Page 10 - April 2007 The Game
P. 10

10 The Game, April 2007
Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
Argyle Farms: Pooling Their Resources
This past winter has been a frigid example of the challenges faced by Canadian horsepeople as they try to keep their animals fit in spite of our cruel climate. Those fortunate enough to visit Argyle Farms were able to stay ahead of the pack without freezing off their extremities.
Argyle Farms, located just about a kilometre north of Mohawk Raceway in Campbellville, is a smart looking complex that includes 21 modern stalls, an equisizer and a pool designed specifically for horses.
“Swimming is excellent rehabilitation for anybody,” says Barbara Hutcheson, Argyle’s Manager of Hydrotherapy. “It’s a less concussive way of training and therapy. We have anything from thoroughbred and standardbred race horses, show horses, post operative surgeries, and we even have canines that come here as well to swim.”
The pool has been installed at Argyle since 2000, but the idea of training horses in water is not a new one. David Cross, trainer of 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo, worked his horse almost exclusively in a pool before races. It’s a good bet though, that Cross didn’t have access to the kind of one-stop horse care available at Argyle.
“We work in conjunction with Milton Equine Hospital, the vet clinic on site, run by Drs. Marc DesJardins and Natalie Cote” says Hutcheson. “They give us their discharge papers, tell us what the horses have had done to them and what their recommendations are. The horses walk for a certain length of time on the equisizer. We gradually increase it until they’re doing so many minutes at the walk. When they’re sound and healing properly, then we’ll
introduce them to the pool.”
The pool, to use golfing parlance, is
shaped like a dogleg. The lucky horse enters from a ramp at one end and is pulled by a lead into the deeper water, which, at ten feet, forces the horse to swim. For the most part, the horses get in willingly.
“They will swim. That’s natural,” says Hutcheson. “Horses are excellent swimmers.”
Some horses face their initial dip with a little trepidation.
“Horses like to feel something under their feet,” says Hutcheson. “Generally we have ones that will leap the first time, but once they know that they can walk down and it’s just gradual, they’re ok. We keep them off the walls. We have one person on the head and the other behind to just kind of turn them the first few times. It doesn’t take long until they know when the turns are coming.”
It’s possible much of the horses’ cooperation has to do with Hutcheson herself. She’s a small, fit woman with bright blue eyes and an ever present smile framed by long wavy blonde hair Exuding constant enthusiasm, the 37 year old Hutcheson is pretty well living out her life’s dream these days.
“I grew up around Milton and I was highly competitive at 13 on show horses,” she says. “I am into eventing and an aspiring Olympic Event rider. That’s dressage, show jumping and cross country. I got chosen to go over to Scotland to Captain Mark Phillips’s equestrian centre at Glen Eagles. I have shown all over Europe, in Scotland, England and Germany.”
Hutcheson has also galloped at racetracks and currently backs/trains young
horses for many owners and she and her husband own a farm close to the Argyle complex where they breed their own horses.
“I always loved the thoroughbred horses,” she says. “Primarily, I bred them to race. I wanted to have my cake and eat it too, so the ones that don’t make it, I turn into eventing horses.”
On our visit, we watched one of Hutcheson’s ‘patients’ work in the pool. This was a well-behaved standardbred racing filly named Twin B Lovely.
“She’s post operative,” advises Hutcheson as she hoses the willing horse down with warm water. She’s on rehab and we’re bringing her back. This one is owned by George Quatarone who wants to get her into a Stakes race on April 11.”
Twin B Lovely has obviously done this before. With no prodding at all, she is led into the pool and eases willingly up to her neck. The pool is heated to about 20 degrees celcius (68-69Fahrenheit) and Twin B Lovely couldn’t be happier.
“Around the last week of March, she will be checked again by the vets, just to get the all clear,” says Hutcheson. “She’s been swimming for a good few weeks now. We’re building her up and she’s loving it.”
Some trainers and owners are using the Argyle complex as a replacement for the racetrack itself, at least as far as training goes.
“We have one here that races from the pool,” says Hutcheson. “He’s 9 or 10 and he conditions here, because he has sore feet and the concussion on the racetrack is too much for him.”
Hutcheson says many of the harness horses that drop in follow up their visits with strong performances on the track. I press her for inside information.
“Rebar Man,” she says confidentially. ”Watch for Rebar Man.”
There’s also the odd thoroughbred that might benefit on-track from its total immersion experience.
“I’ve got one called My Wild Side owned by Mario Delgabbo,” she says. “He’ll be stationed here and racing at Fort Erie.”
A day at the Argyle ‘Spa’ is remarkably inexpensive. Clients can buy a book of ten tickets for $250 and Hutcheson throws in an 11th swim as a bonus. Better still is the daily rate for horses that stay at the complex.
“The one who stay here are charged $36 a day,” says Hutcheson. “That includes your full feed and exercise program, the wrapping, the extra supplements and, of
course, the swim.
So the horses will get soaked, but not the
owners. - PG
For more information contact Barbara
Hutcheson, Argyle Farms Pool 905-854-9555 or argylefarms@bellnet.ca
Barbara Hutcheson and swimmer Twin B. Lovely
Animal Science Extension
Equine Short Courses
12 Week Race Track Programs Exercise Rider/Jockey
Certified Training Program Beginning November 2007
Grooms
Certified Training Program Beginning January 2008
For short course details
www.oldscollege.ca/
continuing education/
animal science
or call for information 1-800-661-OLDS (6537)
ext. 4767 or register at ext. 4677
Trainer Henry Reid
Ambitious new trainer has limited stalls available for racing at Fort Erie & Woodbine
• 26 years working with thoroughbreds
• 6 years as Assistant Trainer at Woodbine - winning 10 out of 50 races in 2005
Personal Care & Experience A Winning Combination 905-992-0305
Caledon Country Horse Farm Rare Offering
Nestled on 33 picturesque rolling acres
of open land and forest,
This very special property has it all!
2 dwellings, large pond, inground pool, 10 stall barn, 3 large paddocks with run-in sheds, walking and training trails meandering through the forest, the list goes on....conveniently located South of Hwy. 9,
5 minutes to Palgrave, 30 minutes to Woodbine.
A PERFECT HORSE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL!
$995,000
Daena Allen - Noxon Broker
Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. JOHNSTON & DANIEL DIVISION, Brokerage 416-489-2121 • dallennoxon@trebnet.com


































































































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