NOW ON C4 SAt 9.00 am

I've had extensive dealings with the Withefords. We had a big filly who was hypoxic at birth and though a kindly creature, she had her problems. Walking her from light in to dark and the other way about, was always a problem. Craig (Gary's son) turned up to collect her. She followed him on to the box, after a bit of foot-shifting, and within 5 or 6 minutes.

The filly arrived at Burbridge and I went to see her. She'd been clipped, shod and she was being ridden out within 3 days of her arrival. When I saw her being tacked up by Nika, her stable door had to be closed as she was that keen to get on. I was staggered.

Forget all the hype and the crap and the 'whisperer' bit, the Withefords will approach a horse as total strangers and achieve a bond, within a few moments. A remarkable team.

Alec.
 
It was very interesting wasn't it. I particularly liked his view that getting on them while they are unfit & fairly weak was the best approach rather than weeks of lunging & long reining which gives you a fitter stronger horse at the point where you just want them to be quiet and docile. Definitely interesting indeed.
 
KautoStar1 said:
It was very interesting wasn't it. I particularly liked his view that getting on them while they are unfit & fairly weak was the best approach rather than weeks of lunging & long reining which gives you a fitter stronger horse at the point where you just want them to be quiet and docile. Definitely interesting indeed.
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I thought that that was just plain common sense ... Why get them half fit so the bucks are bigger and last longer than get on them fat, unfit and clueless and get them used to being ridden before they have time to think about it lol!

I didn't watch it but I will try to catch up on it later if I can.
 
Gary's book is worth a read. There are a few chapters that might not sit well with some, perhaps the putting on the floor of arrogant dangerous colts. But seen in context a few minutes of being bullied set those dangerous colts on the right route for their futures.
 
EKW said:
I thought that that was just plain common sense ... Why get them half fit so the bucks are bigger and last longer than get on them fat, unfit and clueless and get them used to being ridden before they have time to think about it lol!

I didn't watch it but I will try to catch up on it later if I can.
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Yes makes sense when you think about it but it's not the traditional way so takes a bit of thinking about I suppose. And not all horses will take to it as easily as the filly did this morning.
 
Slightly off topic but still racing related. How well did Denman look today at Newbury. Loved seeing him tank up the home straight with Charlotte. Bless him, he looks grand.
Just glad I'm not sat on him. ��
 
They will have picked the quietest, most sedate youngster they had in the bunch to make sure that the risks of things going wrong were as minimal as possible. But you can't really blame them!

I havent seen the racing but I have seen plenty of pictures of Denman from today and he did look very well indeed loving life storming up the home straight!
 
KS1 - he looked a treat, didn't he! I wish we could have seen Kauto doing the smae. I bet galloping Denman up the home straight gave her an amazing feel. She is some rider, I bet he has taken time to turn into the horse he is now. I enjoyed her diaires about him.
 
KautoStar1 said:
Slightly off topic but still racing related. How well did Denman look today at Newbury. Loved seeing him tank up the home straight with Charlotte. Bless him, he looks grand.
Just glad I'm not sat on him. ��
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He looked so fit and SO well! He just wanted to go go go! What a lovely horse.


And slightly off topic again....but how well did Lizzy Kelly ride that winner? I loved the way she saw the stride at the last...one..two..three...kick! Brilliant and thrilling to watch.
 
Yes she did great. I don't really warm to her, she is a bit self important IMO (I compare everyone to AP who is so self depracating) but she is doing very well.
 
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