Harness Racing - an update on Ace

Crosshill Pacers

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
1,338
Location
Lanarkshire
Visit site
As referenced in the 'Weekend Plans' thread, I went to see Ace this morning at Corbiewood as we found ourselves at a loose end.

She's started her 'fast' work, where instead of jogging daily for 25 minutes (free-legged pacing in her case) 7 days a week, she now works out over a mile in ever-decreasing times twice a week, with 5 days of normal jogging. Today was her day to go 2 minutes 35 seconds and we were there to see it.

It's the first time we've seen her in hopples and going faster than her usual jogging speed. I was looking to see what her gait is like (high knees or daisy-cutter), her head carriage, whether she is straight on the bends and generally just how she seems to be taking it all in.

Pleased to report that everything seems to be going to plan. She worked her mile in 2.34 with ease, flicking her ears the full way and not wanting to pull up too quickly after the line. Her hopples are too long so when she was asked to pick up speed she shuffled a little, so these will come in a few holes to give her the support she needs when she gets faster. She has a lovely gait, not too high, not too low. She extends nicely and covers plenty of ground with each stride. Her head carriage is a little high so we may need to add a martingale and we intend to remove the shadow roll once she comes back to us - she needs to see everything and get used to it like all of our other horses.

She's looking really well and has her trainer, his wife and their 3 year old son wrapped around her little hoof!

The obligatory photos because I'm a proud 'mum'...and OH is a very proud 'dad' even if he doesn't always show it on the outside!

Warming up:


During her workout:


Getting washed down:


Having a moment with her 'dad':


Fingers crossed we keep progressing nicely. She's due to come back to us in less than a fortnight :)

Sarah & Ace x
 
Thank you :) she's our first joint homebred and her breeding is world class so I'm hoping we can do her justice. Racing is a tough old game but I think we have the bullets with her.

This is probably a stupid question as I know nothing about driving but what are the straps around the tops of her legs for?

She's wearing hopples (also referred to as hobbles) which are a training and racing aid to give pacers support in the gait at speed. Many people will try to claim that the hopple forces horses to move in an unnatural gait, however my two colt foals who are pacing madly around my field at home would suggest it's a natural gait.

Ace paces free-legged when she's going at jogging speed, however she needs to learn to increase her speed within the gait and without 'tipping over' into the next gait (cantering or galloping) as this isn't allowed during races. If it happens then horses can be disqualified, and drivers trying to rectify a 'breaking' horse can cause accidents inadvertently. So she's in hopples to teach her to extend her stride and increase her speed whilst also pacing at the same time. Hopples won't stop any horse from breaking, they simply discourage the action by encouraging the parallel movement.

Hope that makes sense!
 
Thank you :) she's our first joint homebred and her breeding is world class so I'm hoping we can do her justice. Racing is a tough old game but I think we have the bullets with her.



She's wearing hopples (also referred to as hobbles) which are a training and racing aid to give pacers support in the gait at speed. Many people will try to claim that the hopple forces horses to move in an unnatural gait, however my two colt foals who are pacing madly around my field at home would suggest it's a natural gait.

Ace paces free-legged when she's going at jogging speed, however she needs to learn to increase her speed within the gait and without 'tipping over' into the next gait (cantering or galloping) as this isn't allowed during races. If it happens then horses can be disqualified, and drivers trying to rectify a 'breaking' horse can cause accidents inadvertently. So she's in hopples to teach her to extend her stride and increase her speed whilst also pacing at the same time. Hopples won't stop any horse from breaking, they simply discourage the action by encouraging the parallel movement.

Hope that makes sense!

Thank you for taking the time to explain, you learn something new every day :)
 
I agree...although I am massively biased! She's a carbon copy of Star at the same age so it's like getting another bite at the cherry with her (seeing as I only got to train her myself when she was 7 and I was her fourth trainer).
 
Top