breaking yearlings

[7minuteAbz]

Petrelli posted this recently, seems to be stalking RWS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD6wkUAdNRU

[wisha roder]

How is it possible for a trainer to purchase yearlings on one day and then have them hooked to a jog cart, the next day calmly walking  them to the track and then jog like its old hat?

The majority get sent to breeding facilities or the like to get prepped before the sales.  They prefer to have them for 60 days.  That's a lot of handling and brushing.  Then they have at least 2 days at the sale being brought out for buyers over and over again.  If you have a nut after all that...then you probably have a nut.  If it's a colt then you de-nut and if it's a filly, God help you.

[brownmoose13]

I have been in harness racing for about 50 years so almost all the trainers I know are 55 or older and each and every one of them takes 2- 3 weeks to break a yearling...old fashioned I guess and also not trying to impress the fractional newbies

[tumbleweed]

I have been in harness racing for about 50 years so almost all the trainers I know are 55 or older and each and every one of them takes 2- 3 weeks to break a yearling...old fashioned I guess and also not trying to impress the fractional newbies

The best thing about breaking yearlings is the line driving. Teaching them to do figure eights, stop,start etc. If you put in the time you seem to get the best results.

[Ungelded]

It’s not like it used to be…now they have been handled a lot more…usually rig them up,throw in field for an hour with harness,bridle and hobbles bring them in line drive for a bit then hook them with a 3rd line on go one lap around take 3rd line off by 2nd or 3rd day they are on their own…unless it’s a Bob Key horse those are orangutans never been handled they typically take a few days to a week

[brownmoose13]

It’s not like it used to be…now they have been handled a lot more…usually rig them up,throw in field for an hour with harness,bridle and hobbles bring them in line drive for a bit then hook them with a 3rd line on go one lap around take 3rd line off by 2nd or 3rd day they are on their own…unless it’s a Bob Key horse those are orangutans never been handled they typically take a few days to a week

WOW!!!  To this day I have never heard of a yearling coming from a sale that is even half broke and that is from small and large consignors/farms.

[Stan durbread]

WOW!!!  To this day I have never heard of a yearling coming from a sale that is even half broke and that is from small and large consignors/farms.

Not sure if they still do it now. But when DC was first getting started they would put their babies on the Walker with harness and bitting rig last 2 weeks before sale. For me I wouldn’t put a cart on till they clearly knew left,right and most importantly Whoa. Some took a couple days some a week. Overall the breed has changed so much last 30 years. When I got started it wasn’t a concern if you never saw a true pace the first month. Now if they don’t pace first couple days I get worried.

[JIDGE]

WOW!!!  To this day I have never heard of a yearling coming from a sale that is even half broke and that is from small and large consignors/farms.

I had trouble picking up feet on half the yearlings at Lexington -- they were definitely not broke. Consigners were complaining about short on help. I had two women in their 60s/70s show me a yearling at Brittany.

[Brown jug]

there is no hurry anyway
take your time

[Meadow Ford]

40 or so years ago a mid-west farmer backs his cattle trailer up to my barn. With a cattle prod he unloads and herds three three year old fillies into one stall.
Unbroke and untouched by human hands they had spent all their lives in with the beef cattle.
(AS I RECALL WE DID NOT HOOK THEM THE NEXT DAY)

[Meadow Ford]

An old story about breaking yearlings.
An owner asks The Old Trainer "What will you charge to break my yearling"?
The Old Trainer   "$800 a month".
Owner   "What if I help you"?
The Old Trainer    "In that case a thousand a month".

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

An old story about breaking yearlings.
An owner asks The Old Trainer "What will you charge to break my yearling"?
The Old Trainer   "$800 a month".
Owner   "What if I help you"?
The Old Trainer    "In that case a thousand a month".

Here is a believe it or not story but actually you should believe it because I was there and saw it. I am not going to name any names but back around 1977 there was a guy in my barn who bought a yearling filly out of the Old Glory Sale. Him and 2 other guys line drove her for about a week and then decided it was time to hook her to a cart. Everytime they hooked her, she took about 5 steps and laid down. Amazingly, she never broke up the wooden cart. One day, I show up at the barn and I see them spreading straw out on the road leading to the track. I couldn't figure out what the hell they were doing. Finally, I see them walk the filly out and hook her to the cart. She once again takes about 5 or 6 steps and lays down right where the straw was spread out. The trainer calmly walks over by her head, bends down and lights the straw on fire. I kid you not. The horse springs to her feet and away they go. Two things, she never layed down again after being hooked and she never made it to the races. They got 300 bucks from the amish for her.

[Foalin at 4]

Sold a yearling years ago, the guy who bought her called me the next day. He said you didn't tell me she was broke to drive, I said she's never had a harness on. Well I'm standing her watching her jog on my track he said.

[JIDGE]

Here is a believe it or not story but actually you should believe it because I was there and saw it. I am not going to name any names but back around 1977 there was a guy in my barn who bought a yearling filly out of the Old Glory Sale. Him and 2 other guys line drove her for about a week and then decided it was time to hook her to a cart. Everytime they hooked her, she took about 5 steps and laid down. Amazingly, she never broke up the wooden cart. One day, I show up at the barn and I see them spreading straw out on the road leading to the track. I couldn't figure out what the hell they were doing. Finally, I see them walk the filly out and hook her to the cart. She once again takes about 5 or 6 steps and lays down right where the straw was spread out. The trainer calmly walks over by her head, bends down and lights the straw on fire. I kid you not. The horse springs to her feet and away they go. Two things, she never layed down again after being hooked and she never made it to the races. They got 300 bucks from the amish for her.

Great story. That technique is quite drastic, but I have witnessed other methods to get a yearling to their feet. And I could think of two or three guys who authored your story. Doubt the event had anything to do with the Amish -- probably lack of talent.

[JIDGE]

I have been in harness racing for about 50 years so almost all the trainers I know are 55 or older and each and every one of them takes 2- 3 weeks to break a yearling...old fashioned I guess and also not trying to impress the fractional newbies

I believe anything else is a road to disaster.