You might not know a furlong from the finish line but I’d be willing to bet you know the name Secretariat. Secretariat was one of the greatest American Thoroughbred racehorses of all time and nearly…
Posts Published by Diary of an OTTB
Hi there! Welcome to my blog! My name is Meghan Lalonde and I'm an amateur equestrian and OTTB enthusiast based in Central New Jersey.
5 Ways To Improve Your Horsemanship Skills At Home
If you’re anything like me you’re probably sitting in your living room or home office wondering what fresh new levels of boredom we can reach today… maybe looking a little like this. And in all…
The Cowgirl Who Crossed America By Thoroughbred: The Story of Nan Aspinwall Gable and Lady Ellen
At the turn of the 20th century there were a handful of now iconic female figures emerging, many of whom still grace the pages of our history books – Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart,…
Does Groundwork Translate to the Saddle?
I really enjoy doing groundwork with my off-track Thoroughbred. Not only does it give us some good warm-up time but it also gives me a few moments to figure out what kind of mental state…
10 Ways You Can Help Horse Racing & Retired Racehorses in 2020
As the owner of a horse who spent his previous career on the racetrack, I can’t help but wonder what changes will come to horse racing in 2020. It’s been a polarizing topic of conversation…
Riding Through Fear: Talking With a Trainer & Student About the Role of a Confidence Building Horse
I’m no expert on the inner workings of the human mind but I understand why some people are afraid of horses. As the owner of a sometimes fire-breathing off the track thoroughbred, I’ve had my…
5 Reasons To Be Thankful You Have A Horse
Can you believe it’s December? It’s almost the end of a DECADE? My goodness time certainly does fly, especially when you own horses! As we tend to do each holiday season, I started thinking about…
Do I Need To Blanket My Horse?
When the temperatures start to drop and the snowflakes start to fall… I wait to hear the question. “It’s getting cold! Do I need to blanket my horse?” The short and most general answer, if…
4 Days in Lexington: A Recap of Horse Country
After leaving New Jersey in the early morning, it was somewhere to the tune of 10 hours later that we finally saw the sign “Welcome to the Bluegrass State”. We’d arrived at our destination for…
Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Enter The Thoroughbred Makeover
If you own an off track Thoroughbred you’ve probably heard of an organization called the Retired Racehorse Project. Each year the Retired Racehorse Project holds the Thoroughbred Makeover, an annual competition designed to showcase the…
3 Ways To Improve Your Horse’s Ground Manners
When you’re working with your horse, how does your horse stand? What is he or she paying attention to? Where is their focus? And perhaps most importantly, where are you in relation to your horse?…
One Year With An OTTB: Oh The Things We’ve Learned
If you can believe it’s been a whole year since my darling Thoroughbred walked off the trailer from the track then well, that makes at least one of us because I sure can’t! That also…
Training Your Horse for Correct Leads & Lead Changes
Ah leads and lead changes. If you’ve been riding for any amount of time then you should already have an idea about what leads are, what lead changes look like and maybe even feel like….
This Week With Indy: Picking Up Where We Left Off
There are times when despite all of my best efforts, something just gets in the way of riding. It’s called life, it happens to the best of us. Horses get boo boos, it gets too…
Building Topline: Tips for Strengthening Your Horse’s Back
Baby got BACK! Or at least your horse should! Getting your horse’s back in shape is the key to unlocking loads of potential in your mount. But it’s far from fast or easy to do…