If families fancy an away day. they might head off to Alton Towers, or go for a day on the coast – but for racehorses the options are more limited.
Recently, I boxed up four from the yard and took them down to Compton on the edge of the Berkshire Downs, above the River Pang valley, for a proper day out.
Whilst much of my time as a trainer is planning and executing a physical training regime for each horse in my care, the mental side of the game is just as important.
Boxing up horses for a trip away is a vital part of the process of teaching and educating racehorses – they need to know what to expect when travelling and therefore become less likely to fret and worry when going racing.
The historic gallops at Compton provide not only a stunning visual vista for humans, but some of the very best turf gallops anywhere in the world.
Currently maintained by Peter Cundell, these gallops can’t be faulted and watching my quartet stride out on a late summer morning reminded me of why I love my job
You could sense how much the horses enjoyed the change of scenery and having such a cushion of grass on top of old turf to gallop on as they meandered back down from the top of the gallops to the horseboxes.
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