Capt. McCraw (affectionately known as Charlie) is a testament to his “good, goofy, honest and kind” nature, and has spent many years being loved by his human friends, through racing, retraining and riding horses.
“I got Charlie from the yearling sale because nobody wanted him because he was so small,” reflects harness owner/trainer Terry Franklin.
“Charlie was pretty well-bred and I’d seen videos of him before he was broken in, so I thought I’d give him a go.
“Charlie was just outside the box, in terms of personality. He became a bit of a legend all around [the Cranbourne Training Centre]for his silence.
“We had groups, including children with disabilities, come and visit the stables to see horses up close. Even though he was only three years old at the time, Charlie was chosen to meet everyone and he was just amazing with the kids.
By gifting Terry with some special winnings (which you can read about here), Charlie’s career ended in mid-2023 and it was time to consider what the next chapter of his life would look like.
“When I retired I knew Charlie would make a fine riding horse and I really wanted a good home for him,” reflects Terry.
“I got in touch with Hero Retrainer Tegan Siegfried, from Tarsia Park Equestrian, and made private arrangements for Charlie to go to her place, which was very convenient as she’s based just down the road from us, in Pakenham!”
As he traveled out to meet and collect Charlie, it was clear to Tegan how much Terry loved her little harness horse and how important it was that Charlie found a loving, forever home.
In keeping with her retraining ethos, based on “patiently waiting for each horse to find its perfect match”, Tegan began working with Charlie to prepare him for a wonderful life after competition.
“Having gone through a lot of changes (leaving his home of many years and Terry’s business) it took Charlie a while to settle and he was a bit reluctant at first, which is understandable,” recalls Tegan.
“I like to do a lot of foundation work with new horses, increasing agility, teaching them to bend and also building a relationship, which is very important.
“Charlie took to basic training really well and it didn’t take long for him to let down his walls and grow to trust me. From that point on we were best friends and I got to see how easy going, willing and delightful he is.”
After contacting numerous sellers and taking her daughter Molly test-riding “quite a few” horses, none of which proved to be a good match for the thirteen-year-old, Jody Marotta was keeping a sharp eye on horse listings on social media when she came across a post about Charlie on Tegan’s company page.
“We were away on holiday in Queensland when I saw a post about Charlie on Facebook,” Jody recalls.
“I saw his face and was just drawn to him. He had the kindest eye and Tegan was very honest and detailed in describing him. I just had a gut feeling that Charlie was the right horse.
“It was such a stressful trip back to Victoria because we were worried someone else would come in and buy Charlie before we got back. We literally came home, packed up the car, called Tegan and went out the very next day to meet him. As soon as we walked up to the fence to meet him I just knew he was ‘the one’”.
Charlie has become a gift and much-loved member of his new family since arriving at the end of November last year, including making ‘best friends’ with the family cat and cementing his place as Molly’s ‘horse of the heart’.
“There’s so much to love about Charlie. He does everything with one hundred percent effort and he’s such a quick learner and so loving,” gushes Molly.
“I’m a bit of a hoon so working with Charlie has forced me to slow down and really focus on building our connection and training him properly, from the start. We’ve been working on balance, connection, rhythm and bending during our weekly riding lessons and he has responded beautifully.
“You can see Charlie’s brain ticking over when I ask him about new things, and although it may seem like baby steps, Charlie has progressed in heaps and has picked things up very quickly. It only took him a few weeks of steady training before he confidently galloped in both directions developing a nice rhythm.
“Everything has been introduced gradually and quite casually to Charlie, to keep him relaxed and to build his confidence. He has been to two pony club rallies, one of which was a gym tap which was a very busy day, with a lot going on. Charlie performed well at both rallies and finished each outing positively, with his head down and looking very calm.
“By nature, Charlie is so quiet and sensible well beyond his years. We’ve been faced with some really confronting situations, like when a herd of deer came leaping from behind a shed just a few feet away from us. When he’s worried, Charlie just stands still and keeps his cool. I feel really safe with him and know that Charlie will always take care of me.”
This sense of trust is invaluable to mother Jody, who shares her daughter’s admiration for Charlie’s honest nature.
“Charlie is a true gentleman and a mother’s dream,” says Jodie.
“Even though he was unbalanced to begin with, Charlie tries so hard and never takes advantage of the situation. Molly feels so safe with him, which puts me completely at ease.
“Standard races teach you so much. Especially patience, how to develop a young horse and many important skills as a rider.
“It might slow things down at first and force you to go back to the basics, but give it a year or two and you’ll end up with a great horse who knows exactly what you want. I think this is such a gift, especially when compared to just sitting your child on an established horse.
“All the recent racing training gives Standardbreds a lot of life experience and exposure. They have been out doing things that help with the transition to riding training.
“If you make the effort to build a relationship with your standard breeder and first master the basic skills, you will progress very quickly. I think this is very important for people to understand; you get out what you put in.
“Molly’s coach gives them homework to practice between lessons. Consistent work has been key and we see changes in Charlie’s abilities every week as he is such a quick learner.
“Everyone I know who owns a standard breed really seems to agree that they have the nicest personalities. We feel very lucky to have Charlie and are excited to see what he and Molly come up with in the future!”
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HRV HERO PROGRAM.
#Captain #McCraw #finds #life #loves #racing #Harness #Racing #Victoria