Who Ever Said Racehorses Were Psycos ...

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Elf On A Shelf

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They clearly never met the Deli Monster!

Deli ran at Hexham on Saturday coming 5th on ground that was quicker than ideal for her. Today she was being a litter picker! A few bedmax bags had blown into the walk off stream in the wind the other day so off Deli and I set armed with a broom to gather them up!

We scooted down the field pretending to be jousters with the broom handle protruding between her ears. Upon reaching the stream Deli dived on in. The first bag I managed to hook with the broom and Del's froze thinking - WTF?!?! She wouldn't walk forwards with the bag on the broom so I shoved it up the banking.

The next bag was on the bottom so we had to walk past and sweep it to the top. On our next wade through we managed to keep a hold of it. Deli had got the idea by now and let me drag it tothe get out point. So we went back in for the 3rd bag, failed at the but did manage to hook out the stray brushing boot. Once ouy she stood like a lamb while I leant the broom against her abd fastened the boot to her martingale beckstrap.

In we went for the 3rd bag. Got it, climbed out and I hopped off, left Del's eating grass whilst I tied the bags onto the broom. Hopped back on and ok we went sideways for about 20m as those bags could well have eaten her you know! But after she realised that they werent going to hurt her she happily cantered up the hill with me holding them out to the side.

This is a racehorse, fully fit, in training and running - not quite so stereotypical is our Deli Monster! How many normal horses would let you do such a ridiculous thing?!?

Proof that we did it:

2013-10-15111136_zpsb5ab361a.jpg


Rock On The Deli Monster!!!
 
My previous horse was an ex racer. He was totally idiot proof (as much as you can ever say with a horse). He refused to spook or spin when a pheasant did a vertical take off right in front of him, I think living with chickens and doves loitering in his stable helped with this. I could lead him to his paddock and push a wheelbarrow at the same time, I would often lean a broom up against him if he was in the way whilst I mucked out, wheelie bins, dustbin lorries and even once when we got caught up in a traction engine rally dispersing, held no fear for him. He was totally amazing. I have a theory that they see so much of life from quite a young age, nothing much fazes them and agree with the poster above who thinks they often get a bad press.
 
hahahahaha I opened this thread on my phone so couldn't see who posted it. Was all riled up to post an indignant rant to say that the only psycho racehorses/exracers belonged to lunatics that made them that way!! The ear pic is just fab!!
 
Megibo said:
Mine (on loan to me, known her 2 year prior) has totally converted me! She's 99% sane, but piggies are scary!
Click to expand...

Reg, the sanest hack we've ever owned, agrees with her fully and would like to add donkeys he doesn't personally know to that list :D The fact he lives with a donkey is not strong enough proof that the rest aren't Voldemort in disguise.

Deli is the bravest pony around though, love the listening ear in the photo!

To be honest, the people with 'mental' ex-racers seem to just not have the lifestyle the horse needs...
 
Deli gets subjected to some amount of random stuff! But she game, genuine and always up for fun and creating moscheif - she is actually just totally awesome! She's one if these horses that I can go flat to the mats on across a field, boing about on as we leave the field but the minute you put someone nervy, unbalanced or unsure onher she really, truly does turn into an RDA pony.

Amage I do admit to having a wee giggle to myself when I wrote the title knowing that it could be taken in many different ways!
 
I will say my ex-racer can be a bit psycho sometimes... is very sharp, and whilst great to hack he is VERY hard work to school - we are getting there but he is tricky. However I blame his 'quirkiness' on the Northern Dancer lines... a lot of Northern Dancer stock is a bit 'quirky' ;) met quite a few of them like that!
 
I thought most TBs had Northern Dancer in them somewhere- every single one we've owned/ Al's ridden has ND lines... Often on both sides, lol.
 
Need a like button for that wonderful ear
EKW said:
They clearly never met the Deli Monster!

Deli ran at Hexham on Saturday coming 5th on ground that was quicker than ideal for her. Today she was being a litter picker! A few bedmax bags had blown into the walk off stream in the wind the other day so off Deli and I set armed with a broom to gather them up!

We scooted down the field pretending to be jousters with the broom handle protruding between her ears. Upon reaching the stream Deli dived on in. The first bag I managed to hook with the broom and Del's froze thinking - WTF?!?! She wouldn't walk forwards with the bag on the broom so I shoved it up the banking.

The next bag was on the bottom so we had to walk past and sweep it to the top. On our next wade through we managed to keep a hold of it. Deli had got the idea by now and let me drag it tothe get out point. So we went back in for the 3rd bag, failed at the but did manage to hook out the stray brushing boot. Once ouy she stood like a lamb while I leant the broom against her abd fastened the boot to her martingale beckstrap.

In we went for the 3rd bag. Got it, climbed out and I hopped off, left Del's eating grass whilst I tied the bags onto the broom. Hopped back on and ok we went sideways for about 20m as those bags could well have eaten her you know! But after she realised that they werent going to hurt her she happily cantered up the hill with me holding them out to the side.

This is a racehorse, fully fit, in training and running - not quite so stereotypical is our Deli Monster! How many normal horses would let you do such a ridiculous thing?!?

Proof that we did it:

2013-10-15111136_zpsb5ab361a.jpg


Rock On The Deli Monster!!!
Click to expand...
 
Lolo said:
I thought most TBs had Northern Dancer in them somewhere- every single one we've owned/ Al's ridden has ND lines... Often on both sides, lol.
Click to expand...

A lot of North American bred TBs will have some of his blood as he's one of the line of Eclipse sires over there who are very popular. But I don't just mean somewhere in the pedigree - I mean within three gens, that's when you normally see An influence. Mine is through the damsire, but he tail-males through Riverman to Neverbend. Lots of Eclipse lines!!

And even horses who don't have northern dancer will have other links back to Nearco. However they aren't considered Nearco stock unless the are within three gens, tail-male to him, or follow the damsire line.

Northern Dancer is a pretty popular sire in NA but his offspring and close related blood are known to be quirky!
 
I love finding out about sires and things (and ours I think all were still- Reg is 3 on one side and 4 on the other... He's too inbred to be anything other than delightful!).

There's a massive thread in CR somewhere about different sires: Reg's is known for throwing nice but dim types who can be prone to being very good until it's too much and exploding, which is exactly what Reg was like. Bee's was known for having very quirky offspring, who were either exceptional or useless. We don't know much about Smoke's but having seen a close relative have come to the conclusion it's all cocky grey monsters! The best thing about TBs is you can trace it right back :)
 
I'm also an ex racer convert. I recently commented on an anti racing post and got slated as being a heartless ******* whose betting and attending races perpetuates the practice and that all TBs are flakey fragile neurotic and in bred! I know two Northern Dancer TBs and both are clever but a bit irritable at times. One has Secretariat lines and us a lovely looking horse but you need to watch out when tacking or grooming as he's inclined to nip. Great to ride though and very calm. Lovely picture EKW.
 
very cool mare i like her! i do stuff liek this with my exracer haha! Also he has northern dancer 3 times in his line once on sires side and twice on the dams side! i dont think its as rare as you think hes quite a popular sire!
 
marley and danni said:
very cool mare i like her! i do stuff liek this with my exracer haha! Also he has northern dancer 3 times in his line once on sires side and twice on the dams side! i dont think its as rare as you think hes quite a popular sire!
Click to expand...

I didn't say it was rare - he's known as a sire of sires as well as a chef-de-race for working out aptitudes etc, he breeds great sires and most North American bred tbs have him somewhere in their lines. His close progeny win stakes like the Belmont, Preakness and Kentucky more than any other sire's in modern racing.

However those with him close in the pedigrees are often known to be quirky. Which was my point - not that he's a rare sire.

Yeah it's so interesting Lolo. Geoffs sire isnt that impressive, but his grand sire, Irish River, by Riverman, is known to be good at producing jumpers - a lot of eventers have Riverman somewhere, my boy is lucky he tail-males to him. His dam is northern dancer and mill reef on the dam's dam so pretty good herself - makes him a bit inbred on Neverbend lines (and further back he's inbred with Prince John and Princequillo on sire and dam).

Basically a whole lot of Eclipse lines... All your typical North American lines! Although he does have War Admiral and Man o War further back he's mostly Eclipse lines.
 
Lolo said:
Reg, the sanest hack we've ever owned, agrees with her fully and would like to add donkeys he doesn't personally know to that list :D The fact he lives with a donkey is not strong enough proof that the rest aren't Voldemort in disguise.
Click to expand...

*snorts* Poor Reg, there are very few trustworthy donkeys around these days.. :p
She's a gem to hack, I'd stick my granny on her (unless you were going to ask for trot on grass or a field then it's a battle to not canter!). In the school she's difficult but quite sane, is teaching me a lot!
 
Barry is 99% a beach donkey, 1% of the time he can be an idiot. Overall he dealt with the Double Decker Bus of Death pretty well :)

My mum threw a bottle of suncream over the wall to me once when I was riding my old pony...it hit her straight on the head and all she did was twitch slightly, bless :)
 
Maybe that is why Deli is so spesh - she is French through and through. Her sire - you go back 3 generations to find Riverman but everything else is French. Her mother is a random - sire known, dam not so the mothers side likely goes back to cobs lol and with the feet Deli has I wouldnt be surprised!

Not a trace of Northern Dancer for ages back!
 
In the right (knowledgeable) hands ex racers are the best!
Sadly a lot of novices & all the gear with no idea types think it would be a cheap way to get a good horse & I've seen some truly heart breaking situations over the years :(
It's not always just the horse that suffers, the poor novice owner often ends up terrified & bankrupt!
I see skinny, mismanaged, misunderstood one's out on the roads round here & it makes me sad.
 
EKW said:
Maybe that is why Deli is so spesh - she is French through and through. Her sire - you go back 3 generations to find Riverman but everything else is French. Her mother is a random - sire known, dam not so the mothers side likely goes back to cobs lol and with the feet Deli has I wouldnt be surprised!

Not a trace of Northern Dancer for ages back!
Click to expand...

Very possibly! I knew a mare with all French breeding that was the same, an absolute sweetie-pie :)

Yeah, Northern Dancer was known for being handful, to the point where the jockey and handlers queried him being gelded prior to his Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins - can you imagine if they had? Even as an old lad he was an attention seeker in the stables... My boy is obviously a throwback :S But then again that temperament is supposed to be why his offspring have such a high winning percentage - too bloomin' stubborn to lose once they decide they want to win!
 
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