Racehorse Training and Care
All of our horses are trained to have exceptional behavior, and racehorses are no exception.
At 2 years old, we start our racing-bred fillies and colts and they learn the basics of ridden work. Depending on their maturity, they might possibly race 2 or 3 times in their late two-year-old season, although most will be turned out over the winter and brought back at 3 to race.
As with all of our equines, our racehorses receive free-choice hay. This is shipped from our farm and is a mixture of alfalfa, timothy and orchard hay. They also enjoy a constant water supply as well as free-choice salt and minerals. Three times a day, they are offered an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from as they like; twice a day they receive their bucket of oats and barley (directly from our farm), mixed with apple cider vinegar and a personalized herbal supplement.
Each horse has a diet and routine that is unique. Our grooms are trained in massage therapy and work daily on every horse and chiropractic work is done every two/three weeks. In addition, stretches are a part of every exercise session, and three times a week, the horses' legs are hosed down, to help prevent any injury to the tendons and ligaments.
It is against our training practices to use harsh equipment or means to "correct" a problem. Most so-called problems are merely a symptom of something else, such as a dietary, social, or physical need. We do not use a bit at any time for leading or hand-walking, only for ridden work, and this is strictly a single bit, generally dressage-legal, which is both fitting and accepted by the horse. Although the racetrack does not provide facilities for turning horses out, we do our best to keep our horses isolated as little as possible. They receive regular exercise time, and are schooled in other disciplines and maneuvers at every opportunity; they rarely remain in the stall for more than two hours at a time during the day. In this way, we ensure the best for our horses, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
At 2 years old, we start our racing-bred fillies and colts and they learn the basics of ridden work. Depending on their maturity, they might possibly race 2 or 3 times in their late two-year-old season, although most will be turned out over the winter and brought back at 3 to race.
As with all of our equines, our racehorses receive free-choice hay. This is shipped from our farm and is a mixture of alfalfa, timothy and orchard hay. They also enjoy a constant water supply as well as free-choice salt and minerals. Three times a day, they are offered an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from as they like; twice a day they receive their bucket of oats and barley (directly from our farm), mixed with apple cider vinegar and a personalized herbal supplement.
Each horse has a diet and routine that is unique. Our grooms are trained in massage therapy and work daily on every horse and chiropractic work is done every two/three weeks. In addition, stretches are a part of every exercise session, and three times a week, the horses' legs are hosed down, to help prevent any injury to the tendons and ligaments.
It is against our training practices to use harsh equipment or means to "correct" a problem. Most so-called problems are merely a symptom of something else, such as a dietary, social, or physical need. We do not use a bit at any time for leading or hand-walking, only for ridden work, and this is strictly a single bit, generally dressage-legal, which is both fitting and accepted by the horse. Although the racetrack does not provide facilities for turning horses out, we do our best to keep our horses isolated as little as possible. They receive regular exercise time, and are schooled in other disciplines and maneuvers at every opportunity; they rarely remain in the stall for more than two hours at a time during the day. In this way, we ensure the best for our horses, mentally, emotionally, and physically.