Training Thoroughbreds
A glance into the life of Winding Oaks Farm Manager and horse trainer Philip Hronec. Hronec currently manages a thousand acre farm in Ocala, Fla. that is used for breeding and training some of the top thoroughbred racehorses in the world. Hronec has won many titles including Farm Manager of the Year in 2006 and has trained horses that have gone on to participate in the Queens Plate and Kentucky Derby.
Winding Oaks Farm Manager Philip Hronec shades his eyes from the early morning sun while watching two horses race down the final stretch of the training track.
A pair of 3-year-old thoroughbreds run neck-and-neck during a Saturday morning breeze, Hronec “breezes” the horses, letting them run full speed, twice a week.
Hronec and the other trainers on the farm give the horses that are in training overall examinations every morning before they go to the track, this helps to prevent injuries.
Hronec, who was named Farm Manager of the Year in 2006, poses for a picture is his ranch home.
Using a stopwatch to time the horses while they breeze, Hronec can determine which horses have the potential to place in the top three at the track
Depending on the horses age, Hronec places them into different divisions and training groups. The younger horses run on the track alone.
Not all of the horses trained at the farm go on to become race horses. If specific times are not met by the time they are three they are sold at the auction.
Hronec leans across a fence while puckering his lips and making kissing noises. A 10-day-old colt pulls back his lips to give him a smooch.
Living on a farm, Hronec’s work is never done. Managing over 90 employees and 400 horses requires work days to start before the sun rises and leaves him filling out paperwork as the sun sets nearly six days a week.