Tag: Horse Care

Holly Payne Caravella, an international eventing competitor and trainer, tells Practical Horseman why she is devoted to the Thoroughbred breed. 

Thoroughbreds were ideally suited to the classic three-day eventing format, which included both roads-and-tracks and steeplechases phases in addition to the traditional cross-country, dressage and showjumping. With natural endurance, the Thoroughbred dominated this older style of eventing competition. 

When eventing eliminated the steeplechase and roads-and-tracks phases, Warmbloods began to infiltrate the upper-level ranks. 

Holly says that Thoroughbreds are often not as flashy in their movement as their Warmblood counterparts, which can negatively affect their dressage scores. Additionally, Warmbloods often don't have to be as well-trained as Thoroughbreds to excel in the dressage and showjumping phases. 

Eventing competitors are now seeking out “crossbreds” (Warmbloods with Thoroughbred blood), but many riders are truly interested in the horse's breeding – they want to be sure their mount has enough Thoroughbred blood to be competitive in the cross-country phase. 

Holly finds most Thoroughbreds easier to train than Warmbloods; they are more spatially aware of their bodies, their brains work quickly and they tend to stay naturally fit with less conditioning. Though Thoroughbreds can be more sensitive, this can become an advantage once a relationship is established, she explains. 

Thoroughbreds are making a comeback in competition rings in a big way. Holly says programs like the Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program and the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover are highlighting what great athletes these horses can be. 

This is a positive thing, she notes, driving up the price of retired racehorses, which in turn is a boon for horse welfare. It encourages racehorse owners to potentially race the horses a bit less in an effort to retire them sound and encourage a post-racing riding career. 

Click here to learn what Holly looks for in an eventing prospect. 

The post Holly Payne Caravella: Endurance, Sensitivity Make Thoroughbreds Perfect For Three-Day Eventing appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Though relaxation is a goal with an off-track Thoroughbred, riding without focus can contribute to distractions and “bad” behavior, Aubrey Graham, anthropologist and trainer at Kivu Sport Horses told Horse Nation. 

Riding intentionally will keep a horse interested, which in turn will keep him engaged and progressing, Aubrey said. This is of particular importance to those who ride OTTBs, who tend to be smart and often become bored easily, causing them to seek distractions. 

Additionally, OTTBs can get stuck in training “ruts” of being ridden the same way each day; they may express displeasure at being asked to change. 

Horses can express their unhappiness in a few ways: anticipating an upcoming gait change or movement; exerting the minimal amount of effort and becoming dull; and being blatantly bad, like bucking, rearing, spooking, etc. 

A rider who seeks to be more interesting – and therefore keep her horse's interest – must differentiate between “working on” and “working toward” Aubrey says. “Working on” involves core foundational pieces of riding that will serve a horse well no matter what discipline he takes on (like rhythm and straightness). “Working toward” means setting goals and working on building the skills to attain them, like progressing to jumping high jumps or competing at higher levels. 

Read Aubrey's hints on how to keep OTTB brains engaged at Horse Nation. 

The post The Art Of Intention: Avoiding Bad Habits When Riding A Thoroughbred appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Zippy Chippy, horse racing's most loveable loser, has died.

A retiree at Old Friends at Cabin Creek in Greenfield Center, New York, a satellite of Kentucky's Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement in Georgetown, the son of Compliance out of Listen Lady, by Buckfinder, was 31.

Campaigned by owner-trainer Felix Montserrate, who acquired the horse in 1995 by trading a Ford Truck, Zippy is known more for losing races than winning them. In 100 starts, he never crossed the finish line first. But he earned fame in other ways—for being cantankerous and for putting on carnival exhibitions where he once raced against a baseball player.

In 2000 People Magazine even voted Zippy Chippy one of the year's “Most Intriguing Characters.”

Banned from numerous tracks due to such antics as refusing to break from the gate, Zippy finally retired from racing in 2004 and had a brief second career as an outrider's pony at his home track, Finger Lakes in New York.

In April 2010, the aging campaigner found a home at Old Friends at Cabin Creek. Under the guidance of Cabin Creek owner and manager JoAnn Pepper, Zippy finally found solace with a paddock mate, Red Down South, a chestnut New York-bred gelding.

In recent years, they were the stars of Cabin Creek.

“Zippy was our main character here, and he lived his life his way,” said Cabin Creek's Pepper. “He was so content, and would not do anything he wasn't in the mood for. He taught me so much about life, and I'll miss him forever.”

“Zippy found his greatest success as a retiree,” said Old Friends founder and president, Michael Blowen. “Joann and all of the volunteers at Cabin Creek adored him, and he attracted hundreds of fans to the farm each year. He was finally a star.

“Our thanks to Joann and Mark Pepper and everyone at Cabin Creek for the wonderful care they gave Zippy,” Blowen continued. “I know he will be deeply missed by all.”

The post ‘Loveable Loser’ Zippy Chippy Dies At Age 31 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post