as a way to do something nice for your horse. Good help is ridiculously hard to find, and these Thoroughbreds (yes yes, and all horses) need to be surrounded by folks who care and can find the annoyances of dealing with 1200 pound toddlers to be comical.
10. All the Other Things…
This list could go on and on. They would love clean, deeply-bedded stalls and body work to help sort out the stuck areas and aches and pains. They’d love a rider who works really hard to have soft hands and good elbows and a leg that does not inadvertently swing into their flank or clamp down in anxiety…They’d love good footing in their arenas and riders who are warm enough to stay soft in the tack (so yes, go buy that heated vest). They want blankets that fit and don’t rub and a dry spot to get out of the weather if they choose (because we all know it’ll be 35 degrees and raining and they’ll be standing outside next to the shelter… not in it)… and the list goes on…
Needles Highway being his usual nap-tactic self. Photo by author.
So enjoy your holidays, folks. Happy last minute shopping and happy caring for the horses through the cold snap. And remember to thank your barn help.
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