Hygain ambassador Brett Cantle. Image by Oz Shotz.
An eventer for the better part of 30 years, Brett Cantle has had some great horses in his time and is now looking to the future with three exciting young prospects. As Brett explains, competing at the top end of the sport is tough, and to give yourself the greatest chance of success you must surround yourself with the best – whether that’s horses, coaches or equine nutrition.
With a stable of young horses, Brett Cantle is excited about the future. Finch Farm Corey, Finch Farm McLean and Finch Farm Memphis are well-bred, athletic and talented horses – however, Brett’s under no illusion that these attributes alone will produce top eventers. Correct training and careful management are essential when it comes to developing future stars.
By Finch Farm stallion Calgary GNZ out of a Thoroughbred mare, Finch Farm Corey has been with Brett the longest of the trio. “He’s a beautiful horse and an outstanding athlete, standing at 17 hands. However, being a good athlete and young, you’ve got to make sure you manage their ability to focus and stay on the job,” explains Brett.
Brett Cantle competing with Finch Farm Corey K. Image by Isabelle Cantle.
Corey has been out eventing with success and is about to go EvA95. “He’s only entered a couple of events, but he’s participated in a couple of show jumping competitions at a metre plus and he’s ready to start climbing the grades.”
Finch Farm McLean is by another Finch Farm stallion, Massimo Quality. “McLean is out of Finch Farm Clifford’s full sister; Clifford did World Cups here in Australia with David Cameron and now competes in the big classes on the Florida circuit,” explains Brett. “McLean is a very talented athlete and just a real, genuine jumper. He’s a good-natured horse too. McLean hasn’t competed yet; he’s just turned six and has been with me for about six months. Being another very tall horse – he’s 17.1 hands – it’s taken a while for him to mature.”
Finch Farm Memphis – Brett’s latest addition – is also by Massimo Quality. “He’s out of a Thoroughbred mare called Amarco Bay (Family Ties x Brilliant Invader). His older brother is JB Evolution, who competed in World Cups with James Mooney. Finch Farm Memphis is only a small horse, currently 15.3 hands, although he’ll grow a little bit more yet. His temperament is just outstanding; he’s one of the quietest horses I’ve ever had.”
While it’s tempting to hit the ground running and test their ability, Brett is in no rush with any of his horses. “I think years ago we had more horses that lasted a lot longer and believe we were a little bit steadier with them. These days, it’s common for four-year-olds to be doing quite a bit, but personally I’m never in a rush with my young ones – especially horses like Corey and McLean, because with these tall horses, it just takes time.”
“I’m never in a rush
with my young ones
…it just takes time.”
TRAINING WITH EMMA
Brett began training with fellow Hygain ambassador Emma Flavelle-Watts back in 2015 when he was riding Hanoverian stallion Premonition, whom he trained with success to four-star level. The horse also shone in the dressage arena with Emma in the saddle.
Brett has stuck with Emma as his dressage coach ever since. “She’s a brilliant rider; she’s world class. However, she’s an outstanding coach as well. She’s just got a natural ability to know how much your horse can do at any moment; what it’s capable of and the timing, it’s just perfect. She’s very calm and measured with the horses – and calm with me too, thank goodness.”
Emma just recently enjoyed a very successful outing at the Brisbane CDI, most notably taking a clean sweep of the Medium Tour classes with Scarlatti Mio VSR. The rising 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding – by San Amour I out of a World Diamond O mare – has been with Emma for many years now and is looking to be an exciting Grand Prix prospect.
The success didn’t end there for Emma, who also gained Reserve Champion sashes in the Medium and Elementary classes with Davrol Dexter and Glamour Rock BHI respectively; posted strong scores of 69%+ with Quinella in the Preliminary; and performed well in the Small Tour with Bradgate Park Demi.
Emma Flavelle-Watts and Scarlatti Mio VSR. Image by Oz Shotz.
Emma coaching Brett. Image by Oz Shotz.
FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE ARENA
When he’s not training his own horses or learning from Emma, Brett’s teaching others. He’s an in-demand cross country coach, however his profession as a schoolteacher means he spends much of his week in the classroom imparting wisdom on primary school students.
Brett says there are definitely parallels between teaching school students, training horses and coaching riders. “The older I get, the more I realise just how related it is. At the end of the day, a lot of it is about relationships: with you and your horse, or you and your students. You set clear boundaries, build in lots of positives, and make it obvious when they do the right thing.
“Slow, steady progress gets you a long way; at the end of the day, small gains add up. It’s very similar in the classroom as with your horses and with teaching riders… it’s just working out what level they’re at, what they’re capable of at that moment, and then looking to improve on that.”
Brett uses Hygain products with all of his horses. Image by Oz Shotz.
FUELLING FUTURE STARS
“The sport is hard enough as it is, so if I can access the best equine nutrition and give my horses the best opportunity to do well, I will,” says Brett.
Alongside good training and coaching, ensuring good management is crucial in developing a top event horse – and part of the management is of course selecting the right feed and supplements. A Hygain ambassador for more than five years, Brett says he’s been fuelling his eventing team with Hygain products for many years prior.
“The Hygain team are
just very supportive…”
“You know with Hygain, it’s just a very, very good feed. It’s also peace of mind knowing you’re feeding a quality product from an equine-only mill that has been designed specifically for horses,” he explains.
Brett has found that one of the big benefits of feeding Hygain products is the fact they have an extensive range of both feeds and supplements. “It means I can tailor things to suit my horses’ varying needs. Their equine nutritionist, Holly Mills, is excellent. I’ve worked with her on the nutritional requirements of my horses, and if there’s anything I’m not sure about, I ask Holly. The Hygain team are just very supportive; they’ve got a wealth of knowledge, and they produce fantastic products.”
Brett says that all of his horses start out on Hygain Ice when they first arrive, and he goes from there as he gets to know them and their work levels change. “It’s low starch and low sugar so it doesn’t provide too much extra energy. It’s just a very safe, secure, quiet and calm feed.”
Corey is on Ice, as well as Micrbeet for extra fibre. “He’s a horse that is a little bit harder to keep weight on, so I also use Tru Gain with him, which is very high in fat. When the workload increases and I’m looking for more muscle and topline, I’ll use Hygain Balanced with him as it’s higher in protein.”
Finch Farm Corey K is an exciting eventer for the future. Image by Isabelle Cantle.
McLean is on Ice as well, along with plenty of chaff and Micrbeet. “He’s actually a bit better doer and doesn’t need an awful lot more than that. He’s still only young, but when I increase the work with him, I’ll probably add either the Balanced or Hygain Super Amino 66.”
Brett often uses Super Amino 66 – which provides 66% protein – when his horses are at a stage in their work that requires it. “I treat that like I would as if I was going to the gym; my horses may have some in their daily feed, but then if they are being worked harder or longer, they may have some more. I don’t use it all the time; just when I increase work or if I’m looking to put topline on a horse.”
Brett explains that he doesn’t like feeding supplements for the sake of it – they need to be the right supplements at the right time. “There’s no point to feeding supplements if they’re not going to do anything; for example, I wait until I can work the horse a bit more before I’ll give them more protein – that way they can turn it into muscle.”
As for his youngest horse, Finch Farm Memphis, Brett says he kept it simple to start with – plenty of hay and a small amount of Ice with chaff – in order to gauge where the horse was at. “I’ve already added Micrbeet and Tru Gain for him, because I want to put a little bit of weight on him. It turns out he’s incredibly quiet, so straight away I’ve been able to add more to his diet. I won’t add any additional protein just yet because he’s had very little work. In a month or two when he’s a little bit fitter and stronger I’ll add Super Amino 66 to get more top line on him. He’ll be a stunning horse.”
Living in Queensland, an electrolyte supplement is also crucial all year round. “They’re always on a little bit of Hygain Regain, even over winter. Once it starts to get humid and hot, I give them another small feed after their work, and I’ll put some more Regain in there depending how much they’ve sweated.”
Brett and Emma training together. Image by Oz Shotz.
EYES ON THE FUTURE
With Brett in the saddle, Emma’s eyes on the ground, and Hygain fuelling their nutritional needs, these three talented young horses are certainly being given every chance of a long and successful eventing career.
“I’m just a big believer in the importance of surrounding yourself with the best people and products that I can. That’s why I get lessons from Emma, that’s why I ride the best horse I can, and that’s why I choose Hygain. It’s a tough sport, so I give myself every advantage possible.”
This article was written in conjunction with Hygain. You can find out more about the range here. EQ
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