Aftercare Spotlight: KY Derby Starter "South Bend"

When it came time for South Bend to transition into her program, Castrenze said the process could not have gone easier, and credits not only the foundation that he had before and during his racing career, but also how intelligent and sensible he is., according to Castrenze, most Thoroughbreds have a basic understanding of steering, a lead change and moving forward off of the leg, but they often struggle with using themselves properly from back to front.

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In the equestrian world, much focus is paid to the biomechanics of a horse pushing from behind to go forward and lightening their front end rather than pulling from the front and being heavy on their front end. This not only helps to protect their soundness, but helps them meet the various challenges of equestrian sports, which often require tight and balanced turns and jumping obstacles.

“South Bend was unusually balanced for a horse just coming off of the track, but what we needed to work on was relaxation and suppling. He was a bit up and down at the trot rather than fluidly forward and carried tension, which makes a horse resistant to bending through their body, especially in the turns,” said Castrenze. “We did a lot of circles and figure eights and a lot of transitions – walk to trot, trot to canter, canter to trot to walk – to help him use his body properly and not rush the upward transitions or hang on my hands in the downward transitions. We focused on straightness down the long sides [of the arena] and bending in the corners and turns, which also help to balance and supple a horse.”

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Soon after she started incorporating jumping, first with simple poles on the ground and soon after over small cross rails. Again, the initial goal was simply to go forward and straight over the poles and small jumps without rushing or hesitation.

“What I try to do as a rider, especially in those first few jumping sessions, is to stay strong in my core and quiet, and just stay out of their way so they can figure things out without distraction,” said Castrenze. “I want them to have a good experience and find the fun in it.”

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South Bend was quick to catch onto jumping and the other skills Castrenze was teaching him and thrived on the learning aspect of it all. The process went so smoothly that after only about a month of formal off-track training, Castrenze decided to take him to his first show last December, the Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo put on by Run for the Ribbons at the Florida Horse Park.

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The first time a former racehorse goes to a show, it can be an exciting, if not overwhelming experience for them. The atmosphere is bigger than what they’ve been used to thus far in their off-track life, and between the quantity of horses, the announcer over the loud speaker and just the business of it all, it can put a Thoroughbred right back in racehorse mode.

Thankfully, South Bend took it all in stride.

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“We did the two-foot division there and he was so brave about it, navigating his way around the course confidently and smoothly,” said Castrenze. “When we were finished, he calmly walked back to the barn and took a nap in his stall.”

After that initial show, Castrenze and South Bend spent this past winter honing his foundational skills on the flat and building a stronger connection and level of communication together.This past month, the pair put their winter work to the test, heading back to the Florida Horse Park for their first show of 2026. This time they did the 0.8 meter jumpers (which is about 2’6”).

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“All winter we focused on flat work and gymnastics, putting small jumps a stride or two apart, to teach him how to be more adjustable between fences and quicker and more careful with his feet over them,” she said. “So, I was a bit nervous about really putting our first full courses together since his last show at his next one, but he jumped around great. He had one rail in an in-and-out combination, but that was just due to lack of experience.”

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“Even if we’re in a timed jumper class, I like to ride it more like an equitation round, maintaining a steady pace, balancing through the turns and just maintaining overall control,” said Castrenze. “Just because it’s a timed event doesn’t mean you have to be speedy and out of control. You can organize those turns and stay clean overall.”

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Castrenze explained that her goal when introducing a young or inexperienced horse to showing is to just build confidence and consistency with solid, clean rounds time after time.

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While Castrenze typically offers many of her trainees for sale after their first few shows, she says she plans to make South Bend a longer term partner for herself.

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“I would really like to focus on myself in the jumper ring,” said Castrenze, who grew up riding and showing in the jumper divisions as a junior before getting involved with the racing industry. “I did the show hunter division in the Thoroughbred Makeover a few years ago with my gelding named Avail Ekati because he was better suited to that discipline, and loved that experience and even won the Best Turned Out award in a class of 70, but my heart is really in the jumpers and I’m excited to work up the levels with South Bend.”