Class Act - "Mel" - Testimonial written by Mel's Owner, Andrea Smith:
Converging Spirit, p,3,1:53s ($156,249)
Converging Spirit was owned by Millar Farms during her racing career and I was her groom for three years. She was a very nervous filly from the get-go, and suffered from tying-up (azoturia) often. Massage therapy was a part of her weekly routine while she was in race training, helping to alleviate stress and tension in her muscles, calm her nerves and keep her in good racing form.
She went on to earn over $150,000 in her racing career, raced in the Fillies and Mares Open, and is currently a broodmare with Brittany Farms, USA. She has produced several winners including Top of the Morning p, 3, 1:55.3f, 4, 1:51s -'11 ($156,009), Internal Check p, 3, 1:53.4f -'11 ($70,814) and Abbys Luck p, 3, 1:52.3s -'12 ($30,135).
She went on to earn over $150,000 in her racing career, raced in the Fillies and Mares Open, and is currently a broodmare with Brittany Farms, USA. She has produced several winners including Top of the Morning p, 3, 1:55.3f, 4, 1:51s -'11 ($156,009), Internal Check p, 3, 1:53.4f -'11 ($70,814) and Abbys Luck p, 3, 1:52.3s -'12 ($30,135).
Our Intent, p, 2, Q1:57s, 3, 1:52s -'05 ($78,572). Owned by Erin Hackney.
Our Intent was purchased in 2009 as a project horse. I had worked for years in the standardbred industry, recently gotten my trainer's licence and wanted to try my hand at racing my own horse.
I found this guy on Standardbred Canada's "Horses for Sale" board and called about him - the current owner was selling due to illness and the price was listed as "best offer".
He informed me that the horse had some problems with his ankles. To be exact, this horse has many, many bone chips in one of his ankles (apparently an XRay showed almost too many to count), and both ankles appear deformed. Both ankles are fused, and do not appear to cause him too much pain, but they are not the prettiest you might have seen (see photos below).
I managed to have pretty good success racing this horse for a season before retiring him to use as my current riding horse. Part of his maintenance routine included daily stretching exercises and weekly massage sessions to keep him limber. He tended to get very stiff in his shoulders and hind end, most likely due to compensation for his bad ankles. He continues to work a few times a week as a riding horse and he is currently learning dressage which is improving his flexibility drastically.
I found this guy on Standardbred Canada's "Horses for Sale" board and called about him - the current owner was selling due to illness and the price was listed as "best offer".
He informed me that the horse had some problems with his ankles. To be exact, this horse has many, many bone chips in one of his ankles (apparently an XRay showed almost too many to count), and both ankles appear deformed. Both ankles are fused, and do not appear to cause him too much pain, but they are not the prettiest you might have seen (see photos below).
I managed to have pretty good success racing this horse for a season before retiring him to use as my current riding horse. Part of his maintenance routine included daily stretching exercises and weekly massage sessions to keep him limber. He tended to get very stiff in his shoulders and hind end, most likely due to compensation for his bad ankles. He continues to work a few times a week as a riding horse and he is currently learning dressage which is improving his flexibility drastically.