Tammy Johnson Training

04/23/2025

In light of the Triple Crown, I wanted to take a bit of time between rides this morning to debunk some misconceptions I'm seeing all over the internet about Thoroughbred Racing and OTTBs in general. The Thoroughbred is my favorite breed (and George Morris' too) and for those of you who don't know, retraining off the track thoroughbreds is what I specialize in. It hurts my heart - and my.head - to see that people really believe this stuff, so here it goes.

"Half of the horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby are being shipped to slaughter because they didn't win" - False. The horses that ran in the derby are worth more than most houses. They aren't falling through the cracks. Some will go on to breed, some will continue racing.

"75% of all race horses end up in kill pens"- False. While it is unfortunate and some OTTBs do end up in kill pens, most tracks have laws against this. As with ALL riding styles and disciplines (even RESCUES) There are bad owners that do bad things. While I have tried to find concrete numbers, the best I can offer is 5,000-10,000 OTTBs end up in Canada or Mexico each year; making up less than 15% of the total number. There are approximately 40,000 races per year in the US, with an average of 8 horses per race, you do the math. Incase you were wondering, it's the good old American Quarter Horse that leads that pack with over 50% of the horses slaughtered each year being AQHA registered animals. And AQHA supports it.

"Racehorses are drugged to hide their injuries" - while it is not uncommon to give an injured horse antiinflammatories (you take Tylenol, too, don't you?) Actively competing horses are drug tested on race day, and there is a very long list of prohibited substances. Including any and all pain killers or performance enhancers.

"OTTBs have terrible ground manners!" - one of the things I love MOST about OTTBs is that they come to me with years of handling as young horses. They know how to lead (I will admit the tend to crowd your space), they clip, they bathe, they load into trailers, stand for the farrier, and are so well exposed to high energy environments, they aren't typically idiots over little things. While most don't stand at a mounting block, you have to understand they are trained and handled in a way that is useful for their career at the track. You can't be mad at a show jumper for not understanding how to neck rein. Not to mention most OTTBs are 3-5 years old. Many young horses aren't quite "there" all the time. Me, personally? I'll take an OTTB over some poorly handled backyard horse or bug eyed barrel horse any day.

"Race trainers only care about the money, they will throw the horse out once it breaks down" -this is a long one, so strap in folks.
First things first, there are two words in Horse Business. Business IS about money. We are all in a unique environment though because we deal with living, breathing creatures every day and our decisions have total impact on their lives. Breeding, owning, feeding, caring for, and training horses costs money. The day fee at the tracks and training centers I frequent is around $65 per day. Are there people that think they will get rich in (any) horse business? Yep. How many of them actually get rich? Lol. By the time a horse is walking to the starting gates for their very first race, it isnt out of this world to think over $100,000 has already been put in to that horse. While we might think all race owners and trainers are going home to mansions, I can assure you, that couldn't be further from the truth. It makes absolute sense to move a horse out of your barn that doesn't fit your program. You wouldn't keep a crazy run away if your program was a beginner lesson barn. You wouldn't hold on to an old trail mount if you train show jumpers... Well unless you're me. Don't judge me. Point being, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a trainer looking at the numbers and saying "this horse is going to cost me $600 this week in stall, feed, hay, and shavings, and isn't going to cut it in the track, time to move him." This doesn't mean they are calling up the local kill pen and saying come get him. In fact MOST trainers reach out to their networks to try and find a suitable home, quickly. Most of those horses go for very little money to very qualified people. Some trainers have opportunities to board or keep the horse at a different, more affordable barn away from the track, and they have the opportunity to list the horse for sale as "normal" sales ads go. There are also tons of rescues and organizations out there that take in OTTBs and train and re-home them. (See links below) Now let's touch on the part where they just run these horses into the ground.
The average horse runs 6 starts his whole life. The average among my current string of 10 OTTBs is 3 starts. A good trainer can tell quickly if a horse has what it takes to be a successful racehorse, and if they are worth investing into. If a horse is too slow, or their heart isn't in it, or they don't seem that they can physically withstand it only makes sense to move them when they are still sound. Unfortunately, injuries on the track happen. They also happen in the paddock, the arena, the pen, and the trails, so let's not pretend were all high and mighty. If a horse needs 4 months stall rest for a bowed tendon, at $65 per day that's about $8000 before he can go back into training. While some might see it as passing the problem on to someone else, this is where other people who have made careers out of specifically rehabbing and lay up boarding come in. Not all injuries are career ending. Not all injuries result in an unsound horse. Not all injuries result in putting a horse down.

Which brings me to my next point

Not all OTTBs are injured! There are plenty of clean legged, sound off the track horses out there. Half of mine go barefoot, even! Just because a horse raced does not inherently mean they will have problems. Most OTTBs start new careers as Eventers, hunters, jumpers, dressage horses, and polo ponies.

OTTBs are awesome and I'm going to get one! Fact 😉 OTTBs ARE awesome. They are smart, and athletic, and have more heart than any other breed I've seen. That said, if you are new to horses or thoroughbreds in general, I highly recommend venturing into this world with the help of a qualified trainer, experienced with off the track horses. Getting a horse right off the track can have it's challenges, and in a lot of cases, should only be taken on by an experienced handler. But! There are THOUSANDS of us that take care of the 'dirty work' and get these horses ready for new careers with new feed and fitness programs, post track training, and health care related needs. Just because you didn't go and get him right out of his stall at the track, he is still an OTTB, and us OTTB people... We're pretty awesome too.

I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and I sincerely hope this has cleared up some of the myths going around.

If you are interested in learning more about Off the Track Thoroughbreds, or supporting some of the amazing organizations that are dedicated to helping these horses continue a long and successful life after racing, please check out some of the links below.

ARH Equine
Retired Racehorse Project
www.CanterUSA.org CANTER USA
Turning For Home
New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program
Remember Me Rescue
Gulf Coast Thoroughbred Network
www.lopetx.com LOPE Texas ("LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers")
Oklahoma Thoroughbred Retirement Program
Beyond The Roses Equine Rescue & Retirement

LOPE is a 501(c)(3) charity that helps at-risk racehorse warriors find new purpose, while inspiring young people through horsemanship education.

04/23/2025

How can you go wrong when your mama is this beautiful 💫

04/22/2025

👍👍

04/22/2025

This my friends is what a future star looks like 💫🏇. I will consider selling 10%to the right person or persons. Contact me if you’re interested.NY bred filly by Keepmeinmind. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. We’ll see you in the winner’s circle.

04/06/2025

Contact me. Deluxe show saddle. Super comfy and sticky ♥️Prestige Jumper R. Fits everything. Very affordable. 508-364-6979 leave a message.

04/05/2025

Anyone up for a low key schooling show to get the season started??? Give me a shout out!

04/05/2025

I love writing and hope that it makes an impact on atleast some of this industry.

Some thoughts as of lately 💭

Somewhere along the way, riding stopped being about skill—and started being about optics. Most students today grow up riding only one kind of horse: the dead-broke, perfectly tuned packer. The horse that tolerates mistakes, keeps going when the rider gets in the way, and performs on autopilot no matter who's in the tack. That kind of horse is in high demand—and also quietly suffering behind the scenes.

In a world that’s all about quick fixes and faster results, the pressure to win has overtaken the process of learning. If the student isn’t getting ribbons, people assume the trainer isn’t doing their job. So instead of actually teaching someone how to ride better, the solution becomes making the horse quieter, duller, more predictable. Lunge it until it’s empty. Medicate it to make the nerves go away. Use stronger equipment to bypass the hard conversations that should be happening through the rider’s seat and hands.

But riding is a language. And horses don’t speak English. Each horse has its own tone, its own rhythm, its own way of communicating. Some whisper, some yell, some shut down when they’ve been ignored too long. It's not the horse’s job to understand the rider—it’s the rider’s job to learn how to listen. And that part? That skill? It's disappearing.

The even scarier truth: many of the newer trainers don’t seem to have that ability either.

It didn’t used to be like this. Riders learned by sitting on everything. Off-the-track Thoroughbreds, green warmbloods straight off the plane, tough lesson horses, ponies who made you wonder if they’re related to Satan. There was no “ideal type.” The goal wasn’t to look perfect—it was to figure it out. Riders were expected to feel, to adjust, to develop real tools.

Horsemanship wasn’t optional. You learned how to lunge correctly, how to wrap a leg, how to groom and cool down, how to notice when something was off. You learned to take care of the horse before asking it to take care of you.

Now? Too often the horses are being handed off to grooms who spin them into exhaustion while the rider waits ringside, latte in hand. The work that builds real understanding has been replaced by what’s convenient. People film everything except what actually matters.

Teaching has turned into entertaining. Riding has turned into performing. And somewhere along the way, many riders stopped wanting to learn. They want the win, the photo, the praise—but not the process. Not the grit. Not the patience it takes to build something real.

But the horses haven’t changed. They still ask the same questions, still give honest feedback, still respond when someone really listens.

The question is—how many people out there still know how to listen?

03/27/2025

My 3k horses stand in with my 40k horses.

I’ve had a five hundred dollar horse earn me 100k.

I’ve watched a 35k horse become a five hundred dollar horse with 1 X-ray.

I owned a mare who earned 107k , who I bought for 700.

Horses don’t know what you paid , they don’t know what they’ve won.
But they know how you treat them.

There’s not a single horse on our place that’s treated any differently then the others. You can’t put a price tag on a soul.

Today as I walked my pastures. I pet the noses of winners who’s owners failed them. I pet the noses of horses who could have been winners had they been given the chance.

Today I kissed the noses of baby’s who one day can become winners, if their owners bring them to their full potential.

Horses know no dollar value.
They do know if you love and believe in them.
Feed them & they shall feed you.

~Reposted~

02/14/2025

Spot on 👍

02/07/2025

When a new groom arrives on the scene the old-timers seize an opportunity to have some fun. They send them through the stable area for a key to the quarter pole, a bucket of steam or a saddle stretcher. Other grooms would play along with this until it ran its course.
The new grooms apprenticed under the old timers. They showed them all the techniques handed down to them over the years and a few things they learned themselves. Some of the remedies they brought with them from the farms back home. The story goes that the legendary Dr. Alex Harthill learned from these grooms and many of the products that he developed and sold in his store over the years were the secrets handed down. Once a groom learned from the older men he developed his own style. The black groom never seemed to move too fast and never looked like he was in a hurry. His standard equipment was his rub rag and a hoof pick attached to his belt loop. In some cases each horse had his own “box” in front of his stall and each had his own set of brushes. If a horse shipped in from the farm you never knew what he might be bringing with him. There were many skin diseases and ringworm was one that you didn’t want to spread. Each groom spent hours with his horse and knew if a single hair was out of place. The horse responded to the slow, even-tempered groom. When the groom was working on the legs or rubbing him down, he would talk or sing in a gentle voice.
A groom knew every pimple on his horses. He paid particular attention to his feet. There was an old saying at the track “No hoof, no horse”. Sometimes this required soaking the foot and packing it with Bowie Mud. Other days the groom would sit on a 5-gallon bucket and hose the horse for hours. There were many other jobs that required the groom to do in the afternoon. Even though it was not the morning they would pull manes, tub horses, and clip them in the winter. He also was around if the vet, blacksmith or horse dentist wanted to go in the stall. He was right there to keep a eye on everything that was going on.
Also, grooms on the track never went by their real name. Some arrived with a name they were given as a kid or at the barns back home. If you didn’t have a nickname, then somehow one was decided for you. And when you heard someone talking about that groom you knew exactly who they were talking about. Here is a short list of some names that come to mind: Whiskers, Ham Bone, Tots, Mo, Pockets, Big Denny, Spoon, Chick, Space, Lum, Stoney, Hard Times, Posey, Bean, Pug and so many more.
The photo is a typical horse van that the grooms hopped on if they wanted to relocate to another track or maybe winter in Florida. The vans were constantly moving horses, and it was pretty easy to catch a free ride.

02/07/2025

The work never stops. There were many beautiful days where you were glad to be on the track. However, winters could be brutal. You felt unlucky, your boss didn’t head south and chose winter racing. Buckets are all frozen. You put them in the tack room until they thaw enough to turn them upside down. There would be rows of ice mounds outside the shed. You add extra straw for bedding. Sometime double blanket your horses and shut the top door. It was always harder to do up the horse’s legs when your hands were frozen. Worse was cracked heels. The track put down salt to keep it from freezing and that irritated the horses. You had to keep moving to stay warm and you never had enough clothes. And you had cracked hands from the leg ligaments burning and drying up your fingers. On the other end was summer. Keeping all the fans hooked up to the extension cords running down the shed. Seems like there were never enough outlets. You set the fans on the horses to keep the dam flies from driving them crazy. Your bunkhouse room would be like an oven at night unless you were lucky enough to have a fan of your own.
As a newbie if you learned how to take care of horses from the old timers and you did it right you could call yourself a horseman. You learned to mix a many a bucket of Bowie Mud with Alum, Vinegar, Epsom Salt, and you mixed it by hand. You cleaned and soaped your halters every day and you always rolled your shanks and cradled them in your head piece of your halter. Old bran sack was your rub rag. What most never had to do unless you learned real old school was to sew your bran sacks into a muck sack and you filled it when you clean your stall. Then you tie the four corners and carried it on your back (Just like Santa) to the muck pit.
On muddy days you had to learn how to tie up a horse’s tail. A tail full of mud in a race means the horse is carrying extra weight. Just like the jockey, every extra pound makes the difference of whether you get in the winner’s circle. After the entire barn of horses has walked down your shed row for about 5 hours nonstop, they have made a pretty good rut. All this has to be leveled off and then raked nice and neat. Some grooms go the extra mile and rake designs in their area. After this is done, they really don’t want you in front of their stalls. There is an unwritten rule that is respected by all grooms. You never enter another trainer’s shedrow. You can stand on the street and chat or whatever but don’t set a foot under the roof.

01/14/2025

01/12/2025

Welcome to the family “Nellie” ♥️

01/10/2025

♥️💫

01/09/2025

So true 🤣

01/02/2025

Why do so many girls—and lads too—all over Ireland fall head over heels for horses? And why is it that nothing quite compares to the bond we share with these incredible creatures?

It doesn’t matter if you're on top of the world or hanging by a thread. Whether life feels like it's falling into place or your heart is in pieces, when you stand before a 600kg, 168cm horse, and wrap your arms around its strong, muscular neck, press your cheek to its warm coat, breathe in that fresh country air mixed with the earthy scent of the horse… and listen to the gentle rise and fall of its breath… it’s a feeling that’s hard to beat.

Horses are used in therapy for a reason. They carry with them a mix of power, grace, and a calm presence that you can't find anywhere else. Beneath their soft fur lies raw, untamed strength, like a storm waiting to break—but their gentle nature wraps around you like a warm, quiet embrace.

In that moment, you realise something deep inside you is shifting. The world falls away. Every worry, every heartache, every stress—whether it's the pressures of work, a friend who’s let you down, or family who just doesn’t understand—fades into nothing. With your face buried in their neck, it’s as though the horse is taking you far away to a place where none of that matters. Where it’s just you, the horse, and the peace of the moment.

Horses have been with us for centuries. They've carried kings on their journey to the throne, led soldiers into battle, ploughed fields for our food, and brought us home safely time and time again. Without horses, there would be no Ireland as we know it—no agriculture, no transport, no industry. They’ve shaped our past, and yet their true power and importance are often forgotten. But it’s in their bones, in their very DNA, that they have carried us to where we are now.

Every time I stand with a horse, arms around its neck, I feel that incredible strength. With a single step or flick of their hooves, they could easily destroy us. And yet, we trust them—implicitly. We ride them, care for them, love them. We let our children groom them, clean their hooves, and even crawl under their feet. There’s no other animal in the world that carries such a bond.

I’m blessed, truly, that I get to share this with them every day. If you ever feel lost, drained, or just in need of something to bring you back to yourself, I promise—go find a horse. Wrap your arms around their neck, close your eyes, and just be with them. It’s the best kind of therapy there is, and there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world.

12/18/2024

While I don’t spend much time on social media, the recent post on Noëlle Floyd titled “Dispelling the myth of "the perfect position,"” with Karl Cook, as well as McLain Ward’s well-reasoned response managed to reach me early this morning. It’s one of the few times I’ve seen something on social media that I thought deserved a comment from me.

I worry Karl’s statements can be interpreted by young or inexperienced riders to mean working hard to create a good position isn’t necessary, when I believe it is the most important fundamental of learning to ride. I worry he missed the “why” of correct position.

The entire point of classical position is not about the right look or winning. It is about safety and clear communication. Safety for rider and, in my opinion most importantly, safety for the horse.

Around JMS, I’m known for saying “the best way to win consistently, is to consistently do things properly.” Winning can mean success in the ring, but winning can also mean a long, safe, healthy partnership for horse and rider.

Every aspect of horsemanship must be based on sound fundamentals. There are far fewer true accidents than people would like to admit. Everything we do in the barn to care for the horses properly is based on safety and what we do in the saddle is the same. If you fall off your horse because of bad position, you’re not going to be able to keep them safe as they gallop off without you. Just like if you don’t do everything properly in the stable, you are risking illness or injury.

Our riders are always working hard to improve their position. Beezie is often held up to be one of the epitomes of classical equitation and she still works with a personal trainer, takes lessons, spends hours maintaining her position. So much of what we do in our sport and with horses is out of our control. One’s position is something we CAN control. I can’t fathom good horsepeople being dismissive of striving for excellence in one’s position, if they truly understand position’s relationship with both safety and effective communication.

Correct position minimizes mistakes. It keeps the rider from falling back and catching the horse in the mouth or crushing the horse’s back or keeps a leg from inadvertently abusing the horse’s side. In the best-case scenario, it gives the horse the ability to jump its best without impingement from the rider. In the worst-case scenario, it puts the rider in a place to be most effective when something goes wrong. A perfectly balanced and positioned rider is much more effective at helping a horse out of a stumble or misstep on landing than one that is incorrect. Correct position should never be confused with stiffness. Correct means supple, balanced, and empathetic. Poor position causes stiffness and imbalance.

Classic position minimizes falls and injuries. Classic position ensures clear communication. Classic position must be MASTERED before any “artistic license” with position can and should be employed.

Straying from the classical position, thinking of Beezie taking the famous flyer to the last fence of the jump off at the National Horse Show with Cortes years ago, would be an example of good use of artistic license. That was a calculated risk with full mastery of her position and complete confidence in the training of the horse underneath her.

Without mastery of the proper position, and all her tools, and training, the same decision would amount to reckless endangerment of the horse.

While perfection is impossible, we are striving for it because it’s our responsibility to the horse, to do our part to help keep them safe in this sport. One must first be safe to achieve the ethical partnership between horse and rider for the betterment of both.

-John Madden