Another Big Ears Update :)

C

Crosshill Pacers

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I said last week that I was going to see my girl on the weekend, which I did. It was so hot on Saturday that my friend and I only took the horses for a quick whizz around the block; we didn't have time to hit the forestry so we walked and trotted around the streets. It's not my cup of tea really because I like open countryside but I shouldn't complain because it means Big Ears is becoming bombproof in traffic/built up areas and it was too hot for much else. It was just great to ride her again, she's just wonderful :) so comfortable and sensible and I feel like we make a great pair!

When we got back to the yard we washed them down quickly and turned them out on the track, but before we let Star loose my friend popped her over a few jumps on the lunge line. She's like a different horse to the one I ride, she immediately picks up when she's got a jump in front of her! Ears pricked and she picks up speed so easily, it's weird seeing her keen to do some work because she's notoriously lazy.

She's also looking in great condition, which is good to see. So much so in fact that my friend and her mother, who train racehorses, have suggested that we try racing Star back in the harness and sulky. She's only five, but raced at three and four in 'trying' conditions. She certainly didn't look as good then as she does now with them. She was from the first couple of crops from her sire in this country, so nobody really knows if they improve with age or not, and the fact I'm proudest of is that she is the only horse by her sire that hasn't galloped on the racetrack. She's so balanced and sure-footed, she's never knocked herself and she doesn't need to race in boots. She doesn't need poles or any additional harness to keep her straight. Her only flaw is she's not fast enough, however she managed to win races and run well when she was underweight and not being looked after properly. Having seen how she's sharpened up since she started jumping, perhaps this might be the boost she needs to get her going on the track.

I don't know, maybe I'm mad, but my friend is convinced that we can really get her going again. I retired her because she'd had a rough time and people kept telling me she wasn't good enough. I also couldn't afford to put her in training myself and my father had bought another horse to race himself. Now everything seems to have fallen into place with my friend. Star is a few weeks away from race fitness and needs to re-qualify as she ran last season under different rules, but we're going to see how it goes. I took her harness to the races on Sunday and am in the process of applying for my owner's licence. I've also convinced my father to let me transfer her into my name, which is the first step to taking her with me when I move to Scotland!

So please, if you could, keep your fingers crossed for us. I'm genuinely excited, because this time round Star is MY racehorse. I'm doing this off my own back with my best friends Star and Emma, and I can't wait. When she raced as my dad's horse the pressure and weight of expectation ruined the fun for me; she ran well on a weekly basis but if she wasn't winning he'd run her down. I'm happy with a good run, a few placings, and hey, maybe even a win! We also think she could target the saddle races because her handicap is good and she's a beaut in the saddle :)

Here she is, my beautiful, big-earred, racehorse-to-ridinghorse-to-racehorse again!

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Thanks again for reading :)
 
I love your mare!! And what an exciting update :D

I won't pretend to know the first thing about racing, but I wish you well and look forward to more updates (with pics of course!!)
 
Thanks guys - I'll keep you updated with her progress as we go along. My 'trainer' (find this quite funny, to me she's just my mate!) said she's had her out in the cart, no problems so far except she's a chronic tail swisher. My boss hates this trait, especially in mares, because it's a sign of laziness. Emma's changed her crupper to one that ties her tail down and the swishing has stopped though.

Cortez - she's a pacer. She raced as a 3yo with my boss training her, although they never clicked and I think that affected how much he could get from her and how she worked for him. Last year my dad had another horse to focus on racing so my uncle leased her off him and she raced under different rules. The back end of last year I got her going under saddle and then hunted her - she picked up trotting very quickly, and we worked on her canter out hunting. To be honest it became increasingly more difficult to get her to pace, however I'd had lessons before I started riding her and my instructor worked on getting my legs back in the right position (years of riding a pacer had changed my position). Because I was riding 'correctly' I think it encouraged her to trot, as my friend Emma says she paces when she rides her. Emma rides pacers day in, day out so her position probably encourages her to pace. She's switched back to pacing in the cart no problem :)

I'm still as excited as I was yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. I don't think the feeling is going to wear off!
 
Thank you :)

I think the riding has helped - I took her hunting 8 times, now Emma's done lots of roadwork with her and had her jumping on the lunge line, plus the 11 year old girl who stables her ponies on the yard has hacked her out a few times and says she's great to canter on! Apparently she's really sharp with her, although Katie has always felt safe.

The diet she's on has made such a difference to her, she's living the life of a racehorse already :) I've suggested to Emma that we target the saddle races which would be really great!
 
Ahh that would be brilliant - I did suggest to dad that we try and get one of our old horses back to do them as she'd be fab but her new owners are having too much fun doing dressage with her!
Sometimes especially the bigger built types they need that extra year or so to really grow into themselves so fingers crossed for you!
 
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