Well, ’tis the season where it’s hard to fit everything into a day. Being at the track almost full time plus slogging through tax season definitely does not leave time for consistent riding on one special bay gelding. 

In the past, when I get this busy and don’t have a seasoned horse, I end up forgoing riding completely. When I’m too busy to keep them going regularly, I also lack the energy for that “pre-ride” lunge.

This year? Well, I can’t say I’ve gotten MUCH time on him these last few weeks, but I’ve gotten some. And I can credit that, largely, to my time spent on the backstretch.  

Grayson enjoying lunch (Lindsay Turcotte photo)

I remember when I got my first horse fresh from the racetrack, I had some preconceived ideas that turned out to be very much incorrect. It’s not that I thought they were wild, crazy, half-broke lunatics – I never had that impression at all. But I didn’t really appreciate how much they do have to do, and learn, and understand.  

The biggest thing I’ve discovered is how mentally solid a good racehorse must be. Obviously, things vary horse by horse. But when we think about it, what these horses must do, and cope with on the track, is extraordinary.  

Here in Alberta, Canada, while some trainers go south in the offseason, others do not, which results in many of the horses getting turned out at the end of October or so. They then don’t come back into training until late January or sometime in February. Then, some go on the wheel and get fit without a rider. Others with arenas ride them. Mileage varies.

Then, they come back to the track, already with some level of fitness, to a flurry of activity. And at the racetrack, there are no arenas or warm up rings. There are no lunge lines, or ways to work a horse down before throwing a rider on and sending them out on a “Hail Mary” around a mile of dirt after time off. And yet, while it can be a bit wild at times, most of the horses, after all that time off, in a hectic place, just head out to the track and go back to work like seasoned pros. 

They walk from the barn to the track and eventually the track back to the barn – adrenaline or not – and they need to do it safely without putting their rider, themselves, or other horses and riders at risk. And 99% of the time, most do. The other 1% of the time? Well, “horses gonna horse,” whether they’re on the racetrack or are the best broke kid’s horse out there. 

Grayson examines polocrosse racquet (Lindsay Turcotte photo)

At the races, they must stand to be saddled in the atmosphere of the paddock, which is pretty charged with nerves and anticipation because these horses know exactly what’s coming. They must walk around for the public to see them, have a rider legged up among all the other horses in the race, stand in the tight confines of the starting gate, just waiting for them to open. … I mean, let’s face it, most of our fancy show horses would be mind blown if we tossed them into that environment with the same expectations!

So, when Grayson had had three weeks off due to, well, circumstances, the me who had never spent all this time on the backside around the racehorses would have declined and stayed home when offered a chance to take him to an outing to try something even I had no experience with.

Truthfully, I’m not sure old me would have signed up, even with a seasoned horse. But 2024 me, with the Thoroughbred Makeover looming, Grayson needing field trips, having watched so many racehorses handle so much pressure over the last few years, and knowing how cucumber-cool my horse is … 

Well, I hauled that horse out of the pasture, brushed him up, put my saddle on him, loaded him and myself in a stranger’s rig, and off we went to a neighboring town’s public arena for … an introduction to polocrosse clinic. 

Another thing I wish I had a picture of was me leading my recently retired stakes horse across the parking lot in a simple leather halter, him in one hand and his bridle, my brush box, a box of polos and other odds and sods in the other.  

I got him in the arena, tied him up to the hitching rail like any other broke horse (now this, he’s just exceptional about, but many are quite concerned about being tied out in the open, so don’t expect this from all!), and while keeping half an eye on him just in case, went into the arena to learn about the racquet, how to pick up the ball, etc., on foot. 

When we included the horses, his entire attitude to being touched with the racquet, having it swung around him, etc., was just “Oh, OK. If you must.”

The clinician tossed a ball at him at one point – gently – in attempt to demonstrate how the horse must get used to being hit by the balls, and his attitude was: “Come on, I’ve been pelted with dirt clods bigger than that ball!”  

Grayson and Lindsay getting a feel for polocrosse basics (Lindsay Turcotte photo)

Then, I clambered aboard from a too-short mounting block and we rode, and picked up the ball, and tossed it around, and he cared … exactly 0%.

Honestly, the individual that probably needed a lunge, and maybe a bit of tranq, in this partnership that day was me. I’m not the bravest, and once they started mock rounds I was not comfortable joining in. I didn’t want to risk overwhelming Grayson – but moreso – I’m not brave and didn’t want to overwhelm myself. Ha.  

Still, when they were short a horse part way through, I offered him up to one of the seasoned polocrosse riders to use for a round to give him a bit of exposure.

Grayson was utterly nonchalant about it:

“You want to smack someone else’s racket? Go ahead.”

“You want to bully your way past that horse? Sure, why not, let’s do it.”   

But … why wouldn’t he be? He had an excellent foundation at the track, was well-handled, he managed the pressure of the racetrack like a pro, and he’s an old soul. Not all OTTBs would be quite this phenomenally level when tossed into a new environment with a totally new set of expectations so soon after leaving the racetrack, but Real Grace had already shown me how composed he can be. I went in with the attitude that his comfort with the activities would dictate our participation level and, by George, we need field trips before this trip across the border this fall!  

And it turns out, his comfort level with the situation far surpassed my own! But this should be unsurprising — the racetrack equipped him with all the tools necessary to handle the new situation without the slightest concern. Me? Well, let’s just say I need a few more trips to the paddock before I can match Real Grace’s mental fortitude.

I’ve managed to ride, at least a little bit, throughout this hectic time of year because I’ve discovered I can rely on Grayson’s racetrack foundation and just get on and ride. No lunging and pre-ride calisthenics required. And I took it one step further by randomly field-tripping us into an extremely new environment for both of us. This adaptability is just one thing that their racing foundation gives OTTBs that translates great into their after-careers.

Until next time, whether you’re developing one on the track or in sport, ride on.

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.