Thewifedoesntknow Training Blog: Q&A with trainer Tim Shaw

Thewifedoesntknow heads to the track before a race in May 2012. Photo © Mike Carroll

Part 5 in a weekly series of training blogs about Thewifedoesntknow, a Thoroughbred mare made famous by a viral Monmouth Park YouTube video and who is now in training to be a show hunter with New Jersey-based trainer Carole Davison.

• Click here to read Training Blog, Week 1

• Click here to read Training Blog, Week 2

• Click here to read Training Blog, Week 3 
  

• Click here to read my interview with jockey Shannon Uske, who rode "The Wife" in her last race
  

Recently, I've met a few hunter/jumper Thoroughbreds who were trained by Timothy Shaw when they were at the track.  Each of these horses are sound, athletic, and full of personality. I contacted Tim about his former trainee, Thewifedoesntknow; he was kind enough to share his thoughts about her, as well as provide some insight about the transition from racetrack to show ring.    

TDN: How did you get started training Thoroughbreds and how long have you been training?

Shaw: I was always been drawn to animals. As a child in Ireland, I would spend every moment I had at a friend's family farm. I couldn't get enough of it. That changed when we moved back here. I went to college and had a "normal" job. I went to the races one day... I bet a horse... she won... and I met the trainer (Dan Perlsweig), who invited me to the barn the next morning and BOOM. Next thing you know, I'm back in a barn and couldn't get enough of it again. I've been training for 12 years now. Life just has some strange twists.

Trainer Tim Shaw and dearly-departed canine companion, Flynn

 TDN: What kind of personality did Thewifedoesntknow have when she was in training with you?

Shaw: She always had a classy way of handling herself. She never got upset about much and was very professional and easy to work with. She knew her job every day and was eager to do it. Her favorite hobby was eating and she pursued it with vigor. I was just happy to have a filly that loved to eat.

TDN: If a horse has potential to be a show horse, is it something you can see when the horse is still in training at the track?

Shaw: I'm learning more and more about what makes a good show horse. My girlfriend Alicia Morgan has a show barn and she taught me about what she looks for. It basically comes down to being a natural athlete. When I deal with a horse on the track that has beautiful movement, and good head carriage, and engages the hind end without us teaching them to do it... that's a good sign. Usually Alicia just punches me and says "That one when it's done." She really wanted to work with The Wife but we have gotten involved with a couple of broodmares and a few retirees already. We wouldn't have had the proper time to devote to her and she deserved it.

TDN: For our readers who are unfamiliar with racing, can you give us an example of a typical schedule for a horse who is in your barn?

Shaw: The track opens at 5:30am, so our first horses hit the track very early. At about 4am, the stalls are cleaned and water buckets and feed tubs scrubbed. We have a couple of round pens and try and get a few out for 30 minutes or so. We are a bit restricted at the track as far as facilities. We don't have traditional paddocks. We try and get the horses who have raced the previous day, or had a hard workout, in the round pens to kick up their heels a bit. Every horse gets bathed after turnout or training, then walked about 30 minutes, followed by about 15 minutes of hand grazing. Then it's back to the stall for an alfalfa snack followed by a good grooming, liniment, and at about 10:30, morning grain. Generally, if it's not a race day, the barn is peaceful and quiet by 11am.

TDN: With all the recent news articles, Thoroughbreds are getting more attention both in the media and in the show ring. What can owners and trainers do at the track and upon retirement to ensure that their horses make a successful transition into their second career as pleasure/show horses?

Shaw: Be careful about where your horse goes. Finding a home for a horse is very easy. Finding a proper home is not. This horse, no matter at what level it competed, ran its heart out for you. Check references and be sure that the people are qualified and knowledgeable about horses. In addition, as in the case of The Wife, if the horse's form deteriorates for no apparent reason, it's trying to tell you something. Don't "drain the lemon". Give the horse a chance at another career.

TDN: Once a horse is retired from racing and is in a new home, do you have any advice for helping the horse get acclimated to the new lifestyle?

Shaw: Treat it with respect, but don't fear it because it's a "hot" Thoroughbred. Remember where it has come from. It's trained for speed, is fed a high-energy diet, and for the most part, has limited turnout. On the other hand, the track is full of noises. For example, what track do you know of that has a train that runs right through the stable area? We have that at Monmouth. This is in addition to the cars, trucks, trailers, loudspeakers and every conceivable noise you can imagine. If a horse can get used to that, your barn with the scary vertical is a piece of cake. Use common sense and listen to the horse. It will tell you.

-Sarah Andrew

Thoroughbreds on the First Saturday in May... in New Jersey

-Sarah Andrew

We all know about Hansen, Bodemeister, and Union Rags, but the real wiseguy horses this week are Mommie's Luke and Bob's Big Bunch.

Last week, I photographed the workouts of two Thoroughbreds who are prepping for the first Saturday in May. One is a handy bay with a distinctly Northern Dancer-esque neck, eye, and head. His taller stablemate is a powerful chestnut son of Perfect Soul, out of a Hennessy mare.

Both geldings aged out of Kentucky Derby eligibility years ago, and have a new goal in mind. These ex-racehorses are now show jumpers, and this Saturday, they will compete at the AA-rated Garden State Horse Show in the $4,000 Thoroughbred Jumper Classic.

The Garden State Horse Show, in its 61st year, is awarding bonuses and hosting Thoroughbred hunter and jumper classes for the first time, through the support of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Industry, New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and the TAKE2 program (an initiative of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, the New York Racing Association and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.).

When I visited two of Saturday's equine competitors at Crewe Hill Stable in Morristown, NJ, and I asked the riders and trainers why we are seeing this renewed attention and support for the Thoroughbred in the show ring, the response was always the same: legendary trainer and chef d’equipe for the United States Equestrian Foundation, USEF, show jumping team, George Morris. His 2011 quote was heard round the equestrian world: “Thoroughbreds are the best. They’re lighter, quicker and more intelligent. The best of any breed is the Thoroughbred horse, the best of that breed is better than any other breed."

In 2010, Morris discussed his impressions of "The State of Our Sport" with Bernie Traurig:

Well, I think we have to start looking inward because we’re just being so passive with outsourcing, outsourcing. The first one, which is the most difficult in a way, would be internal horse supply. Even if people had a couple of mares or went to these places where they take thoroughbreds off the track. If enough people did enough of that you’re talking about a lot of horses. Start looking inward to our vast reservoir and resource of horse flesh here that they’re giving away or sending to “the killers” because there’s just a glut in the market. There are horses out there, there are horses, horses, horses.

 

Together with a big push from the top of the sport, the racing world has made an organized, concerted effort to support racehorses after their racing careers end. According to New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association President Rick Violette Jr., “The welfare of our equine athletes, both during and after their racing careers, is of the utmost importance to the owners and trainers competing at NYRA’s tracks. NYTHA and NYRA have long offered financial support to organizations such as the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, but we are now expanding our initiatives. We want to give our retired racehorses the opportunity to find new vocations in different equestrian disciplines. This is our Jobs Program,” Violette added. “Thoroughbreds are healthier and happier when they have jobs to do.”

There is nothing new about the love affair with Thoroughbreds both as racehorses and as sporthorses, but the marriage between both worlds is what is exciting to me. I proudly represented the TDN in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania for the Retired Racehorse Training Project's Trainer Challenge, and in the future, I hope to see more writers and photographers from racing publications standing alongside me, supporting events and projects like these.

When it comes to responsibility to racehorses both on the track and after retirement, trainers John Forbes and Pat McBurney are walking the walk. Less Is More (show name), aka Lester (barn name), aka Mommie's Luke (Jockey Club name) retired a sound maiden after it became clear that he was not competitive as a racehorse.

Pat's wife, Linda, owns and shows Lester in jumper classes from Saugerties to Wellington. According to Linda, as a racehorse, Lester was always quick out of the gate, which turned out to be a hint of his future talent in the jumper ring.

Lester is about 15.2 hands tall and wears a jaunty "milk moustache" of white on the side of his muzzle. His intelligence, game personality, and playful demeanor make him quite a charismatic horse.

Smithwick (show name), aka Hennessy (barn name), aka Bob's Big Bunch (Jockey Club name) is owned and ridden by professional trainer Melissa Monti. He sold as a yearling for $22,000 but also retired a sound maiden.

 When he was in training at the track, he always carried himself more like a sporthorse than a racehorse, and his trainer's keen eyes saw this. Because he was retired sound, Hennessy's future as a show horse is much brighter and his value is higher. Serious competitors are interested in horses off the track, but in order for the horses to be considered for the AA show circuit and be considered for resale projects, they must be sound.

 If you'd like to cheer on these horses and riders in their class, you can attend the Garden State Horse Show in Augusta, New Jersey. The class will start around 2pm. And if you're like me, you'll be very pleased to learn that they broadcast the Kentucky Derby at the horse show, so you won't miss a thing. You can root for your Derby horses, as well as Lester and Hennessy.

RRTP Trainer's Challenge Finale... in photos

--Sarah Andrew

 Over the years, I've attended the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo many times. The crowd that gathered in the Equine Arena to see the finale of the Retired Racehorse Training Project's Trainer Challenge was by far the biggest I've ever seen. The seats surrounding the arena were completely filled well before the 2pm start time, and the arena continued to fill well after the program began.

The events were delayed a bit as the Parade of Breeds completed. The fanciful Friesians and dedicated Days End Farm Horse Rescue drill team captured the imagination of the crowd and served as a brilliant contrast to the four Thoroughbreds who followed them.





When I attended the Maryland Horse World Expo in January, I wondered how much of an effect the five weeks of blogging, Facebooking, and tweeting would have on the attendance of the finale of the Trainer Challenge. Social media turned out to be a HUGE reason for the enthusiastic reception of the event. Each of the three trainers had their own fans and cheering sections, and the horses had become internet stars in their own right.

All four horses were ridden and led into the arena at the same time. Trainer Eric Dierks got right to work with his mare, Brazilian Wedding. She was visibly concerned with her surroundings, but as Eric worked with her, she settled and focused on her rider instead of the crowd and the other distractions. RRTP President Steuart Pittman asked the audience to be gentle with their applause, and the audience graciously complied.





Midatlantic Horse Rescue's Finger Lakes hero, Solidify, was led into the arena while trainer Tiffany Catledge worked with her second mount, High Level.



All four horses were in good flesh and had visibly built muscle during their 5-week training time. Excellent farriery kept their hooves balanced and healthy.







High Level was showcased first. I visited High Level and Tiffany Catledge just a few days before the Expo, and his gaits and balance had improved even within those few days. High Level was behind the curve and lost training time due to a sole bruise, but he caught up with the rest of the gang with leaps and bounds.





High Level sought contact with the bit, showed adjustability and elasticity in his gaits, and exhibited superb self carriage when his trainer showboated for the crowd and took her hands off the reins, reached her arms out, and cantered down part of the long side of the arena.



Over fences, High Level continued to impress us all.





You can see a loop in Tiffany's reins after the jump in the following photo. This shows a sympathetic rider, as well as a horse with natural rhythm and balance. Horse and rider were in such balance that it looked like they could have taken an entire course of jumps. The horse with the fewest training hours under his belt shows massive potential.



Trainer Kerry Blackmer has a gift for instilling confidence in a horse. Her trainee, Tempyst, was the youngest of the group and showed the most fire in his evaluations. In Kerry's training blog videos and at both expos, she always had a smile on her face and her horse seemed to appreciate her game attitude. As they made their way around the arena, Tempyst charmed the audience by fearlessly peeking through the railing and nosing people's hands for a pat.







Each trainer spent time preparing for the sights and sounds of the Expo, and every little detail, down to standing quietly while the trainers were mic'd up for their rides, was a test of training.



Once they got to work, Kerry and Tempyst wowed the audience and the judges with some greatly-improved trot work.





Over fences, Tempyst showed his age a bit when he greenly but gamely jumped a single cross rail and a one-stride line.





Molly Sorge referred to Eric Dierks as "The Professor" in her excellent Chronicle of the Horse writeup, and he truly schooled us. Watching his video blogs was like auditing a mini-clinic, and he gave the Harrisburg crowd a free lesson as he explained his ride on Brazilian Wedding.



Through Brazilian Wedding's body language, it was clear that her rider had helped her to relax in the strange surroundings. Her neck was tight when she entered the arena, and had loosened up by the time she did some work with Eric.



The sophistication of Brazilian Wedding's training was showcased when Eric counted strides down, "6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" as he rode in to each jump. The mare's strides were consistent and adjustable, and Eric was able to clearly see distances as a result. She was capable of jumping the highest jumps of the group, and happily took cross rails, verticals, and small oxers. She knew her job, and she enjoyed it.





Solidify, the tall bay with the "10" canter, was the final horse ridden. Tiffany did an excellent job of bending him and settling him into a more relaxed trot and canter. Like Brazilian Wedding, Solidify's confidence was boosted by his skilled rider. Like the schooling ride I photographed earlier in the week, Tiffany used circles to let Solidify find his rhythm.





Over fences, Solidify was less focused than he was in his training videos, but still showed that great potential for collection before fences and power over them.



An hour was simply not enough time for this exhibition, and I wish it could have been longer. Judging the event were 3-time Olympian and legendary trainer Jim Wofford, CANTER executive director Allie Conrad, and author Alex Brown.



The judges gave their observations and awarded points to the trainers. The trainer with the most points was Eric Dierks, and he was announced as the winner of the challenge.





After taking a victory lap around the arena, the trainers returned to the RRTP booth for a brief Q & A with press and fans. From owners to trainers to fans, there was a collective feeling of pride. These horses, some off the track for less than a month, blossomed under the tutelage of three fantastic trainers, and exceeded all expectations.



I was concerned that the Trainer Challenge would be difficult to follow for anyone who was, unlike me and my friends, not compulsively following it online; I was pleasantly surprised to see that people seemed to understand what they were seeing. Although these horses were not bedazzled and sequined like the Friesians in the parade of breeds, they sparkled like the stars they are.

This is Part 5 in my series about the RRTP Trainer Challenge. Stay tuned next week for my closing thoughts on the Trainer Challenge. Here are the first four parts:
Day One
Day Two
Keeping Up With the Challenge
A Visit with Tiffany Catledge

A Visit with Tiffany Catledge, Solidify, and High Level

- Sarah Andrew

Much to my delight, the Retired Racehorse Training Project's Trainer Challenge has developed quite a rabid following. It seems like every time I visit a barn, one of my friends asks if I have seen Eric's latest video (which is FANTASTIC), or Kerry's newest blog post (which is so much fun!). Links are being shared all over forums, Facebook, and through emails. We all have our favorite horses and our favorite trainers. We all beam with pride when the horses learn something new, and we all study the trainers' methods.

This week, I had the pleasure of catching up with trainer Tiffany Catledge and her two trainees, Solidify and High Level, at her barn in Middleburg, VA. Tuesday was the first time that I saw the horses since the beginning of the Challenge in January (you can read my accounts of Day One and Day Two, and my wrapup of the training progress so far). Solidify, the tall bay from MidAtlantic Horse Rescue, has blossomed in Tiffany's care. He has gained weight and muscle from the training, and the farrier did a fantastic job with his newest set of shoes.

Here's Solidify at the MD Horse World Expo on January 20:

And here he is on Tuesday after a month of work:

His topline, neck, and hind end all show great improvement. How does Tiffany build this muscle? Through a carefully-planned regimen of under-saddle work, with a focus on developing strength, suppleness, and a happy, forward attitude. She is careful to keep the training regimen varied, both to keep the horse mentally stimulated and to keep the horse from feeling overfaced. Her rotation consists of one day of dressage work, one day of stretchy work, one day of poles/jumps, one hack day, a day off as needed, and some "field trips" off the farm property.

While Tiffany rode Solidify in the outdoor arena, I noted the different ways that she used to guide and reward him. He was perfectly in tune to her voice, hand, seat, and leg aids. He has quite the work ethic- as soon as they were in the arena, he had his game face on. I saw a marked improvement in the rhythm of Solidify's gaits. He was more free in his shoulder at all three gaits, and he was learning how to engage his hind end.

Lateral work provided Solidify with the balance and power he needed to do more precise transitions and relax over his topline.

The Pennsylvania Horse World Expo is this weekend, and Tiffany is schooling Solidify's mind is as well as his body. Nothing spooked him during her session, and he remained very focused on Tiffany throughout the ride. This weekend, in a strange arena full of spectators, he will need to focus on Tiffany in order to do his job and maintain his confidence.

One of my favorite things about visiting Tiffany was seeing her beam with pride at the horses' progress. We discussed how much both horses improved, and some of the video highlights that she has on her trainer blog. 

Not only has Tiffany worked diligently on the horses' under-saddle skills, but she has also worked on their barn manners. Both Solidify and High Level were perfect gentlemen around the barn.

Adaptability is one of the key attributes of a good trainer. Overnight, High Level had bonked the side of his muzzle, and as a result, he was tender on his cheek where the bit rests. No worries, Tiffany went into her tack room and produced a hackamore. Her confidence radiated to her horse, and High Level worked hard to learn about his new tack. I could see his mental wheels turning as he figured out that he could stretch into the contact just like he could with a bit in his mouth.

At the Maryland Horse World Expo, High Level had the misfortune of getting a sole bruise. While his hoof healed, he was out of training, and missed out on a few weeks. Tiffany had to play catch-up with him, and the game Thoroughbred that he is, he is doing his best. His latest jumping video shows his excellent attitude and style.

Both Solidify and High Level are tremendously athletic horses. In Solidify, I see the potential for collection and lift, both in dressage work and over fences- his canter is lofty and round. In High Level, I see a forward personality with good natural tempo. He was able to keep his trot rhythm as they worked on bending and changed directions. If he was confused, he did not rush or balk, he kept going as he figured it out.

Since High Level was not ridden at the Maryland Horse World Expo, this was the first time I saw his lovely, sweepy canter in person. His athleticism allows him to progress through the training steps with confidence.

Unfortunately, I don't have a conformation photo of High Level from the Expo, but I can see excellent muscle development on him. He looks strong and balanced. Like Solidify, this horse has a very bright future as an athlete.

 
One of the goals of the Trainer Challenge is to show owners of racehorses the progress that a horse can make with a month of quality training, and how the value as a sporthorse can increase well above the horse's claiming tag. I hope that hunter/jumper/dressage/eventing trainers take note as well, and use the work of Tiffany, Kerry, and Eric as an inspiration for their own projects.

Thank you, Tiffany, for letting me visit and watch your training sessions, and best of luck to all the horses and trainers this weekend. I know it will be a great success.

I don't envy the task that the judges of the Trainer Challenge face this upcoming weekend. Every time I watch a training video, I have a new favorite horse. Be sure to tune in on the RRTP's website this Saturday, where they will be streaming the PA Horse Expo events live. Keep track of up-to-the-minute news on their Facebook page. All of the horses participating in the Trainer Challenge are available for sale or adoption, so be sure to contact the RRTP if you are interested in taking the next step with one of these promising athletes.