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My Racing Story

My Racing Story

Melanie Horsman

Melanie HorsmanMelanie Horsman

I grew up in Co Galway and my father rode and later trained point-to-pointers, so horses were all around me from an early age. Working with horses in some capacity was never not an option. I remember finishing my Leaving Cert on a Wednesday and by the following Monday I had started a job riding out in a yard.

I did an equine and business course at a college in Kildare and then I went to Kentucky where I did a two-year course in equine physio. I really enjoyed my time there and the teachers were flexible enough to allow me to adopt my own technique and way of working with horses.

I’m able to combine riding out for trainers with my equine physio work. I work with all manner of horses, from a foal to a showjumper, a Graded-level racehorse to a happy hacker. I’ve built up a wide range of clients and my Facebook page is obviously helpful but word of mouth is still the best way for people to find out about what I do.

Looking at my book for one particular day this week, for example, I’ll be visiting a racing yard, a livery yard, a riding school, a stud farm, working on a sport horse and finishing up with a hunter. I’m based in Monasterevin at the moment so I’ll head to the Curragh firstly, then up to Co Meath for some of those appointments and then back to Kildare for the later ones. I’m very conscious of being on time because all these clients have their own schedules to follow for the day.

After an initial assessment, I work alongside my clients and we work out a programme for the horse which may involve lunging or being turned out or a period of rest.

The equine physio is my bread and butter and I’m also studying human physio at the moment which might give me more options in the future. I do a workout in the mornings before heading out, and also when I get home, so I’m kept going but I’m blessed to work at something I enjoy.

Princess Zoe beating Melanie and Tara Dylan (right) in the Ladies DerbyPrincess Zoe beating Melanie and Tara Dylan (right) in the Ladies Derby
© Photo Healy Racing

After treating some horses for Tom Mullins a few years ago, I started to ride out at his yard and I did a lot of the travelling with his horses including to the Cheltenham Festival.

I had ridden in a few bumpers and I took out my amateur licence again a couple of years ago. Tom’s mare Tara Dylan gave me a great spin in the Ladies Derby at the Curragh in 2020 where we finished second to Princess Zoe who won a Group One later that year.

I then got my professional licence and I’ve hit the crossbar a few times. Last May Mick Mulvany told me In From The Cold would go close at Leopardstown and he ran a blinder for me to finish second when giving 19lbs to the winner. The very next day at Navan I rode Eleuthera in a sprint handicap for Johnny Levins. He’d run a nice race for me at Cork the previous month and I fancied him but again we didn’t quite get the rub of the green. He ran his heart out for me to finish second but a horse who got in as second reserve, and ended the season rated 30lbs higher, proved to be too well-handicapped on the day.

It’s been frustrating not to have got off the mark yet but I’ve always been very competitive and I’m determined to persevere. Race-riding is just one part of my life and the main thing is that I want to enjoy it, but my dad and some of my family rode winners and it would be great if I could emulate them. Hopefully if the first winner comes it will open a few more doors for me. You could give a horse of limited ability a dream of a ride but only the trainer and yourself would realise that because it’s only the winners that get noticed by most people.

I’ve always done plenty of schooling and I recently got my National Hunt licence. I’ll be hoping to pick up some rides over hurdles and in pro/am bumpers. There’s a lot of talk about providing more opportunities so to see the conditions of a couple of recent hurdle races, which had initially been programmed for lady riders, changed late in the day to allow anyone to compete in them was disappointing. Some of my equine physio clients have tried to dissuade me from riding over jumps but I can tell you I’ve sometimes had much more pain from a kick when I’m treating a horse than from some of the falls I’ve had.

I’m in a position to combine riding out for trainers with treating some of their horses and obviously when you’re riding work you might notice something that needs to be addressed. When I was starting off at my father’s yard horses were broken very well, they steered left and right and the brakes worked. With that background, I can notice things and check out why a horse is stiff on one rein or a step shorter on one side. I’ve also done pre-training and rehabilitation work so I can give feedback to trainers and it’s always interesting to see how different trainers operate and how, for example, they get horses to breathe properly.

The margins in racing are so fine and if a horse is a little bit stiff cantering to the start, that could be the difference in the race itself if it’s a tight finish, so if that problem can be addressed it gives the horse its best chance of being successful. It’s very satisfying to be able to help a horse reach its potential in that way and, depending on which part of the country I’m in, I’ll get in touch with certain trainers and offer to ride out or school a few for them. I check entries as well and give a call to trainers who might have something coming up that I could ride in a race. If you don’t ask you don’t get and hopefully I might get on something with a fighting chance in the near future. It won’t be for the want of trying anyway!

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