Precisely 100 days into training, we finally had our first breeze. After 4" of rain last night, the day was what I hoped for. Overcast and not hot; the track was pretty nice, if just a bit deep. My horse went 3f in 37.8. The rider never touched him; just let him go. Now we will see what the NEXT 100 days brings..
It was a happy moment to actually have my horse show up in Equibase!!
Eight to the Bar
Moderators: Roguelet, WaveMaster, Diane, K~2
Eight to the Bar
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
Thanks, wilf. I'd like to take all of the credit - but I am working for a trainer (from whom I am learning a LOT) with the patience, and with the very best rider in the training center, so I would have to say it is a TEAM effort.
ETTB was a late foal (just turned 3 on the 17th of June) so hence the very late start. He is fully 16.3 hands, and was always very leggy. Not a massive horse, he is finally filling out a bit and his chest and hips are getting a bit wider. He has muscled up over the past 3 months naturally - food, water, exercise. Never a lame day, nor a swollen anything, and has great feet. The trainer says the best thing of all about my horse is his attitude.
ETTB was a late foal (just turned 3 on the 17th of June) so hence the very late start. He is fully 16.3 hands, and was always very leggy. Not a massive horse, he is finally filling out a bit and his chest and hips are getting a bit wider. He has muscled up over the past 3 months naturally - food, water, exercise. Never a lame day, nor a swollen anything, and has great feet. The trainer says the best thing of all about my horse is his attitude.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
- geowarrior
- Leading Sire
- Posts: 3593
- Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
- Location: Spokane, WA
Well today was a GOOD day. After a freakishly cold night (I mean it, I was looking for my ski band and fleece jacket this morning) we got a decent track. It finally rained yesterday; the track crew held off watering because of threat of rain for over a WEEK and the sand was over the fetlocks...
Our company at 8:30 went off without us because our rider (who LINED UP the company) was out on another horse.
The trainer decided to send his filly a half after his 3/8 company was a no show so with all of that preamble his filly went with my horse. They hit the 1/4 pole "at a walk" and worked the half in 49 and 4. He galloped out strong (the filly was REALLY strong) and came back pulling like a train. So we are set to go 5/8 in about 6 days; I have company sketched out with a Tom Amoss pair going five. We are two hops from his gate card, so I might be looking for a start around Labor Day for Eight to the Bar.. what a long haul. I think if you haven't "lived" bringing an unstarted horse along, it can be hard to fathom what takes so long.. but you have a bit of time here for a snotty nose, a bit of time there for a bit of filling in an ankle, a bit of time spotted throughout because the track is so treacherous it's just not worth the risk... and there is the horse himself who has to develop muscle bone and wind..
Our company at 8:30 went off without us because our rider (who LINED UP the company) was out on another horse.
The trainer decided to send his filly a half after his 3/8 company was a no show so with all of that preamble his filly went with my horse. They hit the 1/4 pole "at a walk" and worked the half in 49 and 4. He galloped out strong (the filly was REALLY strong) and came back pulling like a train. So we are set to go 5/8 in about 6 days; I have company sketched out with a Tom Amoss pair going five. We are two hops from his gate card, so I might be looking for a start around Labor Day for Eight to the Bar.. what a long haul. I think if you haven't "lived" bringing an unstarted horse along, it can be hard to fathom what takes so long.. but you have a bit of time here for a snotty nose, a bit of time there for a bit of filling in an ankle, a bit of time spotted throughout because the track is so treacherous it's just not worth the risk... and there is the horse himself who has to develop muscle bone and wind..
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
New photos
yes; we had a very slow 5/8 last Wed on a very deep track; looking forward to a stiffer 5/8 this coming Tuesday. Here are some pictures from today:
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
Thanks so much! We encountered a drastic change when Churchill suddenly took away my trainer pal's stalls for the new September meet. I am now flying "solo" with my horse at High Pointe Training Center. What a great place! If only it was not so freaking far to drive. I managed to get a stall in a barn with two gals I already knew, one is a rider. So far we are adjusting. One thing - this horse just LOVES the Eurociser. The first time in it he wanted it to NEVER END! The look on his face was priceless.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
We are trailering into Churchill tomorrow to get gate cards - the gal/rider also has her trainer's license and has a filly who belongs to a friend of mine. My pal who was at Trackside is still on board in an advisory capacity and will enter him when the time comes.
Believe it or not, working daily at Trackside has set me up pretty well to go on with him on the daily basis stuff. I did feel a bit vulnerable and had trepidations while we were moving but working at High Pointe is so EASY. Each barn has its own Eurociser. There is water EVERYWHERE - frost free hydrants all over the place. There are 3 wash racks for my barn that are actual big wash stalls, with thick matted concrete floor with center drain, thick padded concrete walls, with a big hose with spray nozzle with bath temperature hot water already done. Work is done in HALF the time. The stalls are large and airy, with grille fronts and everything is in top condition. At Trackside, I would have to do my stall and buckets while the horse was on the track. Then bathe and walk him. This way, I can go with him to the track, bathe him and put him in the Eurociser. There are sand round pens I can turn him out in for a while everyday. There is grass everywhere. At Trackside it was a hike to find a tiny patch of grass if you wanted to graze your horse a bit and no horse went anywhere ever without a human attached. I have a groom who does my stall and buckets in the morning and drops my morning and evening feed for $35 a week. It is just so much more enjoyable and so much less hard work (for nothing, the horse loves the Eurociser way more than being hand walked in the shedrow on a shank).
Believe it or not, working daily at Trackside has set me up pretty well to go on with him on the daily basis stuff. I did feel a bit vulnerable and had trepidations while we were moving but working at High Pointe is so EASY. Each barn has its own Eurociser. There is water EVERYWHERE - frost free hydrants all over the place. There are 3 wash racks for my barn that are actual big wash stalls, with thick matted concrete floor with center drain, thick padded concrete walls, with a big hose with spray nozzle with bath temperature hot water already done. Work is done in HALF the time. The stalls are large and airy, with grille fronts and everything is in top condition. At Trackside, I would have to do my stall and buckets while the horse was on the track. Then bathe and walk him. This way, I can go with him to the track, bathe him and put him in the Eurociser. There are sand round pens I can turn him out in for a while everyday. There is grass everywhere. At Trackside it was a hike to find a tiny patch of grass if you wanted to graze your horse a bit and no horse went anywhere ever without a human attached. I have a groom who does my stall and buckets in the morning and drops my morning and evening feed for $35 a week. It is just so much more enjoyable and so much less hard work (for nothing, the horse loves the Eurociser way more than being hand walked in the shedrow on a shank).
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
It is in L'Esprit which is a few miles northeast of LaGrange Ky, sort of in the middle of nowhere. There is a swimming facility 1/4 mile down the road. It is in all horse country.
The trip to Churchill this morning was a roaring success and my horse got gate approved!! He was looking at EVERYTHING so his breeze was nothing to write home about. But what a great EXPERIENCE for him - on the trailer at 4:30am, into the Receiving Barn (I got there at 5:30 with all the gear to set up) then out on the big track. His first pony; I got a really nice pony gal and she took extra time to teach him and galloped a lap with him to simulate a warm up/post parade) and then out of the gate in company with the filly he shipped in with. We have a plan to ship in again next week to gallop, get our horses lips tattooed, and paddock school on a raceday, so then we can get into a race!
The trip to Churchill this morning was a roaring success and my horse got gate approved!! He was looking at EVERYTHING so his breeze was nothing to write home about. But what a great EXPERIENCE for him - on the trailer at 4:30am, into the Receiving Barn (I got there at 5:30 with all the gear to set up) then out on the big track. His first pony; I got a really nice pony gal and she took extra time to teach him and galloped a lap with him to simulate a warm up/post parade) and then out of the gate in company with the filly he shipped in with. We have a plan to ship in again next week to gallop, get our horses lips tattooed, and paddock school on a raceday, so then we can get into a race!
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....