SPORT HORSE PRINICIPLES Sue Shortt on

Sue Shortt on Ardla, owned by Miss Fiona Wentges

SUE SHORTT BRINGS SPORT HORSE PRINCIPLES TO HER ROLE AT COPPER BEECH STABLES

MORE TRAINERS ARE NOW ENGAGING EXPERTS IN SPORT HORSE PRINCIPLES TO WORK WITH RACEHORSES, BREANDÁN Ó hUALLACHÁIN SPOKE TO SUE SHORTT ABOUT THE TOPIC.

Sue Shortt was bred into the equine industry. Her father rode horses, ending up as a jockey in the USA, her mother hunted and rode point-to-pointers, her brother rode National Hunt horses, her uncle Francis was champion N.H. jockey on a number of occasions during the 1960s, while another uncle, Richard, was champion apprentice rider when at Jim Bolger’s.

Sue, who admits “we were steeped in the game”, rode eventing from an early age right up to seniors over a 35-year career span. She competed at Olympic Games in Athens and Sydney, the European and World Championships.

Her involvement with Halford, whom she has known since her youth, came shortly a er her return from a four and a half year sojourn in China when she managed the Yulong team

for Yuesheng Zhang:

“Michael rang me one day, about two and a half years ago. His physiotherapist was looking for someone to do some rehab flat work with some of the horses. I had just come back from China and said I’d be interested in doing that as I had always loved the racing game, so it started from there.

“I ride four or five (horses) every day – I do six days a week there. What any racehorse trainer is trying to do is to maximise each horse’s potential – whether they’re a 0-60 horse or a Group horse, it’s how to have that horse physically and mentally as good as you can get him to perform to his maximum, and that’s where I help,” the Irish young rider evening team manager explains.

“I work in conjunction with the vets and the physios after they’ve seen a horse, diagnosed it, and recommended a rehab programme. If there is a horse that Mick’s not 100% happy with his action or the way he’s moving, I’ll have a sit on it. If I think it’s a muscular thing or I think some flat work will help, I’ll say ‘give me three days with him and if he’s not getting better we’ll get the vet or the physio to have a look.’ It’s all interconnected. Basically my role is to try and teach the horses to use themselves properly.”

The experience she has gained from international competition sees Shortt bring principles from other equestrian disciplines to her daily work at Copper Beech Stables.

“On the dressage training scale, you’ve got rhythm, relaxation, balance and straightness and all horses are the same, whether they’re WHAT ANY RACEHORSE TRAINER IS TRYING TO DO IS TO MAXIMISE EACH HORSE’S POTENTIAL, WHETHER THEY’RE A 0-60 HORSE OR A GROUP HORSE.

from his ears to his neck, over his back and down to his tail, and that’s where you build up the strength in the horse.” Part of Sue’s all-round role at Halford’s Kildangan-based stables includes alleviating soreness and loosening muscle tightness in horses in the days after races. “If a horse is coming back after a run and he’s had a day or two off, I might sit on him for a day or two to stretch him and get rid of any muscle tightness or soreness before he starts galloping again,” Sue adds. In a job where every day brings something different, Shortt mentions a horse at Copper Beech Stables that showjumpers or racehorses or event horses, they benefited from Horse Sport principles: all pretty much have the same issues. If I sit on “One horse was not showing a lot on the gallop a horse and he’s not straight, he’s leaning one and didn’t have anything obvious going on with way; you get another guy and he’s pulling himself him. He was sound, moving quite well and I sat along in front – he’s got all his weight over his on him a couple of times and he couldn’t actually shoulders – you’re running the risk of getting canter a 20m circle, which meant he either was joint issues or overdeveloping the muscles on pulling himself along or wasn’t pushing himself the shoulder area. You could get a horse that’s under. That’s where a horse’s engine is; he’s got carrying its head too high, he’s jamming up his to push himself from the back end, through the back a little bit and he’s not flowing in his action.” back, down to the neck and into the rein and

Normally a couple of days are required to sort they flow forward from the backend. Between out many of the equine athletes’ issues, according me and the physio, three or four days sorted to the Co Kilkenny-born woman. him out and he started using himself properly.

“If you took a saw and cut a horse’s body down He went on to win in Dubai and took the from between its ears down its spine to its tail, Bahrain International Trophy.” the right side of the horse should be a mirror Though using Sport Horse principles image of the left side of the horse. What they will assist a horse in achieving its maximum do sometimes if they’re a little crooked and out potential, Sue Shortt stresses: of balance, is they build up muscles in one area “You’re not going to turn a 60 or 70 and lose it in the opposite area. What I do is I rated horse into a Group horse. It’s about recognise that by sitting on them and having a recognising where the issues are and trying feel and advising what we do to fix it.” to rectify them and getting the horses to

The dual Summer Olympian continues: reach their maximum potential.”

“It’s flat work, it’s being able to walk, trot and canter a horse in balance using itself equally on both sides. This is what the nags’ men used to do back in the 1960s and 1970s. If a horse was a bit weak or one-sided, they’d go out and canter him on his weak side and his good side to even him up – it’s basically the same principle. I can use flat work if I have a horse with an issue, say hind joints – we can use dressage movements to make the horse step in and use that area more.”

Stretching plays a key role in helping a horse build up his strength reveals the 1993 European Championships eventing team bronze medallist:

“If you can put a horse’s nose as close to the ground as possible, he stretches all the muscles

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