Alternative training
Ways to prep horses for races by thinking outside the box
AS the aphorism says, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid. While many racehorses thrive on working in a string on the gallops, for some a different approach can prove key to unlocking — or rediscovering — a love for the job.
Leading point-to-point trainer Alan Hill, who has decades of experience and success, says they do not adopt to a “tunnel vision” approach when it comes to training.
“About 90% of horses will get fit and cope with going on all-weather and grass gallops and daily routine but, if they are not coping, there’s usually something that will help them,” he explains.
“Consigliere, for example, is retired now, but he was a very good open horse. He came to us from David Pipe because his handicap mark had become too high and David felt he needed a change of scenery and a lower grade of racing. He had tried very hard all his life but that, unfortunately, was at the handicapper’s peril.”
Alan adds they decided to see if he would enjoy hunting — which he did. The horse followed hounds during every season he pointed and will continue to enjoy hunting in retirement.
“He had days where my son [amateur jockey] Joe and daughter Gaby [also an accomplished rider] rode him and he would be right up the front popping away, to days where Victoria Pendleton came and she hunted him because he was such a gentleman.”
Hunting proved key for tricky but talented Start Royal, who has 26 pointing wins from 45 starts to his name.
‘He lives out most of the year and he likes that, and I try to keep his work really varied’
AMY COX ON BEGGAR’S VELVET
“He is a very difficult horse to train — you cannot train him on a gallops as he is a bit too wired,” adds Alan.“Over the years I’ve hunted him and he loves riding on with hounds — he is another example of one who we got that stamina and extra work into without having to revert to the gallops all the time.”
Others in the Hill yard who have benefited from an outside-the-box approach include According To Trev, who team chased, Hawkhurst, who Joe “rarely works with other horses”, and on Alan’s wife Lawney’s licensed training side, loose schooling has been the answer for highly strung multiple winner Oliver’s Hill.
Considering each horse as an individual is also important for their life after racing.
“A thoroughbred has more chance of racing and a hunter type has more chance of hunting, but the horses in between, whether they will make a good eventer, polo pony or team chaser, we have to ask those questions,” says Alan.
Jamie Goss, who runs a breaking and pre-training business alongside his point-topointers, is another advocate for hunting.
“I take all the babies out with the Farmers Bloodhounds on hound exercise, and I try to get them out two or three times as it gets them used to a big field. I do some jumping with them when I’m out as well,” says Jamie.
“Hunting and team chasing are good experience as it gets them used to things like crowds and speakers, having horses around them and seeing all different sorts of jumps — it gets their brains and their eyes working.”
The Northamptonshire-based horseman owns and trains Tricky Silence (Connor), who finished second at Cottenham in December and won at Horseheath in February in his only two runs last season, under jockey Sam Lee.
The six-year-old came out of training in 2017, and Jamie hunted and team chased him through the autumn and over the winter to “sweeten him up”.
“He would have run a few more times, but I decided to keep hunting him — I really enjoy my team chasing and bloodhounding,” explains Jamie, who was on the winning Only Way Is Edgecote team on Connor in the novice speed class at the Pytchley team chase in October.
“I don’t work him too hard at home, but he does a lot of cantering around the farm. He has a lot of ability, it’s just about whether he decides to use it.”
MILES of hacking and hours of poring over maps paid off for Alexandra Bell and her own multiple open winner, Ni Sin E Mo Ainm.
The horse has had tendon injuries in the past, so Alexandra carefully tailors “Nemo’s” fitness plan with that in mind.
“I get the Ordnance Survey map out and look at the area, and I base what I do on where there are good hills and bridlepaths,” she says.
“If you look around the area where you are, there are always bridleways and fields to canter around.”
Alexandra adds she is able to get a lot out of hacking by ensuring that the horse is working through from behind, which she credits to her background in eventing and showjumping, and her instructor mother. Midlands-based trainer Laura Horsfall likes to incorporate variety into her horses’ routines by way of trips out training on different surfaces.
“When I rode out for [owner/breeder] Sylvia Busby, we would go on different routes every day across fields, bridleways, tracks; opening and shutting gates, cantering across fields, very rarely going more than a hack canter,” says Laura.
“Sylvia would always have her horses fit and well, plus the horses didn’t really know they were even being trained. I sometimes box my pointers over to do the same with those who need a change of scenery or to educate the younger horses.
“There is nothing better than grass to get a point-to-pointer fit, but with the dreadful wet winter last season and the current firm ground, the all-weather gallops are a godsend.”
Amy Cox, who won the 2017 Point-to-Point Owners and Riders Association’s novice riders’ final aboard her own Beggar’s Velvet, credits the horse’s former owner Drew Holmes with tips on how best to manage the gelding.
“He lives out most of the year and he seems to like that,” says Amy, who is returning to pointing this season after a break due to having her second child.
“He is a real character and quite an individual — it suits him to do his own thing. He comes in if the weather is horrendous otherwise he stays out, as he gets stressed if he is in the stable for too long.”
The 12-year-old, by Dr Massini, is kept company by Amy’s retired eventer — who sometimes also enjoys a trip to the races to keep his fieldmate happy.
Amy takes Beggar’s Velvet to Chris Loggin’s yard for schooling, but the majority of the work is done at home, where he is ridden by Amy, her mother and Rosie Haigh, who works at the family’s wedding business.
“I do try to keep his work really varied and take different routes,” explains Amy.
“I am lucky in that it is an arable farm and Dad lets me have a few grass edges around the farm, and we have one really good hill.
“Drew always says that Beggar’s Velvet is best fresh, so if he is messing around then you know he is pretty ready for a run!”