Q&A: Jimmy Bell sounds off on OTTB aftercare
For the past two years, Jimmy Bell has been the President of the Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the non-profit organization which accredits, inspects and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations. As his two-year term comes to an end, he sat down with the TDN’s Sue Finley to talk about what he’s learned, and where the industry needs to be in terms of aftercare. SF: Why did you agree to take this on? JB: Before the TAA, I think I was a typical person in the industry regarding my thoughts on aftercare, and I think my path represents […]
He becomes an ‘Alpha mare’ to train OTTBs
Put a herd of 25 horses together for the first time, and after some kicking, biting, and a few flying tufts of torn-out hair, an alpha mare will emerge. In 97 percent of the time, after the dust settles, it is the female horse who emerges victorious as the leaders, says Mark Bolender ofBolender Horse Park in Washington. All devotion is vested in her, as long as she leads in a focused and consistent manner. But if she veers into inconsistent and unfocused leadership, the herd will turn on her and kill her. “Once she is chosen, an instinct will […]
Makeover winner: ‘Any horse can do this’
Lindsey Partridge and her Thoroughbreds were said to be “the train nobody saw coming.” After winning the highest honors at the TCA Thoroughbred Makeover in Kentucky this past weekend, the Ontario nurse and her two spontaneously purchased OTTBs— Soar and Lionofwallstreet—returned to Canada after a weekend spent wowing Thoroughbred fans with Freestyle routines that helped proved that an off-track Thoroughbred can do just about anything. Her gray mare Soar, who she renamed Kahleesi, was named America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred, after putting in a routine that included a demonstration of bridleless riding and a range of gaits and skills. Soar New […]