Anuario Raza Polo Argentino Anuario2017 | Page 271

Xth. Course for Grooms
CAMPO DE MAYO
Between August 14 and 20, the Argentine
Association of Polo Pony Breeders (AACCP),
sponsored by the National Ministry of Agro-
Industry and Veterinaria San Martín, gave its Xth.
Tito Lezcano Course for Grooms at the Military
Riding School at Campo de Mayo.
The course was directed by Guillermo Buchanan
and Roberto Mentana, with the assistance in
practices of Juan Cruz Mentana and Agustín
Perego.
Other participants were Drs. Agustín Pico, who
contributed his knowledge on Feed; Santiago
Camiña, Veterinary Practice; Federico Oyuela,
horseshoeing; Ezequiel Sojo, Breeding; Daniel
Felice as a groom with experience and good
results as well as ability for self-improvement and
Luis de Bari with his Clinic “Building Trust”.
We shall highlight remarks by Mariana Zim-
mermann (course attendee): “We are having a
good time, assisted by a very good team of Vets,
Trainers and Grooms, such as Daniel Felice, who is
a great groom and has given us a lot of very good
tips. The aim is to do this job as professionally and
tidily as possible, learning every detail, and starting
with the attitude that a groom must have.
It helped us put into perspective the importance
of good horse care; that it is not a job one just
does anyhow: one must give the horse the place
it deserves; the right place; when managing such
high-level horses, one must have knowledge and
see to every detail. Without practice we’ll get
nowhere; here we follow grooms’ routines in the
care of the horses, and we shall seek to practice
more so as to go on learning.”
Sergio Balbo was telling us: “We are having a great
time; it is a very complete course; I’m learning a lot;
it is not my trade, and this is not my field, which is
why I’m fascinated. It is essential to learn the whys
and wherefores of things: maybe you’ve seen or
experienced something, and you don’t know why
it happens, but here you get to understand: you
are given the theory, which you don’t get anywhere
else, and the exact amount of explanation. The
work of the Association is commendable; a very
good academic level; it raises the level of the
trade for which people are training. I, in particular,
am here because I am a horse fan, and want to
understand horses. The Association is giving me
a tool I didn’t have, and an explanation as to why
things happen.”
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