Jockeys are easy to spot at the race track; they wear bright-colored tops with white pants and are the smallest people on the track. But it’s difficult to gauge their height and weight unless you can stand next to one. The average horseracing jockey is 5’2″ tall and weighs 113 lbs, well below the average …
When a racehorse breaks down on the track, the decision to euthanize often happens within minutes. To people watching from the grandstand or at home, it can look like a rushed, callous choice. It isn’t. The biology of a horse’s leg makes that decision, in the most serious cases, the most humane option available — …
Horse blinders, also called blinkers in racing, narrow what a horse can see from the sides so it can focus more on what’s ahead. Trainers use them to reduce side distractions, improve gate behavior, and help some horses stay steadier in racing, driving, and training. They are not for every horse. Some horses perform better …
Most horses can run around 25–30 mph, but elite racehorses can break 40 mph when everything comes together. After decades around racehorses, I’ve learned that speed isn’t just a number on a stopwatch — it comes down to breeding, mechanics, conditioning, and a horse’s ability to use what nature gave them efficiently. How fast can …
The best jockeys in horse racing depend on what you’re measuring. James McDonald leads the 2026 Longines World’s Best Jockey standings — the closest thing the sport has to an official global ranking — having won his third title in 2025 with 184 points, six of his qualifying wins coming aboard the mare Via Sistina …
Male and female racehorses differ in more than speed. From race conditions and weight allowances to management and breeding value, sex shapes how a horse is trained, raced, and valued. Here’s what really matters when you compare males and females. Are male racehorses faster than female racehorses? Usually yes on average, but elite Thoroughbred performance …
One of my horses developed colic during training and needed emergency surgery. The vet bill ran well over $10,000 — on top of a full year of training fees, farrier visits, and routine care. That horse never made it back to the track. The year cost me more than I’d paid to buy him, and …
Most racehorse owners lose money every year. I’ve lost money most years too — and I’ve been doing this for 30 years at Fair Grounds and Evangeline Downs. That’s not a reason to stay out. But the question isn’t whether you’ll lose money on purses. The question is whether you can structure your operation so …
In the paddock before a race, if you notice a strip of cloth or rubber running through the horse’s mouth and beneath its lower jaw, you’re looking at a tongue tie. Out of the seven Thoroughbreds I currently own, only one wears a tongue tie when racing—a shift that reflects what the research and the …
One of the first things I learned as a new owner at Fair Grounds is that the weight printed next to each horse’s name in the program is not a random number — it is assigned deliberately to keep races competitive. Understanding how that system works changes what you see when you watch a race …