When Bronn first came to me, over a year ago at this point, he was truly the epitome of what a racehorse should be. Sleek, strong, powerful, sound… When he walked off that trailer, I remember thinking this was a dream come true. In fact, I felt like Velvet watching The Pi walk towards her seemingly in a dream. How is this, how is HE, real!?

Well, what finally DOES feel a little bit real is that spring is right around the corner. Having moved to Colorado around October, my herd and I have only been here for what has often been described to me as the worst winter since anyone can remember. Anyway, this past month has allowed us to shake off the cold for a few days at a time, and try to get focused on our training goals.

Courtesy of Meghan McNamara

We have begun taking lessons with a couple of eventing trainers in the area, focusing on the basics. I mean "inside leg to outside rein” basics. Differing from my past Makeover experiences, I am choosing to be Bronn’s sole trainer, aside from rides here and there. I may have competed last year in English events, but let me tell you, being green to the intricacies of the English disciplines while on a 17-hand, green, freight train of a racehorse has certainly been my biggest challenge yet. I am so grateful I happened upon the kindest, most forgiving, and honest baby horse there ever was.

Aside from the basics, Bronn has gone on his first couple of hunts with Arapahoe Hunt Club. I have not been hunting long, so this has been yet another discipline in which I am actively learning. Though we are starting out slowly, the hunt can still be an overwhelming experience, especially for young racehorses who are trained to not allow any other horse to pass them… This being said, on our first hunt Bronn did exceptionally well; though starting out with a jig, he soon started to figure it out and relax. There were a few times where we got in a good run, and I may as well have died and gone to heaven. If I were to guess, he takes one stride to every other horses’ three. If I was a bit behind, he would just take a leap and there we were, right next to the others. Where we hunt is riddled with yucca, and there were instances when a large clustering of plants was in front of us and he would simply sail on over it. On other horses, I may have been nervous, but something about Bronn’s power and size makes me feel safe.

Fast forward to our second hunt, and things were a bit more spicy, if you will. It was a Wednesday and a small group turned out, many of us on green horses to hilltop. Going out with the hounds, Bronn strode out at the walk with no jig, figuring it out and knowing that he should relax and conserve his energy. Well conserve his energy he did, because at the first simple trot, we was ready to roll, grabbing the bit and running off multiple times. Long story short, it was more difficult for him, as with the smaller group of horses, there wasn’t quite a defined hilltopping field. I think since he experienced his first hunt, he knew what to expect a bit more and wasn’t really in the “I’m going to listen to my rider” mindset, but instead had a “I am going to beat all of these horses and win whatever race this is” train of thought. He did everything I could have expected as a green horse trained to win and he was really trying hard to contain himself and listen as best he could, so I was proud of him regardless.

It all ended on a good note, and as he began coming back to me, I finally let him gallop. I won’t lie, I was stressed. “Am I ruining him? Am I being too strong? Should we go back in? Should I sell all my horses and take up golf?” And as his stride lengthened and he ate up the ground, simply flying over the rugged terrain, dodging prairie dog holes and gliding over yucca, I told myself to trust. Just trust him and let go.

Courtesy of Meghan McNamara

My mind went back to “National Velvet.” Growing up watching that movie, I was inspired by the dream that anything is possible, and I truly believed the relationship between a girl and her horse can be the most unstoppable force. “Just trust him, just trust him, keep your hands in his mane and just trust him,” I repeated through gritted teeth, and looking back, though stressed, that long solo gallop with him on that particular Wednesday has been the most magical and eye opening “training” experience for me. He told me what he needed, and it’s now my responsibility to listen.

Looking forward to the upcoming schooling shows and training sessions, I am going to back off a bit. Posts on the RRP Trainers page frequently address insecurities around being behind in training and going very slowly, and I am certainly in that camp this year. Bronn needed the last year to fight his cancer diagnosis and to continue growing, it’s insane how many changes his body has gone through, and based on his current state, I know he has more growth stages to go.

The past month since my last post hasn’t been the most glamourous. There have been many days where, quite frankly, I haven’t felt like riding. The stress of my new job and “starting over” in a new state or just feeling overwhelmingly homesick take over. Each day, when I go out to give him his meds and love on my other horses, I’m reminded why I do this and that they are all “home” to me. March was tough in many aspects, but it certainly was the most revealing in what Bronn and I both need in a partnership, and that’s trust. And moving forward, I trust that he will always take care of me as long as I truly listen to him.

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.