How do you train your horses during the winter?

In the winter, there are many horses that have a break from racing and only focus on training. The Finnish trainer and driver, Pekka Korpi, has won over 5000 races and is one of Finland's greatest trainers. We have talked to him to hear how he trains his horses during the winter.

How do you train your horses during the winter? Is there any difference from how you train them the rest of the year?

- Winter training varies quite a lot depending on horses. During the winter, the horses normally have a pause in competing and they are trained in strength and resistance. Those horses who is competing throughout the winter, have a faster and more efficient training few times a week.

Do you have many horses that do not race in the winter, and only train? How do you train these?

- Older competing horses and the horses aiming for stakes have basic training season. They are trained uphill and in snow. Early spring, we start to do racetrack heats, so the horses are prepared towards the competition season. Horses aiming for stakes are also trained uphill and in snow if the winter is good. We use resistance carts very seldom.

What conditions do you have to train on during winter?

- We live in Southern Finland and the winter is different every year. When the winter is good, we can train on ice, but like last winter, this was not possible. We train a lot uphill - which gives good resistance also during the not so snowy winters. If there is no snow, we just have to live with what it is.

How do you train the young horses that do not race yet (2 and 3-year-olds) in the winter?

- Young horses are jogging a lot. Sometimes they get to move faster, so that they learn how to run. We do not train hard on them on purpose, during winter. End of February-start of March, depending on the circumstances, also young horses slowly start heat training. During the winter, young horses mostly train on an own track and they are not trained uphill. They are trained a lot in groups, so they get used to it.

Do you feed differently in the winter?

- No changes in feeding the horses during winter. At our stable feeding is pretty simple, and the horses eat three times a day.

Photos: Juho Hämäläinen