Thewifedoesntknow Training Blog: Week 8

Part 9 in a weekly series of training blogs about Thewifedoesntknow, a Thoroughbred mare made famous by a viral YouTube video and who is now in training to be a show hunter with New Jersey-based trainer Carole Davison. 

No hoof, no horse, so Thewifedoesntknow's feet come first in this week's update. Farrier Craig Farrell put a new set of shoes on her, and he was very happy with her hoof health. With this new shoeing cycle, I see more heel and less toe.

 Carole warmed up Ally-Gator for an early evening ride. This week, she switched bits from a copper roller D-ring snaffle to a Myler comfort snaffle. Ally rode nicely in the new bit and seemed quite content with it. During their ride, Carole worked on more transitions within the gaits, from a working trot to a forward trot, and from a working canter to a forward canter. From these exercises, Ally gained confidence and had more step in her gait and drive from her hind end.

After trotting some poles, Carole took Ally over a few little cross rails. The mare took the jumps gamely and honestly. Some attempts were greener than others, and she tapped the rail when she approached the jump too short, but then she gave Carole a really nice effort when she got her feet figured out.

After the cross rails, Carole cantered Ally over a pole and then did her regular cooldown routine. Ally is getting the hang of things, and stretched right into a relaxed trot on a loose rein.

 When I arrived at the farm to take pictures of Carole's training session, I had just finished a ride on my own Thoroughbred, Wizard, and was still in my riding clothes. With very minimal arm-twisting, Carole convinced me to ride Ally.

Ally is LOVELY to ride; she was very tolerant of all my bad riding habits, and was responsive to seat, leg, and hands. I'm 5'8", and she took up my leg nicely, and rode bigger than she looked. She had a big, loose, swingy walk. At the trot, she listened to my leg and accepted contact with the bit. A lot of green horses either curl behind the bit or pull on a rider's hands, but Ally kept a nice, steady contact and was able to have a "conversation" with me through the reins.

Her canter is fantastic, with a smooth, scopey stride. I felt her greeness the most during transitions and bending, but for a mare who is just barely 2 months off the track, I was truly impressed with her. I also LOVED riding in Carole's saddle, which is a fabulous old Crosby Prix de Nations model with nothing to it- no poofy knee rolls, no thigh blocks.

There are many things that a trainer can teach a horse, but there are other things that are part of a horse's personality. Ally stood calmly for photos, and impressed me with her willing nature for our entire ride. Many horses would have been frustrated or confused by a new rider, but she took it all in stride. This mare has a very bright future indeed.

•   Click here to read my interview with breeder Meg Buckley, who bred and raised Thewifedoesntknow

•  Click here to read my interview with Tim Shaw, who trained "The Wife" at Monmouth Park and retired her as a sound sporthorse prospect

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

• 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 Training Blog, Week 5

• Click here to read Training Blog, Week 7 

 -Sarah Andrew

 

Thewifedoesntknow Training Blog: Week 7

 Part 8 in a weekly series of training blogs about Thewifedoesntknow, a Thoroughbred mare made famous by a viral YouTube video and who is now in training to be a show hunter with New Jersey-based trainer Carole Davison. 

"Good dressage is like grass growing. You don't see anything happening, but over time it becomes more beautiful."  -Walter Zettl

My Saturday morning started at 4:30am this week- that's the one thing I don't miss about horse shows. By the time I photographed this week's session for Thewifedoesntknow, trainer Carole Davison had already been to a dressage show and back; she trailered, coached, and took care of all those important little details, from pep talks to girth checks. Her students both had very successful outings. My friend Kris (pictured, above with Carole) rode her mare Sunny, a BLM Mustang and Helping Hearts Equine Rescue graduate, in their very first dressage show, and came home with ribbons and excellent test scores.

After the show and a few lessons, I met them back at the farm, and Carole tacked up Thewifedoesntknow, also known as Ally-Gator, for their ride. As I watched the ride, the above Walter Zettl quote about grass growing came to mind. The mare's mental and physical development is steady and consistent, but never rushed. With each photo session, I see new muscling, new confidence, and new skills.

Ally's overall appearance is broader and more balanced than when she began her new career as a hunter. From conditioning work and the "long and low" exercises, her neck has more shape to it. Her hind end is powerful, and her pectoral muscles have spread, giving her a rounder look.

Transitions within the gaits are key to suppling a horse and increasing fluidity of the stride. Carole recently began working on alternately shortening and lengthening Ally's trot, and I saw the results in a freer shoulder and a more elastic stride. The transition work also improved Ally's reaction time to cues.

Ally has always had a nice canter and good natural cadence, and it improves each time I see her. As she builds strength, sometimes her left lead is best and sometimes the right lead is best. Carole said that this week, she asked Ally for her first flying lead changes, and they were perfect. 

 Ally works well alone, and is also cheerful and relaxed when she shares the ring with other horses. She seemed to enjoy the company of Carole's daughter Liz and her mount, Suzie (pictured above).

 In addition to circles and serpentines, Carole recently introduced a course of ground poles to Ally's schooling. In the beginning of their training, they walked them. In later weeks, they trotted them. Now, Ally has begun cantering them. She is enthusiastic and balanced when she does her work over the course, and I really liked how she coiled her hind end and rounded over the poles. She did not scramble over them, like some green horses do.

 At the end of the ride, Carole did her usual cooldown at the trot, but with an added element. Ally was invited to stretch her neck, but then Carole gave her more and more rein until she was riding her on the buckle. The exercise taught relaxation and self-carriage. Ally carried herself for a few strides. When she lost her balance, she sped up. 

After Ally's ride was complete, she stood politely while Carole set up a course of jumps for her daughter Liz and her Thoroughbred, Suzie. Ally nosed the poles and enjoyed exploring the jumps.

 Pictured above is Carole's daughter, Liz, and Carole's mare, Suzie. With consistent, careful training on the flat, Ally-Gator gathers the strength and training needed to do work over fences like Suzie.       

•  Click here to read my interview with breeder Meg Buckley, who bred and raised Thewifedoesntknow

•  Click here to read my interview with Tim Shaw, who trained "The Wife" at Monmouth Park and retired her as a sound sporthorse prospect

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

• 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 Training Blog, Week 5

-Sarah Andrew 

Thewifedoesntknow: Training Blog, Week 3

Part 4 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 my interview with jockey Shannon Uske, who rode "Thewife" in her last race

When I walked into the barn at San Sue Acres in Howell, NJ, I was greeted by the familiar, friendly face of Thewifedoesntknow. After just three weeks of training, she had the appearance of a seasoned pro. While she was tacked up, she nonchalantly stood on the cross ties, with one hind foot cocked, as if she had lived at the barn all her life. Ally-Gator then went through a series of elaborate yawns and kept her ears perked toward me with casual curiosity.

My favorite part of trainer Carole Davison's tackup routine is just before bridling: after removing the halter, Carole gently cradles the mare's face, lightly massaging her delicate cheeks. With each training session, Ally is learning that this is a time to relax and to prepare for work.

When I looked at Carole's latest training notes, I saw a really nice balance between patience and ambition. She introduced Ally to new things when the mare showed her that she was ready.

On June 27, Ally was so balanced and confident that Carole took her over a little cross rail. The first time in, she was a little green in her approach, wiggling a little to the left and the right.  The second time, she was straighter, but tapped the rail with her feet on the way over.  The next time, she went straighter, and she jumped up bringing her body off the ground, rounding her back without lifting her shoulders or hips.  The final time, she relaxed and took the crossrail very quietly, her thick tail flipping up with her hind end, and she cantered softly away from the jump.

On July 4, they embarked on their first trail ride at the local reservoir, accompanied by Liz, Carole's daughter, and Suzie, Carole's Thoroughbred jumper mare. The mares took turns leading and encountered the many new sights and sounds, from dogs to bicycles to joggers.

For each of these exciting landmark rides, Carole puts in twice as many confidence-building rides. There are days when the mare needs consistent work, schooling with the leg and rein aids, and these rides make her light, forward, and ready for the next steps.

While Carole warmed Ally up for our photo session last Friday, I could already see positive changes in her demeanor since the last time I saw them work. She was more confident in her new job, and that confidence translated into a more relaxed, supple topline and a more steady rhythm in her gaits.

 Ally began her trot work eagerly and a little rushed. Rather than relying on rein aids alone, Carole slowed the tempo of her posting and the mare responded by relaxing into her trot. Like Tiffany Catledge's training sessions during the Retired Racehorse Training Project Trainer's Challenge, Carole worked diligently to ask her mare to loosen her topline and encouraged the mare to work long and low.

I saw glimmers of Ally learning to telescope her neck and engage her hind end.

 In addition to working on contact, Carole also introduced Ally to work on a loose rein. It was a good way to monitor the mare's self carriage and it encouraged her to learn how to travel with different amounts of rein contact.

 Sometimes, Ally rushed a little with her new-found freedom, and sometimes, she stretched into the bit, chewing thoughtfully.

Ally stepped into a nice canter from a trot, properly picking up both leads with the guidance of her trainer. She looked a little more balanced to the right.

 Carole cooled the mare out at a relaxed trot, working on some big circles and stretch work, and then they walked to finish up the ride.

 Farrier Craig Farrell shod Ally last Friday. With the first shoeing, he already began to bring her toes back and work on her heels. They took off her hind shoes; it looks like she will be able to stay barefoot behind for now. Carole said that she stocked up just a little bit in her hind legs, which is not uncommon for horses who are off the track and have had hind shoes for a while.

 Ally continues to gain weight and muscle. She was in very good condition when she retired from racing, with excellent muscle tone and good weight, but now the work will begin to build her topline and hind end. I can already see a little more rounding in the muscling in her hind end.

Please stay tuned each Wednesday for more updates and interviews from the connections of this promising mare.

-Sarah Andrew

Thewifedoesntknow: Training Blog, Week 1

In my blog post last week, I introduced you to YouTube sensation Thewifedoesntknow (Golden Missile - Aheadnotatail, by Unbridled), who retired from racing this month. New Jersey hunter/jumper trainer Carole Davison and her daughter Liz began training the mare for her second career in the hunter ring.

On Friday morning, I visited San Sue Acres in Howell, NJ, and photographed Carole's training session with Thewifedoesntknow (affectionately nicknamed Ally-Gator). As I watched Carole tack Ally up, I noticed that the mare was already comfortable in cross ties, and watched everything in the barn with interest and curiosity. Carole's tack choices are simple and classic: Thewifedoesntknow is outfitted in a plain snaffle bridle, a copper roller D-ring snaffle, a jumping saddle, and polo wraps. The mare wears no tie-downs and no extra training aids.

Ally stood calmly at the mounting block when Carole got into the saddle. She began the ride with a few quiet laps around the arena at a walk before getting into trot work. I was immediately impressed with the mare's willing attitude. As she trotted around the ring, she cocked one ear toward her trainer. Carole encouraged the mare to stretch onto the bit and relax her topline; it was really fun to see how intently Thewifedoesntknow concentrated on Carole and how carefully she worked to understand the new way of riding. 

 One of my favorite things about Thewifedoesntknow is her natural rhythm. Many green horses speed up and slow down as they learn how to engage their hind ends and balance themselves, but this mare has a wonderfully consistent tempo for a horse at her training level. This will prove to be a valuable asset in the hunter ring.

Ally continued to impress me when she encountered a few deer, who were just outside the arena. One deer quietly walked past the arena but another crashed through the woods. Ally reacted, but was quickly under control. Carole's body language gave the mare confidence and she relaxed as she watched them.

Carole began canter work with Thewifedoesntknow a few days earlier, and they are already making great progress. She readily picks up both leads, and is learning how to keep her balance around corners.

After the canter work, Carole did a little work with transitions within the gaits, asking for a little more push at the trot, and then slowing her posting down. The mare is very responsive and is picks up on Carole's weight shifts and cues. She did a "stretchy" circle as part of the cooldown; although she is very green, Ally has little "lightbulb moments" for a stride or two during these exercises while she tries to figure out what to do.

 Carole incorporated ground poles into Ally's training session, and she willingly walked over a few during the ride. 

 After the ride was over, Ally showed off her patience and intelligence by standing quietly as Carole unhooked the arena gate. She is learning the ins and outs of farm life.

After their ride, Ally was treated to a cooling hosedown and a pick of grass before she was turned out in her paddock. As she becomes more comfortable with her routine and her people, she shows off more and more of her lovely personality.

Carole was kind enough to supply me with a training log of their sessions. For the first few days, she and Liz did groundwork with the mare, with both grooming sessions and work under tack, including standing by the mounting block and a little longe line work. Her riding sessions are short and sweet, usually 30 minutes including warmup and cooldown. In addition to her schooling under saddle, Carole is introducing other elements to her training, such as being in the arena with other horses and negotiating unusual objects.

Please check back next Wednesday for more news and updates about this promising mare.

--Sarah Andrew