How I Handle My OTTB When She Acts Up

Support Fields and Fences at: https://www.fieldsandfences.ca Is my horses behaviour caused by pain, bad training, racehorse memories… or all of the above? In today’s horse training and farm vlog, I’m opening up the debate around my off-the-track thoroughbred mare, Phantom, as we work through spooking, herd bound behaviour, tension under saddle, kissing spine management, and the long road of retraining a sensitive ex-racehorse. Phantom is a talented, athletic thoroughbred with a huge personality, but she still has moments where she hollows her back, throws her head up, runs through the aids, spooks hard, and reacts like she is trying to escape the situation. After a year of consistent retraining, groundwork, ridden work, vet care, body work, B12 injections, and careful management of her kissing spine, I’m asking the question many horse owners struggle with: is this pain, bad training, anxiety, learned behaviour, or a combination? In this episode, I share Phantom’s history as a racehorse, her herd sour behaviour, how she reacts when horses leave the arena, what triggers her tension, what our vet has found, and how I try to help her reset instead of escalating the situation. This is an honest look at horse behaviour, OTTB retraining, horse rehabilitation, and the reality of working with a complicated horse who has both physical history and emotional baggage. I would genuinely love to hear from other horse owners, trainers, riders, thoroughbred people, and anyone who has worked with pain-related behaviour or difficult retraining cases. What do you see in Phantom? Do you think this is pain? Bad training? Racehorse trauma? Herd bound behaviour? Or a horse who is still learning how to regulate herself? Thank you for being here, for supporting Phantom’s journey, and for helping me think through these complicated horse training questions with kindness. #horse #Farmvlog #equestrian #horsevlog 0:00 Pain or Bad Training? 0:44 Meet Phantom the Thoroughbred 2:05 The Riding Problems Begin 3:52 Phantom’s Herd Bound Behaviour 5:57 Her Racehorse History 7:57 What We’re Doing About Pain 10:25 Kissing Spine and the Big Question 10:43 The Arena Corner Problem 13:08 The Big Spook 14:06 Why Some Days Are Worse 15:39 Pain, Tension, and Kissing Spine 16:18 Clinic Warm-Up Problems 18:07 The Hard Truth About Retraining 19:01 What I Love About Phantom 20:01 What Do You Think?