OTTB on Tap

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we sit down with Madeline Conley, an active duty member of the US Air Force and co-owner of Bridge the Gap Equine, an OTTB resale and equine wellness business in Southern New Jersey.

Madeline shares her recent experience at the inaugural Camp Windurra - an eventing training camp hosted by Olympic Eventer Boyd Martin. Throughout the episode, she discusses the training sessions led by fellow Olympic equestrians: Dressage rider Anna Buffini and show jumper Peter Wylde; renowned dressage rider and trainer Silva Martin, and of course, Boyd himself.

We explore her path from military life back to the horse world, the challenges and rewards of working with her OTTB, Pepe and Heywood, also known as "Pete," and the insights gained from the camp. Madeline also provides practical advice for those considering attending future training camps and offers a look into the dedication required to succeed in eventing.

Tune in next week for Part 2 of their epic OTTB eventing adventure!

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In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we talk with event rider Caitlin Reamy as part of our OTTB Underdog Series. Caitlin shares the journey of her young Thoroughbred, El Patrone, who she restarted in the fall of 2021. Though he had a previous injury from racing - a surgically repaired condylar fracture - Caitlin and El Patrone have quickly progressed through the eventing levels, recently completing a 2-star long event.

Caitlin discusses her background in the equestrian world, including her time at Ryan Wood's Woodstock Eventing and how she found El Patrone, or "Patrick" as he is known in the barn. We explore his breeding, what makes him an underdog, recovery from injury, and why OTTBs (and horses in general) don't necessarily need a 'perfect vetting' or perfect x-rays to be sound and successful - even at the upper levels of their sport.

Caitlin also introduces her new venture, Team Patrone—a subscription service offering fans an inside look at the world of owning and competing with an upper-level OTTB event horse, without the risk and upfront costs of ownership.

In this episode, Caitlin provides insight into the training methods used to bring Patrick back to competition, shares some stories from their time together, and talks about her vision for the future of this partnership.

This episode covers the challenges and successes of working with a Thoroughbred recovering from a condylar fracture and offers a look into Caitlin’s approach to retraining and competing with her very first OTTB restart. We hope you join us for the ride!

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New to OTTBs or curious about some of the terminology used? Check out our new OTTB Glossary - we include both racetrack terms, common OTTB injuries, and also some helpful products for OTTB owners.

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, we reconnect with Lauren Garrett-Bond to see how her giant, chestnut off-track Thoroughbred mare, Tizbit, is progressing on the road to the 2024 Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) Makeover. Joining Lauren is her trainer, Sabrina Morris, an expert in OTTB training with years of experience turning retired racehorses into versatile sport horses.

Sabrina shares her unique insights into training Thoroughbreds, from her days at the racetrack to running Another Round Farm, a facility dedicated to training and rehabbing OTTBs. She has plenty of helpful tips and stories about working with fresh off the track OTTBs, especially those quirky, challenging types that Sabrina loves to train.

Lauren updates us on Tizbit’s latest milestones, the ups and downs of preparing for the Makeover, and how she and Sabrina are navigating the mental and physical demands of getting an OTTB ready for competition. Whether you’re looking for advice on training your own retired racehorse or just love hearing success stories from the OTTB community, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

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Just catching up? Check out our full RRP Trainer Chronicles series here.

In this episode of OTTB on Tap, Niamh and Emily catch up with Annika Greaney, one of the trainers we’ve been following as she prepares her two OTTB ex-broodmares for the Retired Racehorse Project’s Makeover in October. Annika shares how she’s been adapting her training approach to fit the unique needs of Tizso Majestic (Tessa) and Egoli, and why she’s focusing on slow, steady progress.

We’ll hear about Tessa’s fun adventure at ranch camp, Egoli’s impressive success in barrel racing, and how Annika’s experience training mustangs fits into the mix. Plus, Annika offers some great tips for handling the pressure of preparing for a big event like the Makeover.

Don’t miss Annika’s thoughts on what makes working with OTTBs (and young horses in general) so rewarding—and be sure to listen for some of her favorite training tips and stories.

Join Niamh and Emily on this episode of OTTB On Tap as we chat about Thoroughbreds in the Olympics. We spotlight Bold Venture, an Australian OTTB who made a dramatic entrance at the 2024 Olympics, and Regal Realm, Lucinda Green's remarkable partner with a wild backstory from the Australian outback to Olympic silver. Hear William Fox-Pitt and Lucinda Green discuss their favorite TBs from their past - in their own words - exploring the exceptional Thoroughbreds that propelled them to the top.

Discover the incredible journeys and quirky personalities of these Olympic Thoroughbreds and several more!

Plus, an exciting announcement about our upcoming Patreon channel!

What happens when an army officer who has never ridden a horse (but has jumped out of planes) marries an event rider? He starts eventing, of course! In the first installment of our newest series, “OTTB Underdog Stories,” we explore how Brian Roberts began riding just over three years ago, taking on an OTTB with a tricky reputation. Now a successful training level eventing pair, Brian and his OTTB, Bombino, are a fixture at Area 2 events. We discuss his journey, from his first trip to the tack shop for a “riding starter kit” to learning about Bombino’s signature move at their first event. We also delve into how the most talented horses can also be the quirkiest. Through it all, the partnership of Brian and Bombino shines through.

We appreciate Brian’s fresh perspective on horses, his experience starting a challenging new sport later in life, and his humorous outlook on life. We hope you will join us for this fun episode!

Special Guest June Hillman shares the legacy of Castle Rock Farm, her partnership with Thoroughbred aftercare organization Turning for Home, and so much more in this episode!

June is no stranger to Thoroughbreds - she is part of their entire lifecycle, from conception to foal, racehorse to OTTB restart. She has been the manager of Castle Rock Farm in West Chester, PA since 1995 and has handled TB stallions such as Patton, Harry the Hat, Partner's Hero, Power by Far, Awad, Alyten, and Rimrod. The farm breeds and raises about 10-15 baby racehorses each year nowadays, and June handles them from the moment they are born, helping to shape them into what she affectionately calls "Good Citizens." This is especially helpful when they return after their racing careers and June transitions them into their new homes as sporthorses.

She is also partnered with Turning for Home, a racehorse retirement program based out of Pennsylvania's Parx Racetrack. Through TFH, June rehabilitates, retrains, and rehomes many OTTBs each year. She prides herself in taking the time to learn about each horse as an individual, and carefully place them in appropriate homes.

In this episode, we also talk about how no horse is perfect, and often those with blemishes, old injuries, or the need for a little maintenance gets them passed over by potential new homes. We highlight a current OTTB that June is retraining, "Angel" or Angeli Blu, a 2019 bay TB gelding by Air Force Blue (War Front/Danzig) out of the Irish TB Cabin (Galileo/Sadler's Wells). Angel is the type of horse that you just want to ride every day!

June can be contacted through her Facebook page, where she also posts her horses for sale. You can find about Angel in his ad here. (Shameless plug by host Emily, who adores this horse!)

#turningforhome #ottb #offtrackthoroughbred #underdog #ottbreseller #ottbforsale

Join us for a bit of a mashup episode! We bring back Taylor Cusack, who was a guest on Ep 17: OTTB on Tap Clinic Recap: Riding OTTBs with Olympian William Fox-Pitt with her charismatic OTTB, CV’s Eventing Rebellion, or “Darcy” as he is known to his friends. Taylor has been hitting all the clinic high notes this year, by adding Lucinda Green to her resume. We get her take on Lucinda’s famous ‘Ready for Trouble’ position and how it has helped her center her riding, even though she still has a strange fear of jumping tiny fences. For someone who has only been riding for 4 years, she has accomplished so much!

Next, we take a deep dive into the realm of animal communication and discover what exactly Darcy thinks of his owner/mom/rider/best friend!

Finally we discuss the sensitive topic of rider anxiety and how it was impacting Taylor’s performance at shows. She discusses why she made the decision to take a step back from competing at one-day events that have all three phases of eventing (dressage, cross country, and show jumping) in one day, and focus on less pressure-filled situations. As we like to say, “This is supposed to be fun right?”

We hope you enjoy this episode and enjoy the deep connection Taylor and Darcy share.

Buckle up for a positively fun episode with special guest Kathy Goodman! In Horse Before the Course, OTTB on Tap speaks with Kathy about 4 seemingly separate, yet intertwined topics:

• Pressure Proof Clinics that challenge your “mental RAM” and teach ways to tap into your inner super power and perform under pressure
• USDF “L” Judging Program - how learning to judge dressage has transformed Kathy as a rider and trainer (spoiler alert: learn tips straight from the judge’s mouth!)
• RRP Makeover: Kathy is training not one but two OTTBs for this year’s Makeover: Baltimore Babe (from Mareworthy) and Sgt Reckless USMC (from After the Races) - learn about training OTTBs at liberty! (and dressage)
• Mareworthy: Kathy is also on the board of Mareworthy, a charity specifically geared towards rehabilitating and rehoming (when appropriate) OTTB mares, ex-broodmares in particular!

To meet Kathy is to immediately feel comfortable with her friendly, candid, and thoughtful approach. Her enthusiasm for OTTBs (and all horses) is contagious. A lifelong ‘crazy horse girl’ with a background in eventing, hunter/jumpers, and even some western thrown in, Kathy also is a graduate of the Pressure Proof program, started by Dan Stewart, and teaches clinics regularly.

We also chat about her adventures in becoming a dressage judge, and her two OTTBs that she is retraining for the RRP Makeover. She is a passionate supporter of OTTB aftercare, and talks about a new program called Mareworthy Match to help pair potential adopters with OTTB mares. Not looking to adopt an OTTB at this time? That’s fine! Mareworthy has also created a Pasture Pals program, where for a small monthly donation, you can help support a worthwhile cause.

Check out ottbontap.com for more photos, OTTB pedigree information, to subscribe to our newsletter, and more!

Notable links from this episode:

Learn more about Pressure Proof and book a clinic with Kathy!

All about Mareworthy

Get matched with a Mareworthy OTTB

Kathy can also be reached on Instagram @Pressure.Proof; Pressure Proof or Katherine Goodman on Facebook

OTTB on Tap had the good fortune of attending a Pressure Proof clinic at the After the Races facility in Elkton, MD on June 15. Taught by Kathy Goodman, Niamh jumped at the opportunity to catch ride one of the adoptable ATR horses, Some is Nine. “Nine” is a 6 year old Thoroughbred mare by Super Ninety Nine out of an Awesome Again mare. She came to After The Races in partnership with Beyond The Wire. In this episode, we find out about Niamh and Emily’s impressions of the Pressure Proof training session, which Niamh described as “HIIT exercises for your brain” and how this has practical applications to both everyday riding and competition.

Stay tuned for an upcoming episode about the clinician and OTTB enthusiast, Kathy Goodman, and her involvement not only with the Pressure Proof system, but Mareworthy, the RRP Makeover, and also her road to becoming a dressage judge.

For more information about After the Races, a 501c(3) Thoroughbred aftercare organization, please give a listen to Episode 10, OTTB Aftercare Spotlight: After the Races. where we interviewed ATR’s founder, Bonnie McRae.

Check out ottbontap.com for lots of clinic photos, to subscribe to our newsletter, and more!