[IMG]https://imgur.com/a/hApWfUd[/IMG]

Hopefully that image works. If not here is the link:

https://imgur.com/a/hApWfUd

Chubster is my 8 year old OTTB. I brought him home 5/6/2023 and started riding him at the end of August 

Adorable!

What a cutie! Do love a good TB.

How is it all going? I love bays! What are you goals with him?

aw!

ooh he's handsome! ♥

Here's a picture from today, I had just given him a peppermint and he was in the process of licking his lips so I got a great picture. 

https://imgur.com/a/BvC535p

Things with him are going FANTASTIC! I work full time on a small farm taking care of seven other horses seven days a week so I'm in a great position to spend a lot of time with him without it being "work" to him. I was actually looking to buy a cheap retired broodmare from a woman to have my own horse at work with me to spend time with and hopefully work into being a great forever horse but after meeting her horses she called me up and asked if I would do her a favor and take a younger gelding instead. After meeting him in the field and taking her word for it that he was safe and sound to ride lol I went and picked him up once she got a coggins done for me. I didn't plan on riding him right away anyway and she agreed to a trial period. I gradually introduced him to my herd of three other geldings and he got a bit beat up at first but fit right in and I began taking care of him every day like the rest of the horses. During the spring and summer I was working as a hot walker at the track for a couple hours a day since one of the horses from my barn was there training as a 4 year old and I was involved in checking in with her daily with her owner and walking her, grooming her, and tacking her up. While I was there I met a lot of people that knew Chubster and I heard nothing but horror stories. I was told he used to rear up and flip over backwards, run off with his rider and wouldn't stop until he crashed into something, he would run through fences, crash into trees, and all sorts of crazy things. He had been kicked out of at least one other barn for cribbing so much, luckily for him it's my job to fix the fences haha. I've gotten his cribbing under control with a collar with fleece on it and just keeping him on a calm routine and understanding all of his triggers. For the first couple of months he pulled rails down daily and broke almost every post that was old and sort of on the edge of needing to be replaced. So I ended up replacing pretty much all of the fencing at this point lol. I wasn't worried or intimidated and figured if he absolutely hated being ridden what a better place for him to be than to be my companion at work all day and I'd never make him ride again, he really is a love bug. I just let him be a horse and get used to life on the farm with his buddies. He's on 24/7 grass turn out with a shed but comes inside every afternoon and eats grain in the stall. Morning grain I feed him in a bucket in the field before moving him and the others to another large even grassier field for the day. After a couple of months I started lunging him gently in the ring then I would take him out to graze and relax. He started off really crazy and acted like he had no idea what he was doing. He caught on pretty quick and started giving me more of a relaxed trot but still very rushed. After about four months since I got him we obviously got to know each other very well and love each other. I let my friend ride him first for like five minutes since she's an exercise rider and has ridden him in the past without issues and seen his other behaviors with other riders. He was really good so I hopped on and he was exactly as I expected. He trotted around full speed with his head in the air and his mouth open but he was listening to my voice since we've been lunging pretty regularly and walked and woahed when I asked so I was happy. I began riding him a couple of times a week for the last three and a half months and we're still just walking and trotting but he's been so much more relaxed and we just focus on slowing down, relaxing, and enjoying the ride. So far he's walking and trotting much slower and lowering his head to an acceptable position. He chews and plays with the bit still so I'll figure that out if it continues but for now I think a lot of it is from him just being anxious and him being a cribber it seems to make sense for him. 

oh boy that was much longer than I had expected it to be 

He is absolutely beautiful! He will definitely be worth the training :)

Love his name! Haha!
Sounds like he got lucky landing with you and is enjoying the slower-relaxed pace of life!
Kudos for taking your time and not rushing things! :D

I couldn't believe it was his actual registered name. He is the one and only "Chubster" Lol. His nickname with his old owner was Squirrel because he always had his head up looking around like a squirrel but I didn't keep that because I don't think that represents his new life. He has relaxed so much with me and that's really all we're working on at this point 

Here are two pictures side by side to show our progress lol 

https://imgur.com/a/mrnuLI8

I found an old martingale in the tack room I put aside and will clean up for him when I feel like he's ready but I'm in no rush