Laid-back, calm and the perfect beginner’s horse; it’s not a description you would immediately attribute to a thoroughbred. However, He’s A Man, aka George, proves that it’s the individual rather than the breed that we should assess when looking for our next equine friend.
“I couldn’t have
asked for a better horse
to learn on.”
Everyone’s equestrian journey is different; some of us are lucky enough to have horses all of our lives, others find that life circumstances see them entering or returning to the equestrian world as adult riders. For veterinarians Kim Johnson and Ben Fell, the latter was the case when they moved into their dream Yarra Valley property in 2015. After years of study and finding their way in the working world, the couple were finally in a position where horses could become a part of their lives.
Both had experience on the veterinary side of horses and Kim had ridden as a teenager, however, Ben was new to riding, having only been on a horse once or twice before. “Ben had expressed some interest in getting horses to trail ride, and keep as pets and keep the grass down,” begins Kim. Initially, they welcomed back Kim’s first pony, Amber, who was nearing 30 years of age at the time. The search then began for a horse Ben could ride.
“I was out at a farm call one day at Coldstream Park Warmblood Stud, and I mentioned to the owner that I was looking for a nice, quiet, riding horse; something really reliable and safe. She said, ‘You have to come and meet George!’”
A 15-year-old thoroughbred from a saleyard is probably not the first horse you would consider when looking for a ‘first horse’ for an adult beginner rider, but as Kim explains, sometimes the perfect horse can be found in the most unexpected places.
“George had been purchased by the owner of Coldstream Park about six months prior from the saleyard. He ended up at the sales, we think, due to drought and financial hardship; there was certainly nothing wrong with him. The reason the stud bought him was that someone had commented on his photo from the sale’s Facebook page saying they knew him. Apparently he’d done work as a clerk of the course horse, and he’d been a really quiet horse that people had learned to ride on. So he was bought sight unseen; the owner of Coldstream Park said he looked like a nice horse that deserved a chance.”
Although he needed a little TLC, over the space of six months it was found that George was indeed quiet, safe and reliable — and subsequently he was recommended to Kim. “I went and tried him out and had a ride on him, and he was just really cool!” she says.
Researching his brands on the Australian Stud Book confirmed that he was an off-the-track horse who raced under the name He’s A Man. There is very little information on him, as his age means he raced at a time before mandatory microchipping and the keeping of more detailed records that is now enforced across the state.
So, towards the end of 2015, George came to live with Kim and Ben — and over the next five years an amazing relationship developed. “It went from me riding first and then Ben learning to ride on him,” explains Kim.
“He did not have education in the strict sense of the word, but someone at some point has put a lot of effort into him, because he’s very well trained in terms of his manners,” says Kim. “He had just basic buttons, but they were there. He’s never, ever tried to take off or do anything naughty. What made him really cool to learn on for Ben was he’s actually really well voice-trained. If you say, ‘Whoa’, he’ll stop!”
“We bought him with the main intention of me learning to ride on him,” chimes in Ben. “I’m really lucky to have George, because when I first started I was the master of the ‘pull and kick’ kind of technique of riding… and he was so forgiving and patient. I couldn’t have asked for a better horse to learn on.”
Ben’s first ambition may have been to enjoy some trail riding, but once he saw what was on offer in the equestrian world, he knew he wanted to do more. “I saw people riding cross country at horse trails, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to do that!’”
Kim and Ben joined Yarra Glen Adult Riding Club, which is part of the Horse Riding Clubs Association of Victoria (HRCAV) network. HRCAV, which spans 254 member clubs with over 6000 individual members across Victoria, parts of NSW and South Australia, offers riders the chance to compete across various disciplines against riders of their own skill level. Competition levels mirror Pony Club, from Level 5 through to Level 1, plus an additional Advanced grade.
The HRCAV disciplines were new to Ben and George alike. “It’s not like we went and bought a schoolmaster,” says Kim. “I might have put my grandma on him, as he’s so quiet, but he was green in the sense that he hadn’t seen a cross country jump or show jump before. He didn’t really know how to get around the corners in an arena.”
However, Ben and George have since gone on to learn the finer details together, working their way up through the HRCAV ranks with a little help from Kim. “Even though we’re vets and I’d ridden as a teenager, we didn’t have much of an idea how to train a horse,” says Kim. “I had never trained a horse before, but with George it’s just happened!”
“He develops the
most beautiful relationship
with people.”
Over the past five years, George has transformed from quiet but relatively uneducated to a reliable performance horse that was recently named the 2020 HRCAV OTT Horse of the Year.
“Ben started on the absolute base level competition-wise,” says Kim. “HRCAV works on points, so he started on base points in Level 5 across the board because he was so new and green. Since then, he’s just progressively pointed his way up to Level 3 dressage and Level 4 in the jumping disciplines… and might go a little higher yet.”
It’s certainly not easy to be in a situation where both horse and rider are faced with new situations for the first time together, but as Ben explains, George’s reliability and willingness to learn made it possible. “For example, on cross country, he would tell me about 30 metres away from a jump if he was unsure about it; he wouldn’t put any dirty stops in or anything like that. This gave me plenty of time to deal with any uncertainly approaching a fence. The fact that he’s ultra-reliable and loves his job has been great for me.”
Over the past few years Ben and George have won everything from dressage and show jumping jackpots to horse trials. “I won my section of the Level 4 at the HRCAV Top Teams Trophy (TTT) Horse Trials last year, and that was really cool,” says Ben. Anyone who has competed at HRCAV will know that Level 4 and 3, especially at the TTT competitions, are very competitive. Ben and George have also attended the odd Equestrian Australia (EA) event, and Ben lists his proudest moment as completing the 65cm class (equivalent height to HRCAV Level 4) at Wandin International Horse Trials.
George being named the 2020 HRCAV OTT Horse of the Year came as a surprise to Ben and Kim, and they were thrilled that their beloved horse gained the recognition he so deserves.
“He hangs out with
you… he’s like going out
with a little dog.”
“We’d like to thank Racing Victoria, it’s a wonderful prize. It was a real shock to get the beautiful garland and rug, to be honest. I think it’s just amazing what RV are offering; I guess every other annual Off The Track award is more aimed at high performance horses. So it’s nice to have something to encourage the entry-level riders and people that are just out there having a good time and enjoying the sport,” says Kim.
Ben and Kim also feel very fortunate to have access to such a great network of riding clubs and associated competitions here in Victoria via HRCAV. “As a 40-year-old dude who’s a complete novice going to his first ever dressage shows and horse trials, people are so welcoming, non-judgmental and supportive,” enthuses Ben. “There is sometimes a misconception that equine sports are only for the elite, but nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve played plenty of sports in my life and I’ve never been so welcomed as I have been at HRCAV events.” The couple have also found that the EA events — while it can be a little bit more intimidating to see top riders and horses in the ring next to you — have also been incredibly welcoming.
George’s HRCAV award is not just about event results; it also recognises the amazing journey he and Ben have been on. “I think George’s ability to take a novice rider and help him work his way up the levels and look after him along the way is really special. I think that’s why they chose him; partially his winning achievements but also that relationship.”
Taking a 15-year-old horse with little formal education and training to a competitive Level 3 HRCAV horse at age 20 is no mean feat, not matter how quiet and well-mannered the horse is. Kim and Ben certainly deserve plenty of credit for a job well done, but Kim is adamant that it’s just a true testament to George’s personality and willingness to learn and please.
“More are getting
the training they need
post-racing.”
“Even now at 20, he’s still improving with his dressage, and he could probably go out and do a nice EA Novice test,” says Kim. “I’ve done a few HRCAV Level 2 online dressage competitions with him during Covid and placed in those, and we went to the recent Equestrian Australia Hunter Trials at Werribee and won. He’s just loving being alive. We’re not going to keep pushing him up higher and higher, because that’s not fair. But equally, he really enjoys going out, so while he’s sound and enjoying himself we’ll keep him ticking along.”
Kim explains that the relationship they have with George is quite special. “He develops the most beautiful relationship with people and he just wants to please you. He’s a really nice, calm and tolerant animal to be around and is just so beautiful. He hangs out with you, and even on the weekend at competitions, he’s like going out with a little dog. He’s just a really friendly horse… he always wants a bit of what you’re eating; he’s just really interactive!”
In addition to his beautiful nature, Kim believes that one of George’s best attributes is the way he adapts to his rider. “Over the last couple of years, he’s become more like a performance horse, but then we have total novice friends that come over for lunch and have a sit on him… and he’s then back to head down, plodding along on a loose rein.”
George certainly defies stereotypes, and is living proof that we should be judging the individual horse rather than the breed when assessing suitability. “Off the track horses can be a really amazing,” says Kim. “People need to know that quiet off the track horses are out there. I see so many blanket ‘no thoroughbreds’ when people are looking for a horse. I think that’s silly, because any horse can have good or bad attributes; it’s so dependent on how they’re brought up and how they’re trained and how they’re raised and what experiences they have. It’s not necessarily just the breed. Our experience with George has led us to get another thoroughbred for Ben to continue to train and move up with eventing, and he’s beautiful and quiet as well.” The new addition, named Nav, has joined the couple’s little herd alongside George, Kim’s part Arab dressage horse Nina, retiree Buzz, and the now 34-year-old Amber who is still going strong!
These days, far more ex-racehorses are getting the training they need post-racing thanks to Racing Victoria’s Acknowledged Retainers. While not every OTT thoroughbred will be suited to a beginner rider, having them trained and assessed by knowledgeable people means that more will find their way into suitable homes — whether it be with an experienced rider to further their education as a high performance horse, for amateur riders such as Ben, or even as companion and therapy animals. As many retrainers will tell you, it’s all about assessing the individual and finding the right path for them — for George, a home with Ben and Kim was the right path.
Some might think that George was lucky to find his way from the saleyards to a forever home, and he no doubt was. However, from Ben’s perspective, he was the one that got lucky when George came his way. EQ
Read more about off the track horses:
All Eyes On The Prize (October 2020 issue)
Vale Subzero (September 2020 issue)
Beacon of Hope for Brightlight Boy (August 2020 issue)
From Racecourse to Royal Windsor (June 2020 issue)
