Loved by all whose paths he has crossed, Astro the wonder horse has had a remarkable life after racing. His subsequent careers saw him transition from an eventer to pleasure horse and later a police mount, and he’s been a confidence-builder for many. Now retired, the gentle giant is still putting smiles on faces.
When a racehorse finishes its career on the track, the next step is to find their special talent so they can flourish in a life after racing. Some become polished show horses, others agile polo ponies, bold eventers or reliable trail horses. Every horse has a strength that can lead them to a successful second career.
However, some – such as 16.3-hand chestnut gelding Astro – are more than one-trick ponies. The now-22-year-old has showcased the true versatility of the breed, first retraining as an eventer before going on to become a confidence-giving schoolmaster, a revered member of the Victorian Mounted Branch, and now a semi-retired clinic horse for para equestrian riders.
Astro’s life after racing began when a young Hayley Crane purchased him not long off the track rising age five as an eventer, competing him to the old Pre-Novice level with success.
“Astro was by far the best horse I’ve ever had; he was so trainable. He was my one-in-a-million horse that took me from Pony Club Grade 4 to Grade 1,” recalls Hayley, adding that one of the gelding’s best attributes was how quiet and sensible he was. “I used to work for trainer Caroline Price and would ride him down the road to work in a halter, traffic didn’t bother him. When out eventing, he could be a little strong on cross country, however one time at Tonimbuk my bit broke… and he knew, he just stopped!”
When her friend’s sister, Ashlee Grech, came along in search of confidence-building lessons, Hayley recognised Astro’s aptitude as a schoolmaster.
Ashlee explains that growing up she was always a really nervous rider. “I stopped riding when I was 15 because I was always so scared,” she recalls. “I wanted to get back in the saddle and started having lessons on Astro, and I just felt really comfortable on him.”
“She drove me insane to buy him,” chimes in Ashlee’s mother, Donna. “Hayley initially said he wasn’t for sale, but she eventually gave in and we ended up purchasing him for Ashlee to get her confidence back after a long time of no riding.”
“We’ve never had a chestnut pass!”
UNFLAPPABLE NATURE
Ashlee enjoyed a number of years riding Astro and he proved to be just the horse she needed. When family commitments meant she no longer had time to ride, she offered him to the Victorian Mounted Branch, as she thought he’d be suitable with such an unflappable nature.
“(Senior Constable) Mandy Baker came out to trial him and take him on a lease,” recalls Ashlee. “I was bawling my eyes out, and she said, ‘Don’t worry, he’s going to come back, we’ve never had a chestnut pass!’ But I knew he wouldn’t be coming back.”
Just as Ashlee predicted, Astro did pass, and worked with the Mounted Branch for seven years.
“Astro was a walk-up start for us; he was just born to do it and moved through the training process into being a fully-fledged troop horse very quickly,” says Senior Constable Mandy Baker. “He was reliable and just a very adaptable, good horse. He had a very, very low reaction level… his flight and fight response was very low. He was just very chilled out and very accepting of things and trusting of people.
“He became what we call a ‘first issue horse’ for the new recruits who came in, because he was safe and reliable on the street. He did all the big jobs over the years and did them really, really well,” Mandy recalls. “He went on be one of the Sergeant’s horses because he was brave and could lead the team in.
“We used to call him ‘The Fluoro’; he always had a very bright, healthy orange coat and never looked his age. Ashlee had kept in touch with me the whole way through and had said when it was time for him to retire, she had a home for him. When we dropped him off, age 20, I had a tear in my eye because he was well loved by everyone and quite a favourite.”
Mandy wasn’t the only one with a tear in her eye. “I bawled my eyes out again when he stepped off the float,” says Ashlee, who was thrilled to be reunited with her special friend.
Ashlee hadn’t ridden since Astro left seven years earlier, but she’s since had a few quiet rides on him – ever reliable, he’s looked after her just he did all those years ago. Ashlee explains that the gentle giant is on the tall side for her given she’s five-foot-one, yet getting in the saddle has never been an issue – using a small wall on the property, Astro is well versed in self-parking alongside it for Ashlee to mount and dismount.
COMPLETELY SOUND
“He is still completely sound and just does a bit of light work. My children have also ridden him. He’s a one-in-a-million horse, I cannot fault him. It’s very rare to hear of a horse that’s just so good all of the time.”
Ashlee explains that Astro is the kind of horse that if he’s left in the paddock, he gets bored – and as such, light riding and coming in for grooming sessions with her children are activities he enjoys. “My four-year-old daughter will be brushing him; she barely clears the top of his legs. My two-year-old son loves him too.”
More recently, Astro has found another retirement hobby. Donna’s next-door neighbour, Julia Battams, runs Equine Pathways Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that helps those with disabilities begin or recommence their riding careers. Astro now heads next door occasionally for EPA clinics and has proven to be a reliable lesson horse.
“He’s super friendly, he just loves attention,” says Ashlee of the 22-year-old’s vibrant personality. “He has always been a bit of a character, and despite his age he can still have his little young moments… like if you’re leading him back to the paddock after he’s had a bath and he’s feeling fresh!
“He’s got all his back teeth… but doesn’t have a single front tooth,” she adds with a laugh. “He walks around with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, but it doesn’t affect him. He can still eat grass; don’t ask me how, but he can.”
Astro clearly still is a horse of many talents. EQ
This article was written in conjunction with Racing Victoria’s Off The Track program. You can find out more via OTT Community.
READ MORE ABOUT OFF THE TRACK HORSES:
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The Women Transforming Equine Welfare – Equestrian Life, December 2021
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A Thorough Belief in Thoroughbreds – Equestrian Life, September 2021
General Ready To Conquer Again – Equestrian Life, June 2021
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