Our Way 1
YTTERSTA A HORSE CAN BE TRAINED TO BE GOOD BUT AL
L THE TRAINING IN THE WORLD WILL NOT MAKE THEM GREAT. THE RIGHT BASIC MATERIAL NEEDS TO BE THERE FROM THE START TRAINING There are a wide range of training opportunities at Yttersta. In addition to the hilly forest training track there is also a straight track and an oval track with the same dimensions as the Solvalla track. During the winter months, the horses will have one-hour training sessions some four times a week. This will be heavier, muscle-building training, perhaps using a resistance cart for increased workload. The idea is to slowly build the horses and at Yttersta they always strive to maintain the flattest possible form curve. COMPETING “The very first race is important in many ways. It demonstrates the horse’s behaviour in a competitive environment. Race meetings have an atmosphere of their own and some horses love them, while others don’t take to them at all. I prefer to give the horses a gentle schedule to begin with in order to build up their trust.” The training for a young horse starts at the age of around 1½ years. As a first step in the training, the horse is long-reined for at least a month. YTTERSTA Beverage is getting used to the harness for a sulky. • The training and competition part of Menhammar Stud Farm • Approximately 10 employees • 56 stalls for competition horses • Free ranging for 2 x 20 horses Yttersta’s oval track was inaugurated in 2017. It has the same dimensions as the Solvalla track. SPEED A month prior to competition, training transitions to speed work involving faster driving about twice a week. A speed session may consist of a warmup, followed by interval training on the straight track and finishing off with a jog to cool down. The horse is equipped with a pulsimeter while driving and after training, in order to assess the horse’s performance and how quickly it recovers. 26 OUR WAY MENHAMMAR GROOMS There is a highly experienced group of around To help Menhammar’s young horses get used to autostart, a starting gate is strapped onto a horse transport. 10 people working at Yttersta, all of whom have been there for many years. They have accumulated a wealth of experience and an instinctive feel that is hard to teach. The horses are most often driven by their grooms during training, as they know their horses well both on and off the track.