Crosshill Pacers
Well-Known Member
A quick update, as promised.
Star has, naturally, settled into life at George's. I've not actually been able to pay her a visit in the 9 days she's been away due to work/tutoring/commitments at home as well as two days racing down in Appleby* on Sunday and Monday.
*Quick explanation, as I know the name 'Appleby' has connotations especially when coupled with 'harness racing'. The Appleby Spring meeting is a two day mini-festival held under BHRC rules, on a piece of land belonging to a family who have had pacers for generations. It is an official fixture in the racing calendar and is run on grass, as are many of our meetings, and only horses registered with STAGBI (the breed society) and cleared in terms of race fees and flu vaccs with the BHRC are allowed to enter and race. This is not the same Appleby harness racing that's plastered all over the telly, although some spectators may attend both our event and the Fair.
Anyway, reports from George were initially not great. He told me my horse was the laziest horse in the world and that all she did on the first day jogging was spook. J had told him how long she'd been jogging for and what harness to use, and fortunately George trains on the same basis as we do - stepping up the length of jogging by 5 minutes at the start of each new week until the horses are doing 40 minutes daily. Then once the fast work starts twice a week it's brought back to 30 minutes daily (on non-workout days).
On Sunday one of his other owners approached me at the races to tell me what a lovely horse I had, as he had been up to the stables early doors to help George exercise the horses before heading to Appleby. It's always nice to hear that your horse is well thought of and not making a show of herself away from home! This was followed up yesterday by George asking me if he could drive her in a race. Now George obtained his driver's licence some time before his trainer's licence and drove horses on behalf of his father. However, contrary to the common misconception that driving a horse in a race is easy, it is not. J and another friend of his and George's told George that if he continued to drive his own horses, he was wasting all the effort he put in training them.
From that day forward George picked the best drivers on the circuit to drive his horses. He occasionally participates in Class C drivers races as he holds the lowest form of driver's licence, and often those types of races are 'easy pickings' for a horse of decent quality. So for George to ask me that, despite the fact he chooses not to drive his own horses or the others he trains, set the alarm bells off in my head. That's when he told me that he'd fallen a bit in love with her and he can't see how she can't win races, with her size and strength and attitude to her work. J says there's no way he'll drive her as we're trying to win races!
So far, so good. The biggest challenge with Star was always going to be getting her to enjoy her work. Ours, and George's, style of training appears to be having the desired effect. I'm going over on Saturday to visit her so will take plenty of photos and maybe even take her for a spin myself. Will definitely keep you posted.
As for Missile...well, I'm at a loss as to how what's happened to him has happened. I can only blame ignorance/lack of knowledge. His feet are...horrendous, he's thin, and his manners have gone. He's fidgeting in the crossties constantly, kicking out, he actually attacks his food in the stable and his coat where it's been clipped is greasy and manky. As soon as all four feet are sorted he'll be getting turned out down the big field where he wintered for 3-4 weeks while I focus on backing a youngster we have. He can come back in then and I can see what I'm working with. Time for him to go out and be a horse for a bit.
Hope you enjoyed the read,
Sarah, Star & Missile
Star has, naturally, settled into life at George's. I've not actually been able to pay her a visit in the 9 days she's been away due to work/tutoring/commitments at home as well as two days racing down in Appleby* on Sunday and Monday.
*Quick explanation, as I know the name 'Appleby' has connotations especially when coupled with 'harness racing'. The Appleby Spring meeting is a two day mini-festival held under BHRC rules, on a piece of land belonging to a family who have had pacers for generations. It is an official fixture in the racing calendar and is run on grass, as are many of our meetings, and only horses registered with STAGBI (the breed society) and cleared in terms of race fees and flu vaccs with the BHRC are allowed to enter and race. This is not the same Appleby harness racing that's plastered all over the telly, although some spectators may attend both our event and the Fair.
Anyway, reports from George were initially not great. He told me my horse was the laziest horse in the world and that all she did on the first day jogging was spook. J had told him how long she'd been jogging for and what harness to use, and fortunately George trains on the same basis as we do - stepping up the length of jogging by 5 minutes at the start of each new week until the horses are doing 40 minutes daily. Then once the fast work starts twice a week it's brought back to 30 minutes daily (on non-workout days).
On Sunday one of his other owners approached me at the races to tell me what a lovely horse I had, as he had been up to the stables early doors to help George exercise the horses before heading to Appleby. It's always nice to hear that your horse is well thought of and not making a show of herself away from home! This was followed up yesterday by George asking me if he could drive her in a race. Now George obtained his driver's licence some time before his trainer's licence and drove horses on behalf of his father. However, contrary to the common misconception that driving a horse in a race is easy, it is not. J and another friend of his and George's told George that if he continued to drive his own horses, he was wasting all the effort he put in training them.
From that day forward George picked the best drivers on the circuit to drive his horses. He occasionally participates in Class C drivers races as he holds the lowest form of driver's licence, and often those types of races are 'easy pickings' for a horse of decent quality. So for George to ask me that, despite the fact he chooses not to drive his own horses or the others he trains, set the alarm bells off in my head. That's when he told me that he'd fallen a bit in love with her and he can't see how she can't win races, with her size and strength and attitude to her work. J says there's no way he'll drive her as we're trying to win races!
So far, so good. The biggest challenge with Star was always going to be getting her to enjoy her work. Ours, and George's, style of training appears to be having the desired effect. I'm going over on Saturday to visit her so will take plenty of photos and maybe even take her for a spin myself. Will definitely keep you posted.
As for Missile...well, I'm at a loss as to how what's happened to him has happened. I can only blame ignorance/lack of knowledge. His feet are...horrendous, he's thin, and his manners have gone. He's fidgeting in the crossties constantly, kicking out, he actually attacks his food in the stable and his coat where it's been clipped is greasy and manky. As soon as all four feet are sorted he'll be getting turned out down the big field where he wintered for 3-4 weeks while I focus on backing a youngster we have. He can come back in then and I can see what I'm working with. Time for him to go out and be a horse for a bit.
Hope you enjoyed the read,
Sarah, Star & Missile
