The anticipation of meeting my new partner was overwhelming. I was eager and ready to take on this new endeavor. My eight-month training plan for “Beep” was whirling around in my head. I was also thinking long term. I wanted to keep “Beep” as my own personal horse with the ultimate goal of running the circuit for barrel racing. Many of the trainers who enter this competition sell their horses afterward to help cover costs and to make it easier to compete again the following year with a new horse. I was determined to find sponsorship to aid in the expenses for Beep. The rehab for a thoroughbred can be costly. While most are healthy, additional expenses such as farrier, chiropractic, dental, veterinary, and the nutritional program required are other costs that can pile up. Beep’s previous owner assured me that he was sound and ready to move on to his next career.
The drive to Ohio was going to be a round robin. It was a brisk March morning as we ventured out on our fourteen-hour trip. This was an adventure that my father would have made with me. He wouldn’t have hesitated to jump in the truck with trailer in tow to drive for hours to meet a new horse. This was a milestone moment in my career, and the thought of his absence brought tears to my eyes. However, my father was a planner, and before he passed he had miraculously made sure all the tiny details were addressed. He was never fond of me traveling alone, and his best friend reminded me of this fact and volunteered to split the drive and make the trip with me to go pick up Beep.
We arrived at my friend’s barn by late afternoon. She had transported Beep from the Indiana line to her place in Cortland, Ohio and had cared for him in order for me to make arrangements to prepare for him to come home to PA. It was a brisk day filled with anticipation. I stepped out onto the frozen ground and heard the crunch of the icy snow beneath my feet. I took a deep breath and began to walk towards the entrance to the barn. My stomach rustled a bit as I knew that this first meeting would only happen once. I had a lot of open ended questions spinning through my thoughts, but most of all, I was hoping I would not be disappointed with my decision to buy Beep sight unseen. After all, the luck I had months prior was a series of disenchantments, as my life seemed to be a long string of disappointments one following another. This would be the topper if I managed to buy a scrawny, un sound, unhealthy ex racehorse that would never amount to anything that I could compete with.
My friend Laura Wiencek who I had met during a previous thoroughbred makeover that we both competed in greeted us with a hug and smile, and escorted us into the barn and to his stall. She pointed to the door latch and said, “go ahead, open it, he has been waiting for you”. I clenched the cold metal and slid the door open with my eyes still closed tight. I slowly opened them one at a time. There he was! A wave of relief washed over me from head to toe as we made eye contact. He stood before me peering at me with two of the most honest eyes I had seen in my career. His big white blaze was in plain view, and his ears were pricked forward in excitement. He lowered his head and took a step towards me, meeting my hands as I reached up to caress his neck. He blew into my hair with his nostrils, and rested his muzzle on my shoulder. In that moment, I realized I had made the perfect decision. I silently thanked my father as I nestled my face against his neck. I thanked him for finding such an amazing creature for me to work with, to develop a connection with, and most of all, to mend my broken heart. He was a witness to this divine intervention as he watched from above.
Over the course of the next few days I allowed Beep to settle in at my farm. We were developing a friendship. He was silently sharing his story with me through each training session. His body was stiff, and his internal tension was gradually beginning to release muscle by muscle. While the training was moving along, his nutritional program was the most difficult to maintain in the first few months. He was picky about feed. During turn out he wouldn’t graze, but instead, stare at me while I rode horse after horse, or taught lessons in the arena. He was more concerned with what I was doing, rather than filling his stomach. I would often have to sit with him while he ate and finished his grain. He was a horse that was very aware of his surroundings and very people oriented. He would poke his nose out of his stall bars, and beg for a pat or scratch. His huge expressive brown eyes always wore a pleasant expression. His endearing attitude was a great platform to progress from, and in the weeks, that followed we did just that, we made great progress.
I began his sessions with ground work on the lunge line. It was important to change his race track muscles to riding muscles. He had ample time to rest after his retirement. It is often a balance when retraining the thoroughbreds. They are used to being worked and breezed on the track. They have a competitive edge, and are introduced and accustomed to many things that most young horses have not yet been exposed to. It is not difficult to keep the wheels in motion so to speak; the difficulty lies in teaching the lateral flexion and the bending throughout the body. This can derive from teaching the horse to work over the back and to reach through with the hind feet. I develop this over the course of a few weeks without the burden of carrying me, as well as trying to figure out the feelings that were happening within his own body and balance. The ground work, and in hand work is where we began our journey. After about 20 sessions it was apparent that Beep was excelling. He was swift, athletic, and very talented. He had a few corks though like most horses do. He didn’t like me on his left side, he was deathly afraid of tarps and flags, he would bolt forward if any other horse came up behind him in the arena, and he did not like to be alone in his pasture. He also did not like treats of any kind.
Over the course of a few weeks I offered Beep candies, carrots, apples, mints and treats of all shapes and sizes. He did not sample one thing. It became clear in the beginning that the only way I could show Beep that I was pleased with his work was the good old fashioned pat on his neck. He enjoyed our time, and would often nuzzle up against me, or lay his head on my shoulder. I do believe he was thankful for his new beginning, and I was slowly feeling that warmth and love sweep over me again. The passion that I had lost when I lost my father was beginning to resurface. I began to find reasons to run out to the barn. Didn’t matter what time it was, day or night I felt the need to go check on my newest partner. He was always happy to greet me with a nicker.
Beep was on a 6 day a week workout schedule. I was riding him nearly every day and enjoying every second. By the third month I felt the need to introduce my star to his fans. I set up a meet and greet Beep day at my farm. We were scheduled to perform a demo and to show our spectators our latest progress. Beep was like a rock star. One by one he greeted each person and allowed them to pet him and take a photo. He posed for the camera regally. There were a few moments when I swear he would look over his shoulder and wink at me as If to say “I got this”. We were showered with donations and sponsorship gifts. This was beginning to become a huge reality for us. We had a cheering section, and they believed in us and our journey.
Session after session we increased our difficulty with more maneuvers. We were building upon our foundation of training, and Beep was like a sponge. The more I gave him to work on, the harder he worked. He was gaining muscle, and filling out. He was becoming fit and his weaknesses slowly became his strengths. I realized I had a real contender. If we continued along this path, we had a real shot in Kentucky to make the top ten. I made that our long-term goal. We were gaining momentum; nothing was going to stop us now. I felt my confidence growing in leaps and bounds. I was back, and I was going to see this through. I had so much to prove to myself. I had an amazing partner in Beep. He was with me every step of the way. He was healing my heart, and igniting the fire once again.
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The Story of Tara Jones, Captain Beep Beep and the Retired Racehorse Project
He had 17 career starts, and one win.
HEART FIRE
PART 2 of the Captain Beep Beep Series
He had 17 career starts, and one win.
54 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Photo by Sherrie Hilliard
PART 2
He had 17 career starts, and one win.