Page 112 - August 2017

A Look At SALe Fitting
Roger Daly
by Marie Littlefield
“It takes a small village, or a Nascar pit crew really, to make this all come together and get to the sale.”
Roger Daly is a familiar face and name throughout so many different disciplines within the horse industry that it’s easy to
say he’s multifaceted. Roger will joke and tell you he’s well rounded and you never know what you’ll see at his ranch, and it’s genuinely true. From reined cow horses, to yearling Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, Racing Arabians and competitive jumping horses, it is easy to see what keeps Roger busy and how he’s made such a great name for him- self in this business.
Q. How did you get into the horse business?
A. I grew up in upstate New York in Weedsport, in the finger lakes region. There is a lot of farming in that area where my family lives. I was raised on
a dairy farm, but we always had horses. We farmed with draft horses and showed horses as kids in 4-H, FFA, and open shows. So, I was always around them from early on in life.
Q. What made you choose the horse industry as your way to make a living? A. I hated milking cows and horses are a lot
more fun. Actually, the first sale horses I helped fit when I was a kid went to the Thoroughbred sale at Saratoga. Of course at that time, I had no clue what
NaMe:
Roger Daly
HoMe Base:
aubrey, Texas
YeaRs of expeRieNce:
“Too many to count, a lifetime. favoRiTe HoBBY:
i don’t have time for a hobby. i really like what i do and seeing these horses develop and working with some great owners and people you meet - so many great people in different parts of the industry. Then you take these yearlings and present them at the sales with your “homework” and they do well and look well.
i really enjoy that. i’d just have to say my job is my hobby. i’m pretty lucky
a Thoroughbred sale was or how important Saratoga was, but I had a neighbor that raised two to three Thoroughbreds every year and he let me help groom and sale prep them.
Q. Did you start out having the Thoroughbred industry in mind to work in?
A. No. I worked for several different trainers and showed cutting horses and some western pleasure and halter horses. I also ran a couple of different ranches before going out on my own.
Q. What does a typical day look like for you during sales prep season?
In the morning, we start early. We feed every- thing and then we start working yearling’s before
it gets too hot. I work everything in a round pen.
I have five covered round pens going at one time. Then, they go onto a horse walker and cool down. I have three walkers to help keep things moving along. In the mornings, we mainly work in the round pen and teach them ground manners, such as getting them to where they will walk up beside you and stand up to show. I really try to get them all worked before it gets too hot and sunny, but if I have a few left over, we’ll work them right after lunch. In the afternoon, we spend a lot of time grooming. We will clip legs and pull manes several times before they
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SPEEDHORSE, August 2017
Marie Littlefield
THE BACKSIDE