Page 14 - May 2009 The Game

14 The Game, May 2009 Zen and the Art of Galloping Racehorses Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
They’re off and running and already things are heating up
at Hastings
Park. The season
began with the largest number of
stall applications in recent years and the backstretch is lled to capacity. Optimistic trainers can be still spotted walking the grounds on a daily basis, hoping to nd unoccupied stalls.
The abundance of horse esh has provided an abundance of work for freelance exercise riders, many of whom are called upon to ride twenty or more horses a morning. Packed into four hours, exercising this many horses requires a delicate balance of scheduling, especially if you happen to gallop for trainers at a number of different barns. Some nights I nd myself lying awake, staring up at the ceiling, trying to mentally organize my line-up for the next morning. Some nights I drift off only to spend the
wee hours galloping horses through my dreams. It doesn’t make for very restful sleep, but at least it doesn’t hurt when you hit the ground.
present in the moment. They often prove their awareness by choosing this exact moment to hang a sharp right and award you an unwanted piece of real estate. Zen Buddhists cultivate awareness by focusing on the breath
as it moves in and out of the body. Deep breathing releases tension, and as every rider knows, few horses respond well to a tense or nervous rider. If
you happen to be riding a tough horse, breathing deeply can sometimes help your horse relax too. But sometimes remembering to take a deep breath isn’t as easy as it sounds on the back of a galloping horse—distractions abound, especially with so many horses packed onto the same track!
One of the most demanding aspects of the busy freelancer is trying to get all your horses lined up so
the morning unfolds as smoothly as possible. This involves a complicated series of equations involving such disparate elements as the competing needs and wants of seven or eight different trainers, trips to the gate, loose horses, missing grooms or hotwalkers, and sometimes even the weather. No matter how well you schedule your mounts, all it takes
is one unexpected hitch to lay your best made plans to waste. The phrase every exercise rider dreads hearing most is usually reserved for especially busy mornings when you don’t have
a minute to spare. You arrive right
on time to pick up your next mount only to have the trainer look up from mucking a stall and exclaim in perfect
astonishment: “Is it eight o’clock already?”
by evenSteven
Over the past few years I’ve discovered that exercising
“Okay, I want you to backtrack to the quarter pole, then turn around and jog. When he’s trotting, make sure you post on both leads so you can make sure he feels okay in the hind end. If he feels okay, when you reach the 3/8 pole ask him to lope, but only if he wants to. If you ask and he doesn’t want to go just keep jogging. But if you ask and he really wants
to go you can let him lope, but just easy to start off, ‘cause he’s working
a half a week from next Thursday
and I don’t want him to get the idea
he can just pick it up any old time he pleases...but, if he does want to pick
racehorses is a great way to practice my Zen training. “Zen” is the state of enlightenment to which all Buddhists aspire, a state of perfect mindfulness, or being present in the moment. Sentient beings that they are, horses possess an uncanny ability to detect the very second you cease being
Or my personal favourite: “He’s ready and waiting...all I
have to do is throw on the saddle and bridle and he’s good to go!” Insert grinding teeth here.
Hastings Park Gallop boy extraordinaire, Cenek Kottnauer.
it up, you can let him, but not until you hit the quarter pole your second time around—but when I say pick it up I don’t mean let him come down the lane, ‘cause I’m planning to breeze him in three days anyway...of course, if he doesn’t feel good, just jog him one and bring him home—but that’s only after you backtrack him—you got
that?” “Yes, sir,” I respond cheerfully, repeating the instructions over and over. I come on through
the gap with my head spinning, my instructions already hopelessly gone, wondering if my next horse will be ready, or whether I’ll be able to get them all out, or will my company be ready in time to go the gate before it closes? The next thing I know I’m already halfway around the track
and don’t remember getting there. That’s what happens when you’re
too busy worrying about all kinds of circumstances beyond your control— you lose sight of what you’re doing in the present moment. At times like this all you can do is take a deep breath, push all competing thoughts from your mind, and pray you’re on the path to enlightenment.
Most trainers are creatures of habit and deliver
simple, run-of-the-mill instructions such as “Twice nice,” or “Jog one, gallop one.” While trainers rightfully expect their exercise rider to be on time, the same trainers won’t hesitate to make you late for your next appointment. Of course, this isn’t something a trainer would ever do
on purpose, but usually takes place as a result of the unexpected or complicated instruction, for some trainers are seemingly incapable
of sending you off without a list of directions a Harvard physicist would struggle to comprehend:
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Olds College Students of 2009
Photo Left: Exercise Riding students of 2009
Groom students Theresa and Amanda practice wrapping.
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Jockeys Close to 2000
Two Woodbine based Jockeys are close to reaching their 2000 win milestones.
As of April 26, Jockeys Jim McAleney and Robert Landry will be giving it their all to reach this impressive plateau.
Jim McAleney is 3 wins away, while Robert Landry will need 9 wins to reach 2000.