ENGLISH TEXTS
grinding its teeth – a sign of stress or gastric discomfort? Is it stiff? Is its musculature asymmetrical? Is it looking sad? Which companion should it be paired with during its few weeks of rest so it truly benefits? Every horse coming off training is a fascinating mystery to solve. And the caretaker only has a short window – typically three to six weeks – to restore both its physical and mental well-being.“ I expect the person taking care of my horses on rest to have an eye for things, to adapt to each horse, and not hesitate to put them with other horses if needed,” summarizes Jérôme Delaunay, who oversees around a hundred racehorses in Anjou. At Écurie Papot, a leading name in NH racing ownership, the strategy behind rest periods is classified information. Xavier Papot is convinced the system refined over the years is a key to the stable’ s success. The details remain secret – we only learn that the Papots rely on a team of pre-trainers and keep their horses physically active, even when on holiday. There are two schools of thought among trainers: those who favor maintaining light exercise, and those who advocate for total rest.
Complete Break or Active Holidays? British trainer Noel George, based in Chantilly alongside Amanda Zetterholm and ranked third in the NH trainer standings in late June with 79 horses, falls into the latter category. The British, in general, believe strongly in the benefits of pasture life. Across the Channel, top riders in show jumping and eventing are happy to turn even their Olympic champions out to pasture, solo or in groups.“ My philosophy is simple: remove the shoes, let them outside, and give them a real vacation,” he explains.“ That goes for our top horses who don’ t race in summer, but also for the threeyear-olds. They race on turf in spring, then I send them out to enjoy the good grass in March-April and bring them back when it gets hot.” A horse’ s stomach constantly produces acid. The lower part of this organ is protected by keratin, but when the horse is in training, this acid sloshes around and irritates the delicate upper lining, leading to ulcers. There’ s no better long-term remedy than pasture time. As Dr. Gimenez says:“ The horse is a herd animal that needs to walk a lot, head down. Turning it out restores the natural conditions its body is made for.” Noel George’ s true heavy-ground horses, the ones who only return to competition in winter, stay on holiday until August. He often sends them to his father Tom, also a trainer, who owns a 250-hectare property near Cheltenham.“ They don’ t suffer from heat there, the climate is much milder than in France,” Noel points out. Naturally, he prefers springtime breaks, noting that horses benefit less during winter when they need rugs and the grass provides little nutrition.“ If they get a winter break, it’ s more to change scenery and boost their spirits. I prefer picking a location with, say, a pool, so they can do something different from their usual routine.”“ I choose full rest for three-year-olds – they need good grass and time to grow,” says Jérôme Delaunay.“ But I don’ t like stopping older horses for too long. I favor structured vacations: ridden every other day, light gallops … That makes getting back to work easier. We don’ t stop them completely, unless they clearly need a mental break.”
Short or Long Breaks? For Dr. Gimenez, moderate but consistent activity makes sense for adult horses prone to arthritis:“ If the rest period is short, it’ s better to keep the horse moving. Stopping training reduces ligament flexibility, which can trigger joint pain. You can keep the horse active by varying the routine, thalassotherapy, for example, is great, especially since sea air’ s negative ions benefit the respiratory system.” Horses with no particular health issues generally rest for three to six weeks. Noel George believes they don’ t fully unwind if the break is less than a month. Philippe Peltier agrees that a break that’ s too short“ is pointless.” His ideal length? Four to five weeks:“ That way they don’ t lose too much muscle and get back into shape quickly. We either send them to
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