When my granddaughter and I were watching our horses in a paddock, she noticed one eating dirt and asked me if it was normal. The short answer is that horses do eat dirt, and an occasional mouthful is not necessarily a problem. But a horse that repeatedly seeks out soil deserves a closer look. Eating …
HISA Regulatory Update 2026 HISA Lasix Rules: Stakes Races Banned, Claiming Races Still Permitted HISA now bans race-day Lasix (furosemide) in all stakes races and two-year-old events at federally regulated tracks. Horses that previously ran on furosemide in these conditions must compete without it. For permitted claiming and allowance races, standard 250–500 mg doses remain …
Watch a Paso Fino move, and the contrast catches your eye: quick steps underneath a rider who barely seems to bounce. That smooth ride is the breed’s calling card, but there’s more to choosing one than a comfortable gait. Quick answer: The Paso Fino is a naturally gaited horse developed in Puerto Rico and Colombia …
Few horse colors catch my eye faster than a buckskin. They are not always the bright gold people picture — many are more of a dusty tan or muted gold, and that can throw folks off. After 30 years around buckskins in Louisiana, I have seen plenty of horses fool people because of sun, shade, …
I’ve had more than one buyer ask me why a “fully grown” three-year-old still needed more time before I’d put real work into him. It’s a fair question, and it trips up plenty of new owners: a horse can look done growing well before its body and skeleton finish developing. Most horses reach close to …
Just before a race, one of the most important horses on the track isn’t listed in the program; it’s the steady horse walking beside the racehorse on the way to the gate. That’s the lead pony, and good ones earn their keep in the few minutes before the break. Racehorses walk with a lead pony …
The Akhal-Teke is one of the few horse breeds that can stop people in their tracks before it takes a step. The long neck, lean body, sparse mane, and gold-toned coat can make it look almost unreal. But if you are thinking about owning one, the appearance is only the beginning. This is a rare, …
One of the hardest conversations in racing is deciding what happens when a horse has likely run his last race. We watched friends face that moment after their horse lost four straight races. He was sound and well cared for, but it was clear his racing future was limited. The real question was not whether …
Watch a horse race around an American oval, and every turn is to the left. Watch racing overseas, though, and you may see the field going the other way. Quick answer: Horses race counterclockwise around U.S. ovals mainly because of tradition. Kentucky pioneer William Whitley is often credited with helping establish the practice: in the …
Few things stop a racehorse owner, trainer, or fan in their tracks like hearing about a breakdown at the races. When several fatalities make the news, the question comes quickly: are racehorse deaths increasing? I’ve owned racehorses long enough to know that one catastrophic injury is one too many, and no statistic makes it easier …
