Should i go into racing, what is it like?

[marley and danni]

yes sorry what is changing hands?

we were not going very fast but fast enough to overtake the masters... but this is easy as we are usually upfront we started at the back on this occasion so he was probs racing to the front where we usually are....

i could have on a different day but i had hacked to the meet and it was hail stoning and i was freezing and gloves wet through so couldnt grip so was best to sit still on this occasion and turn when i could.

i have never not been able to pull up but on the occasion he does this again as he will be fresh... shall i keep my reins bridge and loosen when i feel he gets a bit ahead of himself.

he alsways stops no matter what when everyone else stops so this isnt an issue

like i said hes usualy a true gent and everyones says how good he is and they ussualy follow me etc.

want to be prepare on this occasion while we havnt been out for a while

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

What is 'changing hands?' what does it mean exactly?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTtpaF8NeOo
You never ever [except when walking on a long rein maybe] hold your hands like the BHS teach, the reins are always one over the other whether one handed or two handed.
In order to change the pace quickly on the gallops the horses are taught that if the rider changes hands he wants a change of gear . ... upwards! this is why it is so unwise to mess about with the reins once underway.
I should have said when pulling up, most times you don t lean back, you just relax the reins and keep your centre of gravity err....centred.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

yes sorry what is changing hands?

we were not going very fast but fast enough to overtake the masters... but this is easy as we are usually upfront we started at the back on this occasion so he was probs racing to the front where we usually are....

i could have on a different day but i had hacked to the meet and it was hail stoning and i was freezing and gloves wet through so couldnt grip so was best to sit still on this occasion and turn when i could.

i have never not been able to pull up but on the occasion he does this again as he will be fresh... shall i keep my reins bridge and loosen when i feel he gets a bit ahead of himself.

he alsways stops no matter what when everyone else stops so this isnt an issue

like i said hes usualy a true gent and everyones says how good he is and they ussualy follow me etc.

want to be prepare on this occasion while we havnt been out for a while

Thing is that if you use start racing techniques he might respond in a racing way, so really as long as you have reasonable control you are probably OK, take a second pair of good gloves, safety first. if he is fresh hack him for half an hour to the meet. Don't arrive early.

 

[Optimissteeq]

yes sorry what is changing hands?

we were not going very fast but fast enough to overtake the masters... but this is easy as we are usually upfront we started at the back on this occasion so he was probs racing to the front where we usually are....

i could have on a different day but i had hacked to the meet and it was hail stoning and i was freezing and gloves wet through so couldnt grip so was best to sit still on this occasion and turn when i could.

i have never not been able to pull up but on the occasion he does this again as he will be fresh... shall i keep my reins bridge and loosen when i feel he gets a bit ahead of himself.

he alsways stops no matter what when everyone else stops so this isnt an issue

like i said hes usualy a true gent and everyones says how good he is and they ussualy follow me etc.

want to be prepare on this occasion while we havnt been out for a while

It's as Mrsd123 says but this link might also help http://www.ror.org.uk/care_life.htm.
Basically it's changing the grip on the reins in order to signal to the horse to go faster - which is why pulling on the reins may not be the right way to stop an ex-racer. (Not that I'm implying you have done, it's just a general comment).

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

One more tip............make sure your bridle is fitting properly AND all the straps are in their keepers, if your horse takes a hold, the reins tighten but the cheekpieces slacken, there is nothing more frightening than going at 30mph up the gallops and realising that the bridle may be coming apart cos you forgot to put the ends in the keepers!!!
If you have a horse with a small head/extra large head and you are not happy that the bridle fits, ask the Head Lad to check BEFORE you leave the yard, that is why they are standing watching the string.

 

[DancingJester]

How short should you go as a work rider or do you just do what feels right for you?

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

How short should you go as a work rider or do you just do what feels right for you?

You won't be a "work rider" till you have been riding for a while, you only get to "work" the horse once you know a bit about it.
You start off just cantering and once you can teach some of your your charges a bit more than they can teach you you might get to "ride work" on a schoolmaster, yes you need your stirrups a bit shorter to actually be effective, but your main aim is to stay on and keep up with the others for your first few "work mornings"

 

[Lou_Lou123]

You see, I don't understand that, OK, I was on a senior lads wages, but I had free accommodation and basic food, heating was £8 per year [I think that was a mistake!].
Travelled all over the country [£10.00 inhand expenses] met loads of great people. Every night down the pub, black tie dances, always some celebration somewhere.

I had a senior position with free accommodation, no bills etc and spent a LOT of time socialising too and it was the brilliant, but was never going to be in a position to get a mortgage etc

 

[madmav]

Ah this explains when I, back in the day, rode a steeplechaser who insisted on going faster with my aids to slow down. There were rabbit holes on that moor we galloped over. Scary. Same thing happened with a turbo-charged polo pony. Didn't recognise an aid I gave her. But far more forgiving ground.

 

[zaminda]

You could try and find somewhere to ride out locally. Last winter I worked for a NH trainer, and he had a few people who came in once or twice a week that just enjoyed it, and in the past he has taken teenagers too.
On another point, several of the lads I worked with on the flat had mortgages and drove nice cars, so it is possible to have it as a long term career. Many didn't bother, as they had free accommodation in family sized houses. In Newmarket it really isn't that unusual, I don't know why everyone says its so badly paid.

 

[DonkeyClub]

I really don't think racehorses are all that sensitive to the changing hands/ bridging reins thing/ bridle not right etc Thats a bit of an exgaggeration. And most people / all people can ride work- why do you think you see loads of polish and foreigners riding horses out in Newmarket? And ride with as long stirrups as you need- in a lot of yards it's considered a bit 'uncool' to try and be clever and hitch them up to jockey length , sure you hike them up for sprinting but not for general canter work

 

[druid]

I really don't think racehorses are all that sensitive to the changing hands/ bridging reins thing/ bridle not right etc Thats a bit of an exgaggeration. And most people / all people can ride work- why do you think you see loads of polish and foreigners riding horses out in Newmarket? And ride with as long stirrups as you need- in a lot of yards it's considered a bit 'uncool' to try and be clever and hitch them up to jockey length , sure you hike them up for sprinting but not for general canter work

I find them a lot more sensitive to changing hands when galloping - they know the difference between a normal canter and work days. I definitely wouldn't say most people can ride work, we have 40 odd riders and perhaps ten of those ride work. Weight is a big thing for us though, work riders are sub 60kg. Trainer also expects to you hold the speed (as in 54/55 to the four then move up to gallop) without a watch, but someone else in the group will have a watch so he knows exactly what you've done. It takes a lot of skill and a fair amount of experience, in my opinion!

I ride long until the bottom of the canter - there's a good ten holes difference in hacking length to cantering on my leathers! I'll ride longer on babies/green ones, shorter on keen ones.


Eta: I think it's incredibly racist to say anyone can ride work because "foreigners" do! Some of our best riders are Brazilian, Italian, Czech, Irish etc.!!

 

[Gamebird]

Give or take a couple of holes this is about as short as I ever rode (NH yard), cantering or work. Bear in mind that I am ~6ft though. Ride long, live long!

 

[TarrSteps]

Leaving aside the foreigner crack. . .there is a big difference being able to ride out, to whatever degree, and ride work. Some yards do have to take on reasonably competent warm bodies (I've even known owners ride out) but they will have older/easier/less important horses they can put them on to do a bit of cantering. In a larger string the horse you ride out on might even be worked by another rider if they're short of good people

 

[druid]

There's lots of safety horses/schoolmasters to learn on - its a brilliant way to experience riding out. A sensible horse and being popped behind a leader is the easiest way to learn the difference between a steady and a steady ordinary, etc. I found how close you are the horse in front terrifying at the start, it's literally inches fm heel clipping but that's how they travel in races and how they need to learn to settle at home too!

 

[DancingJester]

Wow, longer than i thought, i ride that short just when i ride my hunter out on hacks, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem for me going up a few holes if i need to, haha.

 

[DancingJester]

how much do you weigh if you dont mind me asking?

 

[zaminda]

I'm around 50kg, but I'm not very big.

 

[Gamebird]

how much do you weigh if you dont mind me asking?

Me? Plenty

 

[DancingJester]

haha I can relate