The feet of a horse are considered an important part of whether they win or lose.
Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace do their utmost to keep the feet of the horses in their care in the best possible condition.
And this is where the Fingal property down the Mornington Peninsula is important for Maher and Eustace.
The natural sandy base is forgiving on a horse’s feet while it also takes the concussion from their joints.
Maher, a Warrnambool boy, said horses thrive at the Fingal property which allows horses to work in open country on rolling hills.
He worked with former master conditioner Jim Houlahan who had a similar property and spent time watching and learning from the trainer when in his formative years.
“It’s something different for them,” Maher said.
“It offers a natural base which is very good, and it seems to work with the horses because of that.
“There’s no impact, no jar.”
Three-time Derby winner Explosive Jack has spent a good deal of his preparation down at Fingal preparing for a spring campaign.
Maher said he had thrived at the property and was a horse that needed a lot of work.
And being a big horse Maher said one of his main concerns was Explosive Jack’s feet.
While an expert in shoeing is required when shoes are added, Maher is prepared to allow horses to get around without shoes.
“With him being a big horse, we need to manage his feet,” Maher said.
“We’ve had the shoes off him, and he’s trained basically for two months with no shoes on.
“He trained in those sand areas, in Newcastle, so did Sir Dragonet, and I was able to give his feet a rest and he’s pretty good.
“All our babies are the same and with different horses, we do that quite a bit.”
