Reboot Your Racehorse: OTTB & Standardbred Transition Course

From Racehorse to Riding Horse - The Off The Track Reboot Course

Help reboot your Thoroughbred or Standardbred for life beyond the track. This course offers insight, structure, and support to rebuild the racehorse into a riding horse—mentally, physically, and emotionally—for a thriving second career.

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From Racehorse to Riding Horse: The Reboot Course

Reset the Mind. Rebuild the Body. Create the Partnership.

A comprehensive course to guide the successful transition of Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds from racing to riding.

Retired racehorses are often misunderstood, mislabelled, or mishandled—not because they’re difficult, but because they’ve been expertly trained for a job most people don’t fully understand.

Whether your horse finished racing last month or five years ago, The Reboot Course will help you rebuild from the ground up—mentally, physically, and emotionally. This is not just about retraining; it’s about rebooting.

You’ll gain key insights and skills into:

How racing shapes a horse’s behaviour, body, and mind
What physical, emotional, and mental adjustments are needed post-racing
How to spot soundness and conformation issues that may affect second careers
What to look for when choosing a racehorse to retrain
How to develop the foundational skills they need to thrive beyond the track

This is a holistic, practical approach grounded in a holistic understanding of horse health, horsemanship expertise, and decades of combined experience across racing, retraining, and rehabilitation. You’ll also meet case studies like Dash and Duke—real horses with real transformations—and hear insights from collaborators like Isabelle Chandler (Fusion Equine) and Dr. Jodie Gossage, a vet involved in Standardbred breeding, racing and rehoming.

Whether you’re new to OTTBs or ready to take your retraining to the next level, The Reboot Course will give you the clarity, structure, and support you need to help your horse thrive in their second career—and ensure they’re set up for a safe, successful, and valued future.

COURSE RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE 16 JUNE 2025

Enrolment gives access to the course for 18 months.

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$349.00

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Course curriculum

1. WELCOME & INTRODUCTION - PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS!
2. DISCLAIMER & RISK WARNING - Prerequisite Reading!
3. RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT, ENVIRONMENT & IMPORTANT ADVICE
4. IMPORTANT - SOUNDNESS ISSUES!
5. HOW TO DOWNLOAD & USE THE APP
1. WEEK 1
2. WEEK 2
3. WEEK 3 & 4
4. WEEK 5 & 6
5. WEEK 7 & 8
1. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF RACING - INSTRUCTIONS
2. THE AUDIOBOOK OPTION - UNDERSTANDING THE OFF-THE-TRACK THOROUGHBRED
3. INTRODUCTION & MEET ISABELLE CHANDLER
4. OVERVIEW - UNDERSTANDING THE OFF-THE-TRACK THOROUGHBRED
5. THERE ARE NO CASUAL INTERACTIONS!
6. THE PREDICTABLE ROUTINE
7. EXAMPLES OF COMMON MISUNDERSTANDINGS
8. RACEHORSES HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC JOB
9. RACEHORSES HAVE PHYSICAL ASYMMETRY MAGNIFIED BY RACING
10. LEADING THE OFF-THE-TRACK RACEHORSE
11. TEETH ISSUES & DENTAL CARE
12. HOOVES & HOOF CARE ISSUES
13. JOINT ISSUES & MANAGEMENT
14. RACEHORSES & TREATS
15. NUTRITION BASICS FOR OFF-THE-TRACK THOROUGHBREDS
16. GASTRIC ULCERS
17. ROLE OF BODYWORK
18. FLOATING & TRAILERING
19. WINDSUCKING & CRIB BITING
20. SADDLES & SADDLE FIT
21. BITS & CONTACT ISSUES
22. COMMON INJURIES
1. UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFIC SITUATIONS OF OFF-THE-TRACK STANDARDBRED HORSES
2. UNDERSTANDING THE OFF-THE-TRACK STANDARDBRED - AUDIOBOOK
3. INTRODUCTION & MEET DR JODIE GOSSAGE
4. UNDERSTANDING THE STANDARDBRED RACEHORSE
5. STANDARDBRED HORSES ARE A GAITED BREED
6. THE "GAIT KEEPER" GENE & CANTER CHALLENGES
7. UNDERSTANDING HARNESS RACING EQUIPMENT
8. RE-TRAINING NEW MUSCLE GROUPS
9. 1. COMMON QUIRKS OF STANDARDBRED RE-TRAINING - BACKING
10. 2. COMMON QUIRKS OF STANDARDBRED RE-TRAINING - BITS, CONTACT & MOUTHING
11. 3. COMMON QUIRKS OF STANDARDBRED RE-TRAINING - CONTACT SENSITIVITY
12. 4. COMMON QUIRKS OF STANDARDBRED RE-TRAINING - "DIRTY NAPPY" TROT
13. 5. COMMON QUIRKS OF STANDARDBRED RE-TRAINING - SKIP STRIDE INTO TROT
14. 6. COMMON QUIRKS OF STANDARDBRED RE-TRAINING - CANTER CHALLENGES
15. 7. COMMON QUIRKS OF STANDARDBRED RE-TRAINING - POLES & GOING OVER THINGS ON THE GROUND
16. 8. COMMON QUIRKS OF STANDARDBRED RE-TRAINING - THE "HEAD TWIRL"
17. FINAL THOUGHTS ON STANDARDBRED RETRAINING
1. LOCATION & TIMING OF TRAINING SESSIONS
2. UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF VERBAL SOUNDS IN TRAINING
3. WHEN TO PROGRESS TRAINING - THE RULES
4. USING A ROUND YARD - THE BENEFITS
5. DEVELOPING CANTER IN STANDARDBREDS
1. 1. CATCHING, HALTERING & LEADING
2. 2. HOW TO TEACH A HORSE TO TIE UP SAFELY
1. INTRODUCTION & REASONS FOR THE BFY
2. EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR BFY
3. THE SKILL OF ESCALATING PRESSURE EFFECTIVELY
4. IMPORTANT THINGS TO TAKE NOTICE OF IN DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
5. BFY STEP 1: A SINGLE STEP BACKWARDS
6. BFY STEP 2: CONTINUOUS STEPS BACKWARDS
7. BFY STEP 3: TRANSITIONING TO FORWARD & THEN STOP
8. BFY STEP 4: TRANSITIONING TO THE HIND QUARTER YIELD (HQY)
9. BFY STEP 5: TRAIN BOTH SIDES
10. USING THE BFY TO DEAL WITH DISTRACTIONS
1. WHAT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A ROUND YARD/PEN?
2. INTRODUCTION & REASONS FOR ROUND PENNING
3. WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE A ROUND YARD/PEN?
4. EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO ROUND PEN
5. HOW TO PRESENT CUES & ESCALATE PRESSURE IN ROUND PENNING
6. DETECTING SOUNDNESS ISSUES IN THE ROUND YARD
7. LEARNING THE ART OF ROUND PENNING
8. IMPORTANCE OF THE DRIVE LINE
9. STAGES OF ROUND PENNING
10. CONDUCTING THE "ROUND YARD TEST"
11. RP STAGE 1: THE SEND OFF
12. RP STAGE 1: FINDING THE DRIVE LINE
13. RP STAGE 1: UPWARDS TRANSITIONS
14. RP STAGE 2: STOP AND TURN INWARDS
15. RP STAGE 2: STOP & REST (WHEN STARTING OUT)
16. RULES OF THE ROUND YARD WHEN ROUND PENNING
17. WHAT IF THEY RACE & GET FRANTIC IN THE ROUND YARD?
1. INTRODUCTION & REASONS FOR DESENSITISING
2. WHAT IS DESENSITISING?
3. IMPORTANT #1: BUILD CONFIDENCE NOT INDUCE FEAR
4. IMPORTANT #2: HELPS BALANCE THE HORSE
5. IMPORTANT #3: BE MINDFUL WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING
6. WHERE TO STAND FOR SAFETY WHEN DESENSITISING
7. DESENSITISING TECHNIQUE #1
8. DESENSITISING TECHNIQUE #2
9. DESENSITISING TECHNIQUE #3
1. INTRODUCTION & REASONS FOR WIGGLE THE ROPE
2. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
3. HOW TO EFFECTIVELY ESCALATE PRESSURE
4. HOW TO TRAIN WIGGLE THE ROPE
1. INTRODUCTION & REASONS FOR TRAINING HEAD DOWN
2. TRAINING METHODS & SUCCESS TIPS
3. HEAD DOWN METHOD 1: HALTER PRESSURE
4. HEAD DOWN METHOD 2: HAND CUE AT THE POLL
5. DEMONSTRATION OF HOW TO BE FLEXIBLE & ADAPTABLE TRAINING HEAD DOWN
1. INTRODUCTION & REASONS FOR TRAINING LATERAL FLEXION
2. STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO TRAINING LATERAL FLEXION FROM THE GROUND
3. PROGRESSING THE LATERAL FLEXION RESPONSE FOR INCREASED QUALITY
4. HOW TO ASSESS THE LATERAL FLEXION RESPONSE
5. SUCCESS TIPS FOR TRAINING LATERAL FLEXION
6. DEMONSTRATION: INTRODUCING LATERAL FLEXION TO A HORSE
7. DEMONSTRATION: IMPACT OF ROPE POSITION & LATERAL FLEXION RESPONSE
8. DEMONSTRATION: WAYS TO IMPROVE THE LATERAL FLEXION RESPONSE
9. DEMONSTRATION: WHEN TO BREAK DOWN THE RESPONSE
10. DEMONSTRATION: STRATEGIC RELEASES OF PRESSURE TO IMPROVE THE RESPONSE
11. DEMONSTRATION: HOW TO WORK WITH A HORSE THAT BRACES WHEN ASKED FOR LATERAL FLEXION
12. DEMONSTRATION: IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSING THE RESPONSE ON EACH SIDE
1. INTRODUCTION & REASONS FOR THE REFINED HIND QUARTER YIELD
2. HOW TO TRAIN THE REFINED HIND QUARTER YIELD
3. DEMONSTRATION: HOW TO TRAIN THE REFINED HIND QUARTER YIELD ON THE GROUND
1. INTRODUCTION & REASONS FOR LUNGING CIRCLES
2. LUNGING CIRCLES CHALLENGES
3. LUNGING CIRCLES EQUIPMENT
4. THE BENEFIT OF LUNGING CIRCLES
5. UNDERSTANDING THE DRIVELINE
6. HOW TO HOLD THE ROPE IN LUNGING CIRCLES
7. TEACHING THE SEND RESPONSE IN LUNGING CIRCLES
8. TEACHING UPWARD TRANSITIONS IN LUNGING CIRCLES
9. CANTER INTRODUCTION & PROGRESSION
10. TEACHING THE STOP RESPONSE IN LUNGING CIRCLES
11. SUCCESS TIPS FOR LUNGING CIRCLES
12. COMMON TRAINING MISTAKES WHEN TRAINING LUNGING CIRCLES
13. COMMON TRAINING PROBLEMS WITH LUNGING CIRCLES
14. WHAT SUCCESSFUL LUNGING CIRCLES LOOK LIKE
15. DEMONSTRATION: INTRODUCING LUNGING CIRCLES
1. HOW AND WHY TO USE A FLAG TOOL FOR LUNGING CIRCLES
2. HOW TO INTRODUCE A FLAG TO A HORSE PRIOR TO USING IT IN TRAINING
3. HOW TO TEACH LUNGING CIRCLES WITH THE FLAG TOOL
1. RE-INTRODUCTION OF THE SADDLE & BRIDLE
2. PREPARING FOR GIRTHING USING THE ROPE
3. INTRODUCING THE SADDLE PAD
4. INTRODUCING THE SADDLE AND GIRTH
5. INTRODUCING THE BRIDLE WITH A BIT OR WITHOUT
1. WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT & STEPS TO CREATING A POSITIVE ASSOCIATION WITH THE MOUNTING BLOCK
1. WHY GROUNDWORK WITH THE SADDLE ON MATTERS
2. INSTALLING THE HIND QUARTER CUE FROM THE GROUND
3. INSTALLING THE FORWARD CUE FROM THE GROUND
4. TEACHING THE HORSE HOW TO RESPOND TO THE WHIP WITHOUT FEAR
1. MOUNTING - RE-INTRODUCING THE MOUNTING BLOCK
2. WHY TO INITIALLY START MOUNTING BLOCK TRAINING IN A HALTER
3. RIDING WITH A BIT OR BITLESS
4. IMPORTANT INSIGHT: THOROUGHBREDS - FEET IN THE STIRRUPS VS FEET OUT OF THE STIRRUPS
5. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: MOUNTING PREPARATION & STEPS (THOROUGHBREDS & STANDARDBREDS)
6. IMPORTANT INSIGHT: PREPARING STANDARDBREDS FOR MOUNTING
7. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: PREPARING STANDARDBRED FOR MOUNTING & ACCEPTING A RIDER
1. INTRODUCTION TO LATERAL FLEXION UNDER SADDLE
2. HOW TO TRAIN LATERAL FLEXION UNDER SADDLE
3. LATERAL FLEXION SUCCESS TIPS
4. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: LATERAL FLEXION CASE STUDY #1
5. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: LATERAL FLEXION CASE STUDY #2
6. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: LATERAL FLEXION CASE STUDY #3
1. INTRODUCTION TO HIND QUARTER YIELD UNDER SADDLE
2. HOW TO TRAIN A HIND QUARTER YIELD UNDER SADDLE
3. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: HOW TO TRAIN THE HIND QUARTER YIELD UNDER SADDLE
1. IMPORTANCE OF LOOSE REIN WORK
2. BTAS INTRODUCTION
3. BTAS VERSES ONE-REIN-STOP
4. HOW TO TRAIN BTAS
5. BTAS AT WALK VERSES TROT
6. BTAS SUCCESS TIPS
7. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: TRAINING BTAS IN WALK & TROT
1. IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY UPWARD TRANSITIONS
2. INSIGHTS INTO BEND TO A WALK (BTAW)
3. A COMMON QUESTION WITH BTAW
4. BTAW SUCCESS TIPS
5. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: HOW TO TRAIN BTAW IN TROT & CANTER
1. WHAT IS VERTICAL FLEXION AND TRAINING STEPS
2. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: HOW TO TRAIN VERTICAL FLEXION
1. WHAT IS VERTICAL FLEXION & TRAINING STEPS
2. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: HOW TO TRAIN VERTICAL FLEXION IN MOTION
1. HOW TO TRAIN THE BACK UP
2. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: TEACHING THE BACK UP
3. HOW TO INTRODUCE THE HALT
1. WHAT IS MILLING & HOW TO PERFORM IT
2. DEMONSTRATION VIDEO: MILLING (WALK, TROT & CANTER)
1. WHAT IS THE FIGURE OF 8 & HOW TO UTILISE THE PATTERN EFFECTIVELY
1. NAVIGATING RIDING AREAS - NO MORE SCARY CORNERS!
2. VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: STRATEGY 2 WITH ISABELLE & DASH
3. VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: STRATEGY 1 & 2 HYBRID WITH KATE & ROGER
4. PUTTING THE STRATEGIES INTO PRACTICE
1. INTRODUCTION & INSIGHT #1 - "FEEL"
2. INSIGHT #2 - "BUBBLES"
3. INSIGHT #3 - "HERD DYNAMICS"
4. INSIGHT #4 - "LOOK UP & RIDE SOMEWHERE"
5. INSIGHT #5 - "START WHERE THE HORSE NEEDS TO START"
6. INSIGHT #6 "THE LOW BAR OF EXPECTATION"
7. INSIGHT #7 "A TAI CHI COMPUTER PROGRAM"
8. INSIGHT #8 "WHO YOU NEED TO BE FOR THE HORSE"
9. INSIGHT #9 "YOU MUST ACCEPT THE EMOTIONS OF THE HORSE"
10. INSIGHT #10 "FOCUS ON WHAT THE HORSE DOES WELL"
1. INTRODUCTION: FLOAT/TRAILER TRAINING CHALLENGE
2. ADVICE #1: DRIVING WITH A FLOAT OR TRAILER
3. ADVICE #2: IMPORTANT THINGS, WARNINGS, THINGS I LIKE, OPINIONS & SAFETY ISSUES
4. ADVICE #3: INSIGHT - WHY HORSES DEVELOP FEARS OF FLOATING OR TRAILERING
5. ADVICE #4: HANDY THINGS TO ADD TO YOUR TACK BOX IN THE FLOAT OR TRAILER
6. PREPARATION #1: WORK THROUGH THE ESTABLISHING A STARTING POINT COURSE
7. PRACTICE STEP #2: TASK LIST
8. PRACTICE STEP #3: TASK - LEARNING THE FORMULA!
9. PRACTICAL STEP #4: TASK LIST
10. PRACTICAL STEP #5: TASK LIST
11. PRACTICAL STEP #6: TASK LIST
12. PRACTICAL STEP #7: TASK LIST
13. PRACTICAL STEP #8: TASK LIST
14. PRACTICAL STEP #9: TASK LIST

About this course

$349.00
210 lessons
11.5 hours of video content

From Racehorse to Riding Horse - The Off The Track Reboot Course

From Racehorse to Riding Horse: The Reboot Course

Pricing options

$349.00

10 X $39

Course curriculum

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

SUGGESTED WEEK BY WEEK GUIDE

INSIGHT: UNDERSTANDING THE OFF-THE-TRACK THOROUGHBRED

INSIGHT: UNDERSTANDING THE OFF-THE-TRACK STANDARDBRED

IMPORTANT INSIGHTS FOR SUCCESSFUL TRAINING - ESSENTIAL STUDY

GENERAL HANDLING & MANAGEMENT

REBOOT EXERCISE 1: BACKWARD-FORWARD-YIELD (BFY)

REBOOT EXERCISE 2: ROUND PENNING (RP)

REBOOT EXERCISE 3: DESENSITISING WITH STICK & STRING

REBOOT EXERCISE 4: WIGGLE THE ROPE

REBOOT EXERCISE 5: HEAD DOWN

REBOOT EXERCISE 6: LATERAL FLEXION IN GROUNDWORK

REBOOT EXERCISE 7: THE REFINED HINDQUARTER YIELD IN GROUNDWORK

REBOOT EXERCISE 8A: LUNGING CIRCLES (FOLLOW THE FEEL EXERCISE)

REBOOT EXERCISE 8B: LUNGING CIRCLES USING A FLAG TOOL (FOLLOW THE FEEL)

REBOOT EXERCISE 9: PREPARING FOR SADDLING AND BRIDLING (FOR HORSES PREVIOUSLY UNDERSADDLE)

REBOOT EXERCISE 10: RESTING BY THE MOUNTING BLOCK

REBOOT EXERCISE 11: ALL GROUNDWORK WITH SADDLE ON & INSTALLING LEG CUES

REBOOT EXERCISE 12: MOUNTING UP INTO THE SADDLE

REBOOT EXERCISE 13: RIDDEN LATERAL FLEXION (LF)

REBOOT EXERCISE 14: RIDDEN HIND QUARTER YIELD

EXERCISE 15: BEND TO A STOP (WALK & TROT)

EXERCISE 16: BEND TO A WALK (TROT & CANTER)

EXERCISE 17: VERTICAL FLEXION AT A STANDSTILL

EXERCISE 18: VERTICAL FLEXION IN MOTION

EXERCISE 19: STOP (HALT) & BACK UP

EXERCISE 20: MILLING - TARGETTING SUPPLENESS, TENSION & DISTRACTION

EXERCISE 21: FIGURE OF 8 - THE MOST USEFUL PATTERN

NAVIGATING RIDING AREAS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE IN HORSES & RIDERS

PRACTICAL INSIGHTS ABOUT HORSES THAT ARE POWERFUL TO KNOW

FLOAT & TRAILERING PREPARATION & TRAINING GUIDE

About this course