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I would agree Miss Woodford. Team chasing and hunting are very exciting for horses because they not only run in a pack, but they change terrain, turn and jump with much more diversity than going round and round a racetrack. A cross country course involves so many different obstacles that horses very rarely lose interest on the way round because they are always thinking. Also it is not as if he has to "win" as in get his neck across the line first. He might not lead the team, there is 4 members so he could pop in behind.
I had a quirky ex racehorse called Jallastep and he took to hunting very well and popped wee fences. Funniest thing was when we started a run at the back of the field and outstripped everyone within a few hundred yards! Had to keep a tight rein on the old boy, he loved it!
[attachment=0:1x9mydn6]Denman-hunting.jpeg[/attachment:1x9mydn6]Courtesy of Horse and Hound:
Denman’s diary: exercising with hounds for the first time
1 November, 2012
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Last weekend I bit the bullet and took Denman exercising… via hounds. The Duke of Beaufort’s were meeting very close to my friend Peg Livingston-Learmonth, where Denman visited to start his fitness work on her horsewalker.
I told no one (except the Barbers and Paul Nicholls) that I would be taking him out, and we parked well away from second horses and hacked to meet them. There were only about 10 people out, which was perfect.Considering he hasn’t been out with hounds, he was really very good. There were a few fly leaps here and there, but that’s to be expected as this is so far removed from anything he’s been used to.
He’s a typical hot red head and was slightly feisty, but far better than I had dared to hope. At times, he stood very well and at other times he would have a fidget and dig. But the good thing is he kept his head.
There was nothing on offer to jump, so we didn’t leave the ground. If there’d been anything small that needed jumping we’d have done that, but this season is not going to be about flying over big hedges. We know he can gallop and jump, so my job is to take it very slowly and educate him about standing and settling. I want him to realise that hunting is not too exciting and not just about galloping.
I rode him in a Cheltenham gag, which worked well. I had two reins on it, so I could ride him off the snaffle rein, but had brakes if needed. I very much kept the anchors on and took it steady.
I hacked him all the way home and by the time we got back he was totally chilled. I really like that. I was able to wash him off on my own with no trouble at all. I exercised him this morning and he was pretty laid back — his little expedition hasn’t hotted him up at all.
I don’t want to get him too much fitter now, so am backing off the work a bit. He’s living out by day and in at night, which means he can stretch his legs all day. I’m just doing roadwork during the week now to keep strengthening his legs.
I don’t know how long it will take to make him and it’s still very early days, but he showed good signs. I’m glad to have his first day out under my belt — it was nerve-wracking as there was enormous pressure, but he didn’t let himself down.
Charlotte
The latest report from Denman’s new home. Some lovely pictures of him too:
Please go away ArkleSupreme, or at least post something relevant. I have seen you bounce between BBC 606, Not 606 and Talking Horses and each time you spout the same unrelated rubbish.
Lovely to see Denman enjoying an active retirement. So we have Denman going team chasing and Neptune Collonges performing dressage, I’m very curious to see what Kauto does. Also Master Minded when he’s fully recovered. I think it’s so important that the public see these famous horses having careers after racing, and hopefully it will inspire some people to assist in retraining racehorses- I know where my Christmas money is going.
I just take solace in knowing that had the internet been around in the sixties, forums would have been full of old-timers saying ‘he’s not as good as Golden Miller, y’know’.
Twitter=@PGHenn
So don't run, just like the others always do
Paul Nicholls would hardly want to take the gloss off his own Denman’s victory with excuses for Kauto Star would he. The way I saw it is Kauto Star never jumped or traveled like he could, for some reason he just wasn’t right.
The ‘comfort zone’ reasoning never washed with me. A lot of people at the time said that Kauto wasn’t used to jumping at such pace and couldn’t go with Denman, such was the speed he was traveling at. This is a horse who had won a Grade 1’s over 2 miles, so jumping at speed had never been an issue. Like I said, he was below par on the day.
Most of time he lost, yes he was below par. One of his flaws if you like was that he didn’t produce his best day in day out like some of the great horses we’ve seen in the past. He was not a consistent performer. If the top rated horses produced their best everyday they’d never get beaten would they? But when he was on song by god was he good. I think that’s what endeared him to so many racing fans, his bounce back ability.
Now you’re putting words in my mouth. I never said Denman was never below par. All I was arguing was that Kauto was below par on that day in the Gold Cup, yet it seems you have a serious chip on your shoulder about people thinking Kauto Star was better than Denman. Not once have I even stated here which horse I believe was better. That was not the point I was addressing.
Also, it seems either somebody is a massive fan of your work or you’re giving all your own comments a thumbs up.
Please take your discussion elsewhere Arklesupreme, as you have ruined my thread, which related to Denman’s new NON RACING career ONLY and not an assessment of Denman or any other horses respective RACING abilities.
New instalment folks:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/315358.html
There is also a lovely picture of him jumping out hunting. Shame his rider is not wearing correct head gear. Some old timers still insist on putting appearance before safety (or one’s life!).
New edition of the Denman Blog in Horse and Hound folks
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/blogs/7616/315622.html
Looks like he is enjoying his second career!
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