Given the renewed focus on Thoroughbreds in the show ring, many equestrians are rethinking the idea of retraining former racehorses for hunter/jumper competition.
Giving a Thoroughbred a new career
Priscilla Godsoe specializes in taking Thoroughbred athletes and rehabilitating them for new careers and has a knack for transitioning them to the competitive arena, garnering USEF and USHJA Horse of the Year Championships along the way.
Enter show jumper rider Priscilla Godsoe, who specializes in taking these often misunderstood but versatile athletes and rehabilitating them for new careers over fences.
Whether it's a horse that never made it to the races (such as LaGrange) or a million-dollar earner (such as Dry Martini), Godsoe has a knack for transitioning them to the competitive arena, garnering USEF and USHJA Horse of the Year Championships along the way.
Far more than just "saving" such Thoroughbreds from bad situations–situations where they could go downhill rather quickly–Godsoe custom-tailors conditioning regimens that take into account the horses' previous lifestyle while remaining sensitive to their personality types and quirks. As she puts it, it's all about "understanding from the ground up."
In her new EquiSearch blog, Godsoe shares the step-by-step process with each prospect. Watch, for example, as she takes the oversized and once-aggressive "Hawkasaurus" in the show ring for the first time, or on a cross-country "paper chase." The journey is both educational and entertaining.
"What I would like to share is my in-depth experience with a variety of Thoroughbreds from many different exposures: a timeline of expectations, training and care through examples of equines with whom I have worked or been involved," Godsoe explains. "You may not always make a Thoroughbred into exactly what you want, but you can find exactly what you want in a Thoroughbred, I guarantee that."
Godsoe's blog, "Off the Track to Over Fences," may be read at http://www.equisearch.com/community/blogs/off-the-track-to-over-fences.