Witnessing a horse change leads while racing at full speed is fascinating. Changing leads is the act of switching the leg that will reach farther forward in stride, but is this natural, and why do horses do this? Racehorses’ change leads to maintaining balance and negotiating a turn to the left or the right more …
Going to the track is a fun outing, and while there, you’ll see horses of varying sizes and colors. But are all the racehorses Thoroughbreds, or do other breeds also race? Horses don’t have to be Thoroughbreds to race. Many different horse breeds compete in sanctioned horse races, including Quarter horses, Arabians, Paints, and Standardbreds. …
It’s fun to listen to the different accents of the Jockeys and try to determine where they’re from. Jockeys come from all over the world, but is there a dominant region that produces the best jockeys? The best jockeys come from Latin America, and it accounts for the highest percentage of top Jockeys in the …
Weights are added to most entries in a horse race. The amount of weight varies based on the weight assigned to each horse and the jockey’s size. But before we delve too far, let’s look at why horses carry added weight in a race. Racehorses carry extra weights to meet the minimum weight assigned to …
My grandson got up early and rode with me to the training center to watch some young horses work on the track. He was tired but excited to see some young racehorse prospects and asked why do horses train so early. Early morning workouts allow the trainers and jockeys time to tend to the horses …
Horse racing often provokes conflicting narratives. On one hand, we hear heart-wrenching tales from the media about the alleged abuse and mistreatment of racehorses. On the other, advocates of horse racing describe their animals as pampered royalty, living lives of luxury. What, then, is the truth behind the treatment of these athletic equines? The reality …
I have been going to horse racing tracks for a long time. But, recently, I was stumped by an old man who asked me, “why do the horses run counter-clockwise?” I had no idea, so I decided to research this question. Horses race counter-clockwise because American racehorse owners didn’t want to conform to Engish standards …
The Thoroughbred Winning Brew is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s fastest horse, reaching a speed of 43.97 mph. However, Quarter horses have been recorded running even faster, achieving speeds of up to 55 mph. This article not only highlights these record-breaking horses but also documents the fastest times across various horse …
A friend’s horse qualified for a stakes race at Evangeline Downs, so we decided to go to the track to watch the race. Since many people may not understand the stakes race, I decided to write a helpful article. Stakes races are the highest classification in horse racing. For a horse to be eligible to …
Recently, a friend looked at a horse he was interested in buying; the horse was put together well and had a solid pedigree, but it was a cribber. He asked me if he should avoid buying a horse that cribs. I wasn’t certain, so I decided to do some research to find out. It would …