Roger Daly
Performance Horse

Established in 1975, Roger Daly primarily works with Quarter and Thoroughbred horses. Roger Daly prepared for sale and sold the filly "Falling In Love Again", just prior to her winning the Million Dollar American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in 1998. Daly sale preps about 300 horses for major sales and breaks about 100 horses per year.

Almost everything in the performance world is geared toward young horses. For example, 2-year-olds are broke and started on cattle or they might be readied for a reining career. And success found at aged events is considered the pinnacle of achievement.

There’s a lot that goes on before a young prospect ever sets foot in the show ring. But just because yearlings can’t be ridden doesn’t mean they can’t begin a training regimen that will help ease the transition into their 2-year-old years.

Sale preparation is the focus at Roger Daly Horses in Aubrey, Texas. But Daly’s program for fitting sale horses can be adapted for any yearling—especially one with a bright future in the performance arena. The goal is to end up with a horse that’s healthy, fit and easy to handle, and, in turn, make the future training process go more smoothly.

Start Healthy
Daly says it all starts with good health. Sale horses usually arrive at his place with their vaccination and worming history. The few that don’t are quickly brought up to date. “When yearlings come to a large commercial place like this, it’s pretty much like sending kids to school,” Daly said. “If they haven’t been on a good feeding and vaccination program at home, they’re probably going to get sick.”

Daly advised that any young horse needs regular vaccinations and deworming, even if it never leaves home. “The better job you do feeding and having them fat and healthy, the less stress and problems you’ll have,” he said. “Plenty of quality feed while these horses are growing up is important for development. If you get behind, it’s hard to catch up.”

All the horses at Daly’s get the same feed—a high-quality concentrate mixed with oats. The only thing that changes is volume. “We adjust the amount of feed according to their body condition and how much we’re working them,” he said. Horses heading for a sale may also get some coat or energy supplements that will add “bloom.”

Daly offers alfalfa free-choice. “It seems like if you keep hay in front of them, it eliminates most of your colic problems. They’ve got something to eat on a continuous basis,” he said. “If they’re really fat, we might regulate the hay or go half-and-half with alfalfa and coastal. But as a general rule, they have free-choice. Alfalfa puts a little extra bloom and a little extra energy on a horse.”

Fitness Quest
Feed that is rich in nutrients and energy is necessary for proper growth and development. At the same time, young horses are notorious for having energy to burn, so it’s important for yearlings to get plenty of exercise.

Daly said it’s ideal for yearlings to run together in large open areas for as long as possible. It not only burns energy, but it’s also good for socialization. “They just learn so many social graces out there in groups, playing,” he said. “They’re better to deal with. They learn to play with their buddies, and they can teach them more than we can.”

Once you’re ready to work with a yearling, plan on keeping it in a consistent program for at least two months. Daly’s fitting program for sale horses lasts 60 to 90 days. In the same time range, anyone can get a yearling in good shape and help it make a smooth transition into its 2-year-old year. Daly believes a yearling kept in a fitting program for more than 90 days starts to burn out and get sour, so a short break after that time will help the horse relax and be even more ready to pick up where you both left off.

When it’s time to start working a yearling, Daly and his crew rely on a round pen. Horses start working the day after they arrive and fall into a routine that keeps them quiet in the barn. “They don’t need to do aerobics in the stalls,” he said. “They need to be tired and resting in the stalls.”

Yearlings are worked every morning, six days a week. “We primarily use round pens that are 62 feet in diameter, and work them both directions,” Daly said. “On average, we work them six to seven minutes [each day], until they start getting fit, and probably no more than 10 minutes on an average yearling. They mostly trot and lope. Long trotting is really ideal, but as they get fitter, they do more loping.”

Read the complete story in the May issue of Performance Horse.

2008 Show Recap/2009 Schedule