Jim, Zana, Beach Rhythm and a Saddle for a Broken Racehorse

Race horse everyone gave up on makes good

Here is a picture of Jim Allen riding Beach Rhythm in exercise in his race exercise RP. He is a 5 furlong sprinter who has won at Southwell and again last Friday at Wolverhampton. When is he out again? Aiming for the 13th December back at Southwell luck continuing

Part time Devon flat trainer, Jim Allen was given a horse who kept going lame every time he worked on the gallops. He was only 2 when it was decided he’d never make the track. Jim doesn’t have money to buy expensive racehorses, but its his dream to train them. He brought Beach Rhythm back from the Horses In Training Sales when the horse had received no bid, on a promise to the his seller that he would give him a good home. For a year he ran out with Dales ponies allowing his legs to mature. Jim’s own vet advised him not to fall in love with the horse and that the odds were severely against this VERY upright horse ever making it into training at home never mind seeing a racetrack. Beachy had very upright pasterns and also very flat feet – not a good combination. He had amazing natural muscle development higher up, but the legs of a foal.

After a year out and being allowed to be barefoot to improve his feet, he was slowly brought into work in the arena where he was taught to move differently, using much more muscle propulsion and less momentum which could place more strain on those delicate joints and contracted tendons. This is where ReactorPanel came in to the teamwork. Starting with a GP RectorPanel to help encourage this horse to lift his back up as he worked. Then as he started to get more co ordinated he switched to a race exercise RectorPanel. After months of slow canter strengthening work, he took to galloping.

To cut a long story short of incidences of bad wind and needing a wind operation, to splints to septic corns, this horse has finally made it to the track. He has clocked up a few placings, never disappointed, always finishing mid field or up the front and recently clocked up two wins for a very delighted Jim Allen. It has been a lot of hard work and determination to get this horse to win, but win he has! Despite the odds. Who do we thank? Well its a big team of vets, physios, farriers, jockeys etc. But a huge thanks has to go to ReactorPanel and Saddle Exchange Saddling Solutions as they not only created a saddle to help this chap re learn how to move and carry a rider but also patiently came out whenever a tweak or adjustment was needed, sometimes at short notice.

Your saddler is an important part of the team and often overlooked, always overlooked in the racing world! With all Beachy’s problems, he still has to work with Jim Allen’s 13 stone on his back, because when you’re a hobby trainer, you can’t afford regular work riders, however with a reactor panel on, I don’t think Beachy feels any different to when a lighter rider is on board.

Zana also breeds award winning Dales Ponies and we visit her yard every month to fit saddles for her clients.