Off The Track Tasmania

Author: Courtney Pearce

  • Dressage and Show Jump competitions

    Dressage and Show Jump competitions

    Thankfully with rest and bodywork, Pringles’ back is again feeling great. Overall our training at home has been going well, so this month we were able to attend a few events and training opportunities away from home.

    Our first challenge was a show jump freshman’s day. This was such a great training experience and Pringles took this all in her stride, coping very well with the environment and other horses. She was still a bit anxious when I left her at the float or yards by herself.  She did break off the float twice but she is certainly improving.

    After a good experience at the freshman’s, our next challenge was an unofficial Dressage Tasmania competition. Things started off well with Pringles being really settled in the yards, with all the horses coming and going past her. We then headed out to the warm-up area where she started off a little tense but I felt I could still ride her and get her brain back with me. I was really proud of how she warmed up before we headed over towards the test arena, where the wheels started to fall off. She became very tense and stressed, and all our ‘buttons’ went out the window. We worked through this and went into our test, however, retired two movements into the test due to poor Pringles not coping at all with the environment. I was disappointed as I really thought she was ready but her brain didn’t cope.  It has given me plenty of things to work on to improve for next time!

    After consolidating at home for a little while we then ventured out to our first show jump competition. This was at the same grounds as the previous freshman event, so a good chance to go where she had a good experience. We had a great day!  Still some green horse reactive moments, especially in the warm-up but overall I was very happy with how she handled the day. Pringles is such a lovely and willing horse but she can be very reactive, especially in environments she finds adrenalising or stressful. This just shows me that I need to continue to get her out and about to expose her to different environments and situations.  We will also continue to further her education at home to help us when we are out of her comfort zone.

    As well as our outings I have continued to consolidate our training, both at home and with our weekly flat lessons. I have also had both her saddles refitted; her dressage saddle was fitting well however her jump saddle needed adjusting due to her filling out and changing shape.

    The end of this month marks the 12-month anniversary since Pringles’ last race.

    Pringles competition gallery

  • Ups and downs, befores and afters

    Ups and downs, befores and afters

    For me this month was the reality of the highs and lows of owning and working with horses.

    We had some brilliant moments in our training which included attending our first Dressage Association training day. It was great to have wonderful OTT coach Sue McDermott’s expertise for our first training day outing. We worked on slowing down Pringle’s legs and lowering her head and neck to relax in the new environment. I was very pleased with how Pringles coped with the atmosphere.

    During the month, we have had some great hack outs through the bush and along the beach where Pringles has felt so confident and happy which is great.  Unfortunately, we also had one terrible trail ride, where she seems to have lost all her training and it was like I was riding a fire-breathing dragon that didn’t know if it wanted to run home backwards at a million miles an hour or throw itself up, down and around! We made it home safely and I took her to the arena straight away to get her brain back, where she was super and we actually did some lovely relaxed work. But that’s horses!

    Unfortunately, halfway through this month’s training I was doing the daily cleaning out of Pringle’s paddock and noticed huge skid marks across the paddock. When riding her, she was not happy and felt quite crooked. She also kicked up her hind legs in the canter which is very unlike her. I got off and organised my body worker to come and see her as soon as possible. Pringles was very sore through the muscles over her lumbar spine and ended up needing 2 weeks’ rest and continued body work.   I am so pleased that I know her well enough to understand when she is trying to tell me she isn’t comfortable.

    While Pringles was having some time off, we managed a dental check and a booster tetanus injection.  The vet also ran a faecal egg count that came back negative, which is great for my worming regime and paddock rotation.

    Unfortunately during this downtime we missed out on being able to ride in our first show jump clinic. However, I decided to still take her along and I held her in hand and practised our ‘park’ in the arena while the other horses in the group participated in the lesson. This was great exposure for Pringles and I’m pleased we were able to do something productive in this time.

    Next month I plan to attend a show jumping freshman’s day and our first Dressage Competition, depending on how Pringle’s back is feeling closer to those events. We have now had our first ride after her time off and she is feeling good again, so hopefully there is no more hooning and slipping in the paddock hurting herself! 🤞

  • Naracoorte International Horse Trials 20-21 May 2023

    Well, this was a very interesting, stressful but entertaining weekend!

    Firstly, do not trust Google Maps through Melbourne at 6.30 am in the morning – or at least study your maps completely and decide on the route.

    We left Yarra Valley at 6.30 am Friday to drive 7 hours to Naracoorte, SA. Pre-travel, we gave the horses their breakfast, wrapped up their legs to prevent swelling and gave them hay in the floats. Given the long travel, we wanted the horses to be eating to keep a lining on their guts. They were also able to drop their heads in the float to digest the food properly. Roughy does tend to get some swelling around his fetlocks when standing for long periods, so keeping pressure on his legs assists with this.

    Google Maps, unfortunately, took us right through Melbourne suburbia, on very narrow roads next to tram lines at 7.30 am in the morning. If that wasn’t enough, maps took us on a beaten down, one-lane-should-have-been-gravel road for over an hour instead of keeping us on the A8 – with no reception. The horses thankfully arrived fine and had an hour’s grazing once in Naracoorte to fill their stomachs and clear their airways.

    Roughy competed in a Dressage Jackpot on the Friday, in the Novice 2.1. His training had paid off and he scored a 66% to place 2nd in a field of 15.

    For the Trials, it was a ‘pat-the-horse’ ‘slap-the-rider’ scenario with the wrong dressage test learnt. When the rider before me was in the ring, I realised I had the wrong test. We learnt a completely new test – the FEI CC1* Test A – in around 1 minute. Roughy was an absolute gem, staying cool and calm while I learnt the test and then followed the movements with no issue. It was a very tight test, with short turns and 10m circles which Roughy isn’t brilliant with yet. However, he stayed in his frame, worked nicely and calmly and scored 63% to place 5th.

    The show jumping course was nicely flowing, however, many riders dropped rails. To my surprise, Roughy was the picture of confidence and cruised around dropping two poles.

    Cross-country was at the historic property of Strathayre and on the gorgeous ground. Again, Roughy had grown in confidence and cruised around the course clear but added 6.8-time penalties – I swear I’m going fast on him, but it’s deceiving as the stride length is long, but the tempo slow. Roughy finished the competition in 8th place from a field of 21.

    I am so extremely happy with the development Roughy has shown since being over here and how his confidence has grown. The next event and last one for Roughy is Albury this weekend.

  • Tonimbuk Monthly Jumping Competition 14 May 2023

    On the 14 May, we took the team to Tonimbuk Monthly Jumping Competition for an easy outing. This was Roughy’s first time jumping, let alone competing, in an indoor and also his first time at 1.10cm.

    Again, he was a little sticky for the first few jumps but grew confident throughout the day. He was super in his 1.10m round, just getting two poles. I find a lot of horses (and riders) jump better when the jumps increase slightly – this is because there is less margin for error and the rider has to be more assertive and accurate about their decisions and this will normally create a better jump from the horse. Even though there were a few poles, the quality of jump and learning from going up to 1.10m for Roughy was absolutely beneficial.

    Roughy is such an easygoing, ‘take everything in his stride’ type nature (which most thoroughbreds are), which makes progression and challenges much easier.

  • Ballarat International 6-7 May 2023

    Ballarat was our first competition on the mainland, and Roughy’s first CCI Competition. He competed in the CCI1* OTT section, thanks to Racing Victoria.

    Being a CCI event, there was a lot of atmosphere at the competition and warm-up areas. Roughy completed a commendable dressage test, with 63% which I was happy with for a new test.

    Sunday was Show Jumping and Cross-country events for Roughy. The show jumping was a little sticky, with Roughy looking at the fill a little more than usual so resulted in 2 poles.

    I was not sure how Roughy would react to the small Ballarat cross-country course.  It is a tight course with lots of twists and turns and back and forth from the float areas and many jump types he hadn’t yet seen or trained over. Again, we started out a little sticky but with support he grew confidence and flew around the remaining course without looking or questioning anything.

    I often find with younger or green horses, while they are still learning, you do need to nurse them over the first few jumps. You need to be supportive and encourage them, but getting forceful can stress them, and doesn’t seem to help them down the track.

    Roughy completed the cross-country with some time faults but no jumping penalties, to finish 22nd overall. After cross-country, there is a quick vet check which I find interesting to gauge their fitness and recovery level. Thankfully, I find the Thoroughbreds recover extremely well with cross-country and Roughy had no problems.

    Back at Yarra Valley Eventing, we had a few lessons with Emily Anker working on Roughy’s dressage. I have found his dressage to be the hardest to develop on him, as he is a little laid back and seems to ‘coast’ through the work – he holds a nice frame and moves well and does everything you ask of him and averages a low 60% in dressage. While he does like to sit in his frame, there’s been a lack of energy or sit in his work that’s been preventing him from scoring a high 60% or 70%.  We will continue to put in work, and thankful for Emily’s teaching and advice.

  • About Rough Road (Roughy)

    About Rough Road (Roughy)

    Foal Date: 14/10/2015

    Bay/Brown Gelding

    Bred Grenville Stud

    Raced JKB Racing, Longford

    21 starts | Prize money $63,000

    Last raced 5 September 2021 Devonport | Retired 1/8/2022

    Roughy as he’s known at home, was bred by Grenville Stud and one of the last West Quest foals. He is a local Thoroughbred through and through.  While racing, Roughy was a quirky personality and a favourite of the track riders. He loved a cuddle and licking his grooms.

    Elsie Lindsay was approached by JKB Racing to take Roughy once he retired. I have always had thoroughbreds and was looking for a project at the time so it just fell into place. Once spelled, he took to post-racing life like a duck to water.

    The biggest contributor towards Roughy’s after-racing life is his easygoing nature. He’s so adaptable to new situations and takes everything in his stride. Roughy has been great around Elsie’s kids, giving pony rides to them and having them run around his legs with the dogs.   I’ve put a couple of Pony Club riders on him to coach, and my mum has been riding him. He’s always the same to ride no matter how much time he’s had off. He’s simply a cool, versatile dude.

    His first competition was a Jumping day and he placed in his first class. There were none of the typical racehorse antics; he was totally cool, calm and collected.

    His first Eventing experience was also a huge success, starting at Ev80 at Lilydale Horse Trials in December. This was his first time in a dressage arena, and we’d been able to school him on cross-country twice from memory. But he cruised around and won that event.

    He recently won the ETAS Jumping Titles Young Horse Championship at 1.05m, besting a very competitive and experienced field. He has now completed his first CCN1* event at ETAS Eventing Championships going clear XC. For a young horse to climb the levels so quickly and easily is a testament to his character.  In saying that, he is still green and inexperienced, so I need to ensure he’s set up correctly for success.

  • Preparation and Bon Voyage! 28 April 2023

    For our trip, we are based with Yarra Valley Eventing with Emily Anker and Will Enzinger.  Roughy will compete at Ballarat International, Naracoorte and Albury Horse Trials in the CCN1* Class. Emily coaches me on my other ride Bronson and was a huge part of our success at MI3DE last year.

    Also helping Roughy out with his development has been Sonja Johnson, who comes down for regular clinics and Elsie Lindsay who kicks me into gear on a regular basis.

    Roughy is also assisted with PEMF Therapy from Elite Equine Pulse Therapy which has made a huge difference.

    I believe Roughy is a great example of our Tasmanian Thoroughbreds and the success Tassie riders can have with them. There are plenty of resources available to retrain them and they consistently prove how competitive the breed is.

    I thank Tasracing for their support of Off the Track thoroughbreds and look forward to sharing our adventures.  Today we are departing Tasmania for our interstate adventures. Watch this space!

  • Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

    What does Off The Track Tasmania offer?

    Off The Track Tasmania offers a series of initiatives, ranging from Subsided Lessons (10 free lessons) with OTT-approved coaches, equine feed and products with OTT-approved partners, to information and educational opportunities. These initiatives and their criteria may change from time to time, please refer to:

    What constitutes an Off The Track Tasmania horse?

    • Standardbred or Thoroughbred
    • Horses bred for racing in Tasmania, irrespective of whether they made it to the track or training, OR Horses bred in alternate states but raced and retired in Tasmania

    Can I sell my retired racing horse to Off The Track Tasmania?

    Off The Track Tasmania does not purchase or own horses. As an owner, you will need to negotiate direct with a prospective purchaser. When selling a racehorse, a trainer is legally required to retire the horse from racing on the National Database.

    Can I purchase a retired racing horse from Off The Track Tasmania?

    Off The Track Tasmania does not own horses for purchase.  If you would like to purchase an Off The Track horse, you will need to negotiate directly with its trainer, owner or contact an OTT Acknowledged Retrainer.

    How can I contact Off The Track Tasmania?

    Website: OffTheTrackTas.com.au

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/offthetracktasmania/

    Instagram: @offthetrack_tasmania https://www.instagram.com/offthetrack_tasmania/

    Email:   Offthetrack@tasracing.com.au

    Phone: 6212 9333

    Located:  Ladbrokes Park Elwick, Mezzanine Floor, 6 Goodwood Road, Glenorchy Tas 7010

    Mail: PO Box 730, Glenorchy Tas 7010

    Please click here to download a PDF version of this page.

  • Easter Canters

    Easter Canters

    This month started off quite slowly for Pringles and myself. I had intended to work Pringles for a couple more weeks and then give her a break but she had other plans!
    Pringles managed to lose two shoes in the space of two weeks so she ended up having her two weeks off at the start of this month’s training rather than the end. It actually worked out well though, as she has come back feeling stronger and ready for more work.

    I have still been focusing on our flat work with our regular weekly dressage lessons with my coach. I have also been asking more questions of her with some harder gymnastic pole work. I really love pole and gymnastic work, as it is useful for improving balance, control and steering. It also requires precision so as a rider I find it makes me more accountable for my aids and helps me to refine them.

    I have attached a small video of our flatwork and also some pole work.
    In our flat work, we are still working on consistency in the contact and straightnesses (you may have noticed this is a common statement in my updates) and getting Pringles to stretch through her neck and back. I feel we are improving every time. Our consistency at home is fantastic, however, we are continuing to try to get this more consistent in higher-stress environments away from home. It’s a work in progress but we are chipping away.

    The pole video shows us having a go at a little canter bounce grid and also a single cross rail fence with placing poles before and after. I was aiming to work on our rhythm and straightness with these exercises. I would like to note that I have built Pringles up to be able to cope with these grids. I like to slowly build up pole exercises to keep the horse engaged and confident. With young/green horses I like to start off with walking poles, then trotting, and then I start to build them up and incorporate the canter and small jumps. Initially starting with single poles and then building from there when the horse is physically and mentally ready.

    We are booked in for our first dressage training day this weekend which I am very excited about. This will be our first proper group training environment and I look forward to letting you know how we go!

     

     

  • Autumn progress – some fine tuning

    Autumn progress – some fine tuning

    This month I have made time to get Pringles out a bit more which has been great for her. We have been continuing with our flat work lessons – building strength and becoming so much straighter.  I have been really happy with her progress. We have been incorporating a lot more canter work this month as well. She is accepting the contact so much better in the walk and trot and swinging through her back which is great for her muscle development. To help with her suppleness in the canter, we have started to incorporate very shallow loops in the canter which has been working well.

    At home, we have been incorporating walk, trot and canter poles as well as some small show jumps. It has been very exciting for me to feel Pringles be confident and powerful over the jumps and know that our flat work is paying off.

    We have also been able to get out on cross country a couple of times. I am still keeping things small and simple to build Pringles confidence but so far she is proving to be bold and honest which will hopefully bode well for her Eventing future.

    Halfway through this month, Pringles started to feel a bit tired and tight in the back end. I have been continuing her bodywork to keep on top of any ‘niggles’ with her increased workload which has really helped.  Because of this, I decided to give her a ‘lite’ week this month where she had most of the week off apart from two quick lunges to have a stretch. She came back from this feeling refreshed and ready to work again.

    Next month I would like to get a few more weeks of training in but will then give her a couple of weeks of full rest just to give her muscles and brain time to reset. Then we can get back into our training again over the winter months.