Re-Training the Ex-Racehorse

This course is for re-starting your ex-racehorse under saddle. It is also suitable for horses that have been out for an extended period of time, horses that require complete re-training (such as Standard breds) or horses that are lacking solid foundation training no matter what discipline/s you enjoy. Off the track horses may have been ridden but they rarely know anything useful for pleasure riding, dressage, jumping, showing, hacking or any other discipline you might want to take them in. It is therefore better to completely re-start these horses and this course is designed for that.

The course runs over 4 months and is designed to give you the knowledge and skills to start, not just this horse but any horse at all, under saddle. There is a limit of 5 participants per course and the clinics are held every other Sunday, unless organised otherwise by the group as a whole.

Each group has a private forum on the Kandoo website where they can chat with each other and Kate about their progress and anything that might be bothering them.

During the clinic days you will learn the lesson and be given a DVD and lesson plan to help you through the fortnight's 'homework'.

The cost is $200 per clinic day, payable on the day itself. If you are unable to make one of the days a private lesson can be arranged at a suitable time so that you keep up with the group.

Schedule:

Week 1: Round pen work and teaching your horse to tie up - inside and outside turns and come to me. Sacking out your horse. Depending upon the amount of handling your horse has already had this week may lead to working with clippers, tarps and towing objects. Teaching your horse to tie up is an important lesson and many off the track horses have never been taught this.

Week 2: Bridling and give to the bit - teaching your horse to accept the bridle with his head down and open his mouth for you. Race horses are often 'forced' into bridles which results in a headshy horse. Teaching your horse to travel in a soft frame and keeping your horse's attention - two things that your horse has certainly never done before and will make him 100% safer just after this clinic day.

Week 3: Shoulder Control - full control of the shoulders off one rein at a time. Reverse arc and follow your nose. This lesson will stop your horse falling in or out on a circle and give you complete shoulder control while maintaining a soft round working frame. It will also give you a horse that leads like a dream (and if you do your homework - one that does not require a lead rope). The race horse tends to move like a freight train - start building your Farrari now!

Week 4: Long-reining - the most useful tool in the box! It is not as easy as it looks but a ton of practice on this day will get you there and you will never look back.

Week 5: 1st Saddling - this is a sacking out lesson that keeps the horse (and handler of course) safe, learning and understanding. NO bucking it out here! You may well be surprised just how little understanding your horse has of the saddle before this lesson.

Week 6: First rides - getting the walk and trot. Focus on directional exercises that you can take home for homework.

Week 7: Hindquarter control - taught from each side of the horse and off the rein, hindquarter control is essential for stops, canter departures, speed within gait and many, many other things. By the end of this clinic you will have travers on one side of your horse and homework will be to do the other side. An interesting lesson for the ex-race horse - finding that thing that has been following them around for all these years.

Week 8: Advancing - this final clinic is devoted to the things that you would like to do - from canter work to float loading. This week will be based on individual lessons so that you can all learn from one another.

If you are coming from some distance overnight accommodation will be available (from $50 per night).