West Level Thoroughbreds can be represented by not one, however two graded stakes winners on the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover: Cavalry Cost and Adorned Invader! Their Thoroughbred Makeover trainers, Erin Knehr and Mary Termer, can be telling the tales of those two winners in a joint weblog entry every month.
Erin Knehr:
After final month’s replace I had no concept the place this month would take us. However we did it! We went to our first present and Calvin (Cavalry Cost) was a rock star. It was the proper first present setting: small courses and many of the different horses in our divisions have been additionally off-track Thoroughbreds. My primary objective for the day was to have a constructive expertise with no points throughout warmup. Whereas we rode in small teams prior to now, we have been aren’t fairly ready for a big group throughout heat up. Happily, just a few horses have been within the ring with us on the time.
We checked all of the containers, beginning with a lightweight lunge, after which Calvin stood patiently by the ring ready for the education break. We went in and schooled round a really inviting 18” to 2’ course after which got here again out to attend for the beginning of our division. Calvin has a really pure low head carriage and might get very heavy on his entrance finish, however with some flowers and ornamental brush he backed up a bit which actually helped after we have been leaping round. He was nice in his over-fences courses, and whereas not utterly relaxed in his flat class, his canter continues to make large enhancements. We didn’t have any lead concern within the underneath saddle, and whereas we nonetheless have some work to do, I used to be very happy with the category. We ended up champion sooner or later hunter division and I couldn’t have been happier with this ex-racehorse who now I can formally say is a present pony.
We proceed to have our each day ups and down and nonetheless have a methods to go to October, however getting some present expertise was very invaluable. Targets for the longer term embody persevering with to go to new places and beginning to get expertise remaining relaxed and calm with a bigger variety of horses. I understand the present in October could be extraordinarily overwhelming and I need Calvin to have the publicity he must really feel relaxed in that setting.
It comes down to only needing extra time within the saddle. That is the purpose in his coaching the place I want I did this full time. It’s actually troublesome as an novice with a full-time job and full-time youngsters and full-time farm to get as a lot time as I want to trip. I get a trip in about six days every week, climate allowing, however someday what must be an extended trip is lower quick as a result of have to get again to work or take the children someplace. And naturally, we nonetheless have the grass ring and using on a slope concern, particularly on days I simply wish to work on a balanced canter.
In transition, we did make nice progress on our bell boot scenario and among the thriller surrounding them. We began yearling prep so Calvin misplaced his yearling buddies and relocated to a paddock for about three weeks. He didn’t lose a single bell boot, halter or shoe throughout that point. We moved him again out to a bigger discipline on week 4 with my different gelding, and inside two days of being out with a pal he misplaced a bell boot. Simply final week he left his halter out within the discipline. Clearly, he can’t be trusted in social settings.
Mary Termer:
Typically I overlook. I overlook about the truth that a yr in the past, Finn (Adorned Invader) was nonetheless in race coaching. He was nonetheless a stallion and wouldn’t be gelded for just a few extra months. I overlook that when he arrived final fall I wasn’t in love with him and had no downside turning him out to be a horse. I overlook that my first rides have been weeks aside as he wasn’t my precedence. I overlook how onerous these first rides have been when Devin went lame and was retired, as Finn wasn’t Devin. However every thing occurs for a motive.
In my final writing, I wrote how we have been nonetheless having explosive canter transitions. However after we get it, we will settle. So this final month we actually labored extra on me, simply excited about the transition, holding true to the skin aids and lifting my inside seat to go. In doing this, they don’t seem to be good but, however already higher!
We entered our subsequent present, on the Kentucky Horse Park, simply this previous weekend getting into Intro A and B for Saturday and each of these plus Intro C on Sunday. We arrived Friday and obtained Finn arrange. A few hours later we tacked up for a lesson with my coach. We walked out to the education space, the place Finn turned fairly unsettled and pulled just a few “Hello-ho Silver” strikes. We lastly managed to get him to focus making circles and serpentines, getting his thoughts again on me and never the tents, trailers, different horses or ring set-up. After about half-hour, he settled and we have been capable of work, together with working by way of my two checks down within the Rolex ring.
We didn’t trip till 1 p.m. and three p.m. on Saturday. Finn spent his morning munching hay and napping. We weren’t fairly positive how he was going to come back out to trip, however he was so good listening to me and didn’t bat an eye fixed on the different horses. He walked out to the ring and we rode our first check like we have been seasoned execs, incomes a strong 70%!
We went again to the stall and waited for our second check. Our prep time was shorter and Finn was simply pretty much as good, this time not even paying any consideration to the free pony within the ring! After it was caught, we walked right down to our ring and rode one other nice check, incomes us a 68.4%.
Our plan Sunday was a lot the identical for the primary two checks, and we weren’t fairly positive if we have been going to trip the third check, the place the canter is launched. Finn was nice in warmup and all through the check, solely throwing his head as soon as and incomes us a 67.5%. After we saluted and turned previous the choose to stroll out, Finn spooked at a noise within the grandstand and reared and spun for a second. So we made the choice to trip our second check however scratch the third and as a substitute simply college the canter within the warmup.
Within the second check, I really pushed for extra of the much less tense work we had within the warmup and it paid off! The choose even commented that Finn was much less tense than the primary trip. We walked again over and took the left canter with a good looking transition. Now, time for the appropriate lead. I sat up and thought “canter” and we did it! I used to be smiling ear to ear! I used to be glad we made the choice to not push the problem of the canter in a check fairly but and somewhat have an amazing expertise in such a brand new place. After we obtained again to the barn, we came upon my rating was a whopping 72.8%!
This weekend was really superb. I haven’t had this a lot enjoyable at a present in a very long time, and I’m perpetually grateful for an incredible help crew, as I couldn’t do it with out them. With our scores, we gained all of our courses AND have been Thoroughbred (T.I.P.) champion for not solely our stage however for the entire present every day!
Stroll trotting a dressage check may not be the identical as these opponents which might be already leaping programs and using flying adjustments, however I’m on this for the lengthy haul. I do know Finn will proceed to be nothing however superb as we proceed constructing this appropriate, regular basis. Till subsequent time, maintain using!