The importance of rapport

“When the horse isn’t doing what you want, he’s telling you something. And it’s usually that you need to get better at what you’re doing.”

A quote I came across and I like because it is so true and probably applies to a lot of jockeys.

By establishing rapport with a horse its performance can be taken to another level. To illustrate this I will use an example of some personal experiences.

When one of Amanda’s European ponies had to be retired from international level we received a phone call from someone asking if Amanda would take on their pony. We went to the yard where it was being kept for Amanda to try it out. What happened next was quite alarming and an indication of how some riders think horses should just do as they are told and reprimand them if they don’t.

This pony was a big grey (virtually white) gelding (bigger than some of the “horses” seen on the track). After some flat work Amanda tried him over a jump, gradually raising the bar. Then, he touched a pole. His eyes almost popped out if his head and he flew round the arena, obviously petrified. Amanda just sat on him until he calmed down and then spent a while reassuring him. Tried again and a repeat performance, requiring more reassurance. Lowered the pole and rewarded him every time he cleared the jump. This pony had obviously been punished for knocking a pole and was expecting the same again. Realising the pony needed re-training we took him home.

This pony, prior to falling into the wrong hands, had been ridden (fairly successfully) by a lad who subsequently became a World Champion.

As trust between pony and Amanda strengthened, the new partnership became a major success. The pony exceeded all expectations until one day the combination was selected to represent GB at Le Touquet in France. Not only did they do themselves justice in the team event, they actually won an individual class against all the best ponies and riders in Europe.

The praise Amanda got for bringing this pony from the brink of obscurity to International level was very rewarding with comments such as “He would never have done that for anyone else”, referring to a turn they did to knock seconds off the time to win the event. THAT is what trust can achieve; the horse and rider want to help each other out.

Apologies for using my daughter to illustrate but when you have experienced this first hand (on several occasions) it does rather stick in the mind; and watching racing over the jumps can draw some rather uncomplimentary comments from a certain family in France.

Basically, under bad management/riding some horses will never achieve their full potential and can even be ruined. It does make me wonder when a horse improves significantly when moving to another yard. It isn’t just a change of scenery; it’s probably a change of treatment.

It may be worth identifying small yards who believe in building a rapport between horse and rider and where the horse is happy and feels like a king, especially when taking a horse from a bigger yard where it was simply a small fish in a big pond and being ridden by any old jockey.

 

Very good piece Ron that's why the importance of natural horsemanship is crucial and makes the difference between good and top riders not just jockeys! Also confidence in your ability and the horse you are riding they can feel any sense of doubt that you have about yourself! One of Mine a complete skitzy sort typical thoroughbred will try his luck with any new rider until he trusts you , but to build a rapport is easier said then done, it can take along time but when it does they will do anything you ask!!

 

Interesting stuff chaps. Probably simplifying it beyond belief but the old adage that horses run better for some jockeys certainly holds true. As I've often said, the most talented horseman I've ever seen is Paul Carberry. He's a complete genius in the saddle.

 

An interesting post Ron - I have always wondered with regard how important rapport is with racehorses and I tend to feel it is important and yet we see very often big trainers at big races put up jockeys that only see the horse during race day, indicating they imagine it less important.

 

The reason for that Blue is that the trainer/connections is there with the horse and jockey and the horse feels secure in their presence and in the hands of a good jockey who has been made aware of any quirks, if the horse has any. I suspect that happens much more in flat racing where trust is not that important. Over fences, where timing and placing is vital, mutual trust is far more important When a horse starts to feel insecure the problems start. That will happen in a yard where it isn't comfortable and isn't treated lovingly and also in the hands of a bad rider.

 

Yes, interesting, it's good to have some rapport with one's wife too, otherwise all is lost....................

Yep, Oddy, you certainly have good old rapport with Belvano, as I did with Haafhd years ago.

 

Interesting thread. Certain trainers (Murless, Hern, Cecil for example) always had stable jockeys and wouldn't have it any other way. Knowing the quirks of a horse must pay dividends. Murless always said his greatest advantage was having Gordon Richards as his stable jockey. They must build rapport.

But then you get the Lester stories when riding a horse he's not seen before:

Told him the filly was a stayer and needed to be near the lead and to kick for home from 3 out: Result Lester trailed the whole field all the way round and went past all of them in the last furlong to win going away.

Told him the filly had some toe so to bide his time: Lester led all the way and won by 10 lengths. Jumped off the filly and said sell her she's a ****.

Sometimes there's genius

 

Rapport is always an advantage but not so essential as when there are large obstacles in the way.

Lester was a genius. He probably knew the horse inside out before they got to the starting line

 

You know, the American horseracing journalists hated him from the start. They started this off with a comment from one of them after his winning ride on Sir Ivor in the 1968 Washington DC International, "he made a good horse look bad". They just did not understand that the ground that day was pretty desperate and that Lester had to really 'nurse' the horse to get the trip. He knew this from the start, and it was only his genius that won the day for Sir Ivor.

However, did he ever get his own back, and with a vengeance. He had to wait until 1990 in the Breeders' Cup mile. His ride on Royal Academy could well have been his greatest. He stuffed the American sports journalists good and proper that day.

Here's the two video replays:

 

I remember it well. Good old Lester. Man of few words, and those were difficult to decipher some times. I sometimes wonder how he chatted up birds. 2 words spring to mind..

 

A nice article on Piggott. The man himself has a few word too.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/may/06/features.sportmonthly

 

He got some redemption (if it was needed) in 1969 when he won the DC on Karabas, When interviewed after the race there were no criticisms but when asked when he knew he'd win the race he said curtly '2 weeks ago'.

 

Great article. Thanks Cyc

 

Here's a 'few' more stories about the great man!

http://www.smashiton.com/others/Lester Piggot stories.htm

 

I like the one where Lester gets one beaten for a Northern trainer with only a handful of horses. After giving Piggott an earful, he said. "You'll never ride for me again."

Lester replies. "Well, that's me ****ed then."

 

Cyc, I've been trying so hard to find a true story in one of my books, but damned if I can find it. It's on his well-chronicled stinginess. It goes something like this:

It was after a minor holiday race meeting at the Brighton racecourse on the south coast. Apparently Lester's own car was in the garage undergoing repairs or something, so he asked a young journalist from a local rag if he'd be good enough to give him a lift to London! Even though it was some 54-miles away, the young man had no hesitation in agreeing, he felt sure he'd get some good stuff to write about, one would imagine. Just after the start of the journey, Lester asked the guy if he would stop at a local shop which sold excellent ice cream (Lester loved the stuff). Lester jumped out, came back with an absolute whopper of a cone, at which the young writer commented "didn't you bring me one?" "Oh", said Lester, "I really thought you didn't like ice cream".

A 108-mile round trip for the unfortunate hack, and Lester hardly said another word.

 

My selection from those Swanny

Told by Richard Fox. He turned up at Piggott's house one day looking for some digs and summoned up all his courage to knock on the great man's door. Piggott answered and asked, 'What d'you want?'

Foxy replied, 'Can I stay here?'

Piggott answered, 'If you like.' and shut the door in Foxy's face. Priceless.
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There was the time when he dropped his whip and just grabbed the whip off the French jockey next to him at the time. He went on to win the race. When called in by the stewards he said, 'I thought he was finished with it'.
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Lester was asked by a US racing reporter whether winning at the Breeders' Cup on Royal Academy was his greatest achievement in racing, Lester replied, "I've won 9 ******* Derbys!?
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A good jockey doesn't need orders and a bad jockey couldn't carry them out anyway; so it's best not to give them any - Lester Piggott
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Never catch a loose horse. You could end up holding the ******* thing all day - Lester Piggott
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After getting beat on a 9y/old maiden the owner asked Lester what he thought of the horse. "He might come on for the run and will be better with age"
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Rode one for a northern trainer with a handful of horses. Got beat. Trainer gave him and an earful and told him, 'You'll never ride for me again.'

Lester; 'Well, that?s me ****** then.'
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Robert Edmondson carved Lester up coming out of the stalls, one day at Doncaster, in the days before scout cameras. Lester finished 2nd to Edmondson. So he comes in to the weighing room and tells the Stipe (Steward) he wants to object.

Stipe; ?On what grounds are you objecting, Piggott?'

Lester; 'Attempted ******* murder?
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Lester rode one for a great trainer I rode for, called Kevin Curtain, at Flemington over the Cups Carnival in the jockeys international invitation race. Kev thought it could win. The horse finished about 8th.

Asked what went wrong, Lester said, ?Needs more ground?

Kev, ?how much??

Lester, ?a 100 acre paddock!?
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