Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2008 | Page 76

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EQUESTRIAN - Sponsored by Brickfields and Foghill Tack

Gearing up for
Spring

“The Games are my true focus this year and it will be a very
strange year for us. Under normal circumstances I would be
looking at having a very full year, but for Corlato it will be
more about quality. Less shows and lots of preparation”,

Tim Stockdale is as fed up
with the weather as the rest
of us. It's the only time of the
year he really appreciates his
indoor school. “I don't like
the running costs of it,” he
says, “but it does mean I can
still work the horses.” And
there is plenty of work to be
done this spring with a nice
collection of international
show jumpers in an Olympic
year, plus a yard full of useful
youngsters to educate.
Tim's latest ride, the grey
mare Lou Lou, had
a good showing
at the London
International at
Olympia, and was
placed in four out
of five classes, but
this year Tim will be
concentrating on his
number one, Fresh
Direct Corlato and
Olympic selection.
“The Games are
my true focus this
year and it will be a
very strange year for
us. Under normal
circumstances I
would be looking
at having a very
full year, but for
Corlato it will
be more about
Tim's yard
quality. Less shows

76

and lots of preparation”,
explains Tim who hopes
to get the nod for the team
when the selectors make their
decision on June 22nd.
The climate in Hong Kong,
where the equestrian events
will be held, is not ideal for
horses. The British team will
travel in the first week of
August and jump on the 15th.
“We have to keep mentally
sharp, explains Tim. “If we
are there for six weeks, with
only one horse to focus on,

there is a temptation to do
too much and risk the horse
becoming sour. The Hong
Kong event will be run at night
and our horses will need to be
used to the shadows cast by
the lights, so we will practice
that. It will be very hot and
humid and the conditions
will be very testing.”
The feeding and stable
management of competition
horses is also critical. “We feed
our horses twice a day, with
just a snack at lunchtime,”

says Tim. “We do it this way
because often we are away
at shows and competing at a
time when the horses would
expect to be fed and then they
don't concentrate. I don't like
feeding course mixes, although
Corlato has a racehorse mix
as she doesn't like a high-oat
based feed. We feed bran, nuts,
sugar beet and oats and add
supplements where necessary.
All our horses are blood tested
regularly. How do you know
what is normal if you only do

is kept spotless no matter what time of day it is.

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