Your Ex- Race Horse . . . This is where it begins - Pt 2

I am also very aware that they may not make it at the track, and if I can teach the horses the proper basics early on, then they can develop into nice show horses (especially Eventers). The shed row has a mix of dirt and sand around the perimeter of the stalls with a tall ceiling that allows for indoor workouts. December through March is when we start to break the babies and because you can never depend upon the weather that time of year, riding around the indoor path is great. Something a lot of people don’t realize is that ex-track horses do really well in indoor arenas simply because of this early training experience of working inside. After the colts and fillies are backed, the next step is to have the young horses moving forward at a trot, keeping a pace and getting physically conditioned. Some can be fussy with their heads or lean into your hands, while others trot happily around with ears perked. As a rider, you’ve got to not only be fit and have stamina but you also need to be versatile and aware that every horse is an individual who requires respect. By March, the training schedule has picked up quite a bit and the workload has increased, again with the intent of preparing the horses either for the track or for the sales. After a couple days of following the lead pony, we mount outside the stalls and work our trot sets without the pony. You can notice a difference in the pace and attitude of the youngsters when their ‘security blanket’ is taken away, as they look for the lead pony and suck back from my leg. So now we come into another phase of training, and teach independence and require the colts and fillies to really listen to what the rider is saying to them. They even need to learn what the stick means. Their usual response is with a question, such as, “Why are you tapping me with that annoying thing? I guess I’ll just slow down or stop altogether!” It’s a strange reaction that you may not expect, but in time they adjust and learn that a tap on the shoulder or behind the leg means to go faster. Again, it takes a few days to adjust and learn to move freely forward. We will also add another colt or filly in the line up and have them work around together prior to going to the training track. It’s really interesting to see where their minds are at this moment because some become a bit competitive and want to be up front. Some will speed up in the turns and some will decide to slow down along the long side of the shed. This is when it’s helpful to follow up with the trainer and communicate what we’re feeling on top of the horse so that there is a game plan on what to watch out for once on the track. When the rides are over, the babies are cooled out either on the hot walker or hand walked, brushed and then taken back out to the pastures to graze and play until the next day. I gather up all the equipment and make my way back through the office to the tack room where again, I’m met with those faces staring down at me from the walls. I don’t walk too quickly through this part of the barn. Everyday when I look up at those photos, it is as if I am looking at them for the first time – I never tire of them but rather finish my day with a habit I’ve gotten myself into of repeating their names to myself, “El Senor, Decidedly, Northern Dancer, Nijinski, Tap Shoes, Riva Ridge . . . ”