Not long ago, I was walking through a shedrow and stopped to congratulate the trainer on a gutsy win. They commented that the horse has a ton of try, and anytime it went off form there was a reason. 

This was something I was already noticing but hadn’t really thought to put words to or consider what, exactly, it really meant overall.  

And it’s not just about where they placed in each field of horses. A horse can win and run badly, or run last but have run well. It’s the overall pattern and consistency in how they train, race, and travel. Did they lug in or out when they normally don’t? Did they not change leads? Are they swapping earlier than usual? Later? All of these and more could be the early indicators of something brewing. 

OTTB Real Grace, aka Grayson (Courtesy of Lindsay Turcotte)

The good trainers on the backstretch – and there are many – listen to their horses. And when something isn’t right – even if they can’t quite put their finger on it, or even if the horse could still run despite it – they give them time. 

Of course, it’s never that simple, and on top of the trainer, it requires good owners willing to let the horses have the time they need and put their long-term well-being above the next race, if something needs to be worked through or investigated. A person could probably write a book about it.

All it is, though, is good old-fashioned horsemanship. Listen to your horse and put his or her well-being above our desires and material gain. It really got me thinking about how it all ties into my training while simultaneously improving the future soundness of the horse in its subsequent off-track career.  

If one listens to and takes the subtle changes seriously, a good running horse can have a longer, more successful racing career. And, if they aren’t pointed to the breeding shed afterward, are more likely to have soundness and value in sport. Everyone loves a good war horse because “If they held up to race, they’ll hold up to anything.” Perhaps, though, a good war horse didn’t just “hold up” – it was listened to, given time when it needed it, and trained with consideration to its physical and mental well behind in a way that it could hold up to race, and beyond.

Patience and horsemanship go a long way. (Courtesy of Lindsay Turcotte)

That benefits the horse, both in racing, where our stock is depleting, and in sport – where we can’t beat the heart and try these horses have.

Real Grace retired well before his physical or mental condition OR his ability said he needed to. He was running, running well enough, but in his 5-year-old year, he sustained a tendon lesion. It was unnoticeable when he jogged; in fact, he’d passed the pre-race veterinary exam the morning it was discovered. After the vet check, but before races, his trainer walked down the shedrow, narrowed her eyes at an almost imperceivable bubble on his tendon, and called the veterinarian over. He was scratched as a precautionary measure, and when they later performed an ultrasound, the lesion was discovered.

He was sent home, rehabbed, and brought back the next year – extra carefully. He was competitive when he ran, but he meant so much to them that they didn’t want to risk another injury on the track. So, he left racing, prematurely perhaps, but I got a horse who, other than the tendon lesion and a tie-back surgery, has minimal-to-no vet history. No injections, nothing. He is strong and sound.

But here’s the thing. I have a sound horse. He feels great. He’s coming along beautifully. But he’s an absolutely exasperating creature when it comes to picking up the right lead. Truthfully, he has been since the day I got him.

I’m an amateur. I am blessed with a decent level of feel, but I don’t ride 10 horses a day and my timing is not as quick or perfect or honed as those who do. So, this past month a friend who stays with me when she runs her horse down here came out and hopped on him. I got to watch her ride, and watching showed me a great deal.

You can set him up perfectly and he will literally go to pick it up, and then stop himself, shove his right rib cage in, and take the left.  

We added spurs, to gently poke his ribs back where they belong. This ended up being a huge benefit to his overall training and has brought me occasional moments where I can see and feel the full potential of this horse. This is my upper-level prospect, if I can get my own poop-in-a-group.  

Grayson volunteering a moment of carriage while I look to the future. (Courtesy of Lindsay Turcotte)

It also gets his rib out of the way and makes the lead easier to get. Once he’s cantering right, he’s balanced and willing to go. But picking it up is a battle, and he always seems to be looking for a way not to.

So now, I’ll be looking harder at his left hind leg and diligently over his entire body no matter how good he feels when I’m on him. I’ll be focusing even more on suppling and moving his body around when I ride, stretching him out, and having the vet look him over a bit harder than I intended when he comes out to do all those vaccines we need before travelling to Kentucky.  

Hopefully we figure it out soon – and hopefully he is ready to take to the Thoroughbred Makeover in October. If he isn’t – his future is too long and too bright to push for something he’s not ready for. You can bet that I will be listening even more carefully to him now than ever.  

Because dressage came from training horses for battle. Listening to your horse and figuring out what it means makes war horses. And Real Grace has always gone eagerly to battle. 

While we work on that right lead, and continuing his development, I encourage everyone to ride on, and listen to your horses. If they aren’t doing something right, there’s always a reason.

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.