We are a small racing yard based in Middleham, North Yorkshire (right, the yard set in the grounds of Middleham Castle), a village steeped in racing history. Picturesque, it's a wonderful place to train, with beautifully kept gallops and essentially plenty of turnout for our equine athletes!
Racing is a game of margins, and one is always looking for that extra inch at the finishing line. The obvious factor is getting the horses as fit as possible, as every muscle is tested to its maximum. However, their health is equally as important, which is why we have turned to Feedmark for help in giving them all the minerals and vitamins they need to enable them to feel and perform at their best. Every one of them has a Rock Salt Lick in their stable, and they adore them - a very easy way to incorporate essential minerals into their diet. Electrolytes are also very important in the rehydration of racehorses, and not even our fussiest eaters refuse Replenish!
We have had a relatively quiet winter, having mainly flat horses in training here, and most of our jump horses preferring summer ground. The yearlings - now two year olds - have been keeping us from getting bored! Young horses who are growing daily, they particularly adore there salt licks and I have to replace them far too often! We tend to buy our yearlings from Tattersalls in Newmarket around October time, and they then come home where they chill out for a couple of weeks before the education starts. They all took to saddle and rider very quickly this year (with only one or two rider athletics!), and with the warm (sort of...) weather we have had, they are all very forward and going up the canter with great aplomb. We have some very nice types, so let's hope they do us proud this year! 2 year old are lots of fun to work with - they love to play and enjoy their work so much. We are very careful not to push them if they aren't ready, but we have two colts (nicknamed Henry and Toby, who is pictured above strutting his stuff) who are finding it effortless, so hopefully they will be out early on once the flat season starts.
We had a great start to the year with Whisky Marmalade nd we are hopeful she will be giving them more opportunities to open the champagne! One of our first runners since starting with Feedmark, it looks like those winning inches are starting to kick on, so we'll cross our fingers the luck continues into 2016!
If you want to check out who we have in training, have a look at our website www.benhaslamracing.com!
Until next time!