Eventer ownership - first impressions
Since Amanda Merritt settled into Sleuth Wood in 2016 we occasionally discussed the idea of purchasing one or two horses with potential to bring on and then re-selling or syndicating to recoup some of our costs. I liked the idea of reviving my amateur eventing career, at least vicariously through Amanda. We’d dreamt of owning a successful race horse - how about a LR Kentucky 4* winner instead?! Sleuth Wood is a perfect environment for horses to live and learn a new job. We even told ourselves that a future sale or two could pay back the money invested!
About this time last year a casual idea turned quickly into reality through an exchange of texts between Texas and Ireland. We were on one of our trips back to the UK when coincidentally Amanda visited Danny Morales’s TB race horse facility to look at a horse with Kathy Rivera. While they were there Kathy rode a second horse, got the right signals from her “seat” to describe it the most polite way, and recommended to Amanda that this might be the kind of prospect we could work on.
An exchange of texts followed, the horse somehow found his way to the farm for a trial, a video was shot and watched, and we all agreed that this was a really nice horse. A 3 year old OTTB, raced once (he won), and a super pedigree including some famous racers like Seattle Slew. Classic Jack had arrived!
The first horse was pretty nice too, but unfortunately did not pass his vetting. A few weeks later that other horse was resurfaced: “he’s sound now, and he’s a really nice one too”. “OK”, I said “in for a penny, in for a pound - but remember we’ll need to sell one of them within a year”. Yep. That stupid! (I have previous by the way - in 2006 I went to New Zealand on vacation and came back with a prelim going on 1* horse!).
Trouble Brothers: Flat Gone (with the blaze) on the left and Classic Jack on the right. Christmas Eve 2017.
In any case, Flat Gone arrived at Sleuth Wood. He is a different case from Jack, 6 year old, a lot of claims racing, and all the ownership and setting changes that go with that, but more kudos to Danny and his team, they recognized that it was better to sell him to a new home and career that send him back to claims racing. While Jack settled into Sleuth Wood quickly, poor Flat was much more nervous. I’ve heard that race horses are not often turned out, if at all, and only leave their stalls to train, “breeze”, and race. On the day of his first turn out he was very nervous and even Fide (who has a bit of a whisperer in him) had difficulty leading him from the barn to the big pasture. Awkward on the lunge - particularly on the right rein - is that four years running to the left? But on the plus side - both boys have nice movement in all three gaits, are quick learners and have proven to be brave.
I am used to warmbloods and sports horses and have a particular affinity (of course) with the Irish Sport Horse. Hence I was perhaps a little anxious about both our prospects being OTTBs. However, I quickly learnt not to be worried. Within a couple of months of their arrival, a horse-savvy friend did challenge me on the wisdom of the projects: wouldn’t an OTTB find it difficult to adjust to a new career? I was already able to tell him otherwise. Sure they have had their moments, like Jack breaking free and running across the field at Pine Hill, or Flat’s nervous tick of backing up when having his girth tightened (he broke the barn wall panel in one episode). But it has been very rewarding to see them respond to Amanda’s careful and responsible training and grow fitter in mind and body in their new home at Sleuth Wood. I guess we made a good first impression on Flat and Jack and they responded in the generous way that only horses can provide.
SPT
P.S. Classic Jack and Flat Gone are doing well. If this blog generates even a little interest we will follow up with further updates of their progress, as well as any other relevant stories from our horse world.