Beyond the Track. Anna Morgan Ford
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important to consider the life he lived as a racehorse-in-training. The backstretch is a busy yet highly structured environment, which is why most OTTBs appreciate and thrive on a steady routine (A). On and around the track, there are rules for everything. Horses are walked to and from their workouts, some with a handler, while others can be ridden on a loose rein (B). Once on the track, jogging is limited to track space off the inside rail (C), as are slow steady gallops by single horses and the riders (D). Daily gallops are sometimes performed in pairs or small groups (E), while faster “workouts” usually involve two horses on the inside rail (F). After exercise, horses are bathed and hand-walked (G), and their legs wrapped for protection and support (H & I).
It is often hard to determine the actual experiences of an ex-racehorse, but when we receive an extremely nervous horse at New Vocations, chances are he was improperly and impatiently trained as a youngster. In such situations, our policy is to take him back to square one and begin again with work on the ground and in the round pen to give him a solid foundation before asking anything more demanding. (I discuss this process in detail beginning on p. 93.)
A Day at the Racetrack
It benefits everyone interested in owning an ex-racehorse to know what happens during a typical day at the track. If you have the opportunity to spend a morning hanging out behind the scenes, arrive really early (best hours are 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) and observe as much as possible. Remember that racehorses are not pets but high-performance athletes in training for one thing only: to win races. Respect their space and the instructions of those who work around and with them.
Trainers control and monitor every aspect of their charges’ day. As you walk around the backstretch where the stables are, you’ll see that the horses are on a strict routine. Feeding and mucking-out starts around 4:30 or 5:00 A.M. Horses are exercised by 11:00 A.M. each day: in the summer it is too hot to work them later, and during racing season the track is closed after that time in preparation for afternoon or evening races. Some horses are hand-walked or put on a hotwalker to stretch their legs, while others are tacked-up and walked out to the track for exercise. Young horses are accompanied by a rider on a pony horse, or they will follow another, more experienced racehorse to the track.
The One-Sidedness Myth
It is a common misconception that Thoroughbreds only know how to travel to the left; racehorses are actually trained and exercised in both directions around the track—although it is true they only race and perform their high-speed workouts going to the left.
During a race, horses change their lead several times: on the straightaways they gallop on the right lead, and then they change to the left lead for turns, which helps them get around, in balance, faster. This way, each leading leg and shoulder is intermittently rested so that the horse has more power to gallop. This also prevents them from only developing strength and tone on one side of the body.
When I was younger I worked at a training farm exercising horses, and we would alternate direction each day in order to develop equal muscle strength and balance in the horses. For example, on Monday all riders would gallop and jog to the left and then on Tuesday we would do the same to the right. We were able to do this because the barn was a private facility rather than a public track, and we did not have to worry about other trainers’ workout schedules. Many farms with private tracks do the same.
Individual training programs depend on the trainer, but typically, youngsters are worked in pairs, which gives both horses confidence. Horses gearing up to be raced go out daily for a short gallop of about 1 to 2 miles total, starting and finishing with a jog to warm up and cool down. The gallop is not too fast: the goal is for the horse to stay in control and maintain a consistent pace. Most horses just “exercising”—jogging or galloping—will do so on the outside rail to both the right and the left (those going to the right will hug the outside rail, and those going left will stay just off the outside rail more toward the middle of the track). The inside rail is reserved for workouts: short, fast, timed gallops, to the left, generally with another horse to fuel competitive instincts. As you can see, morning workouts are organized chaos!
After exercise, horses are bathed and hand-walked to cool down. Once cool, the horses’ legs are wrapped for protection and support. Under the bandages, a poultice or liniment is generally used for a cooling effect, or a “sweat” may be applied to reduce inflammation. There are many topical applications that are commonly used to sweat the leg, both home remedies and over-the-counter products. One combination typically found on the track is DMSO and nitrofurazone, which is rubbed on the lower legs and then covered in both plastic wrap and a regular standing wrap for support and pressure. A standing wrap is a bandage that uses quilted material for a base covered with a long, semi-stretchy piece of fabric, which is wound around the leg to hold the padding in place.
Back in the stables, horses are fed lunch at noon and are hand-walked again around 2:00 or 3:00 P.M. (Racehorses are rarely turned out unless at a training farm with round pens or small paddocks.) They are fed dinner between 5:00 and 6:00 P.M.—unless horses are racing, there is not a lot of other activity in the evening. At 4:30 A.M. the next day, the routine starts all over again.
Because of these long-established rhythms of the track, racehorses feel most comfortable, and therefore more confident, when their schedule follows a consistent routine. When the routine is altered too quickly, many become nervous or agitated. One trainer told me, “My horses are used to being led outside the barn where they wait while the exercise riders are thrown on their back. The horses then turn right and follow a path to the track. One day, there was some construction and the horses had to turn left and take a different path. Many of them acted as if they were not even broke! They simply did not know what to do when their routine was changed.”
This story demonstrates how you can never underestimate the importance of routine when working with an ex-racehorse, especially one right off the racetrack!
Race Day
Horses may race as often as once a week, once a month, or several times a year. How often the horse races is determined by his owner and trainer, who also decide the type and length of races, and whether he will run on dirt or turf.
A Racehorse’s Typical Schedule*
4:30–5:00 A.M. Feeding and mucking out
6:00–11:00 A.M. Walking or exercising on the track, followed by bathing, hand-walking until cool, and grooming
12:00 P.M. Midday feed
2:00–3:00 P.M. Hand-walking
5:00–6:00 P.M. Evening feed
*Every detail concerning each horse is monitored and changes to his schedule are made as necessary.
Horses not permanently stabled at the track are usually shipped in on race day. During a race, the stable area is a high-security area—only those directly involved with the horses, or those with special permission, are allowed to be there. This prevents random onlookers from getting in the way of preparation and is also a safety measure against foul play—a worry wherever betting is involved.
RACE DAY
1.8 A–E Thoroughbreds are