Anything But Standard

This page is dedicated to a Standardbred's life while racing.  

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Until the "life after racing" movement started, a Standardred's life both started and ended at the track....  Most are broken in as yearlings, and at such a young age their fate is decided in those few short weeks - they're either good enough to go on and have a shot, they're put out to mature for a while, or they're sacked instantly. Before "life after racing", it's not hard to imagine what happened to the others.

However, most of those that make it to the track, are treated like gold. Any good trainer understands that the horse is their livelihood. They're fed good quality feed, exercised daily, stabled with as much turnout as possible, rugged, groomed, and kept in immaculate condition. In return for all that, the horse is expected to work, and work hard.

What Gear Do They Wear While Racing?

The picture below represents what your average Standy can expect to wear while racing. Ofcourse, they usually don't wear ALL of that at once, but you could say some come close!!

The average pacer will wear a bridle, ear plugs (deafeners), headcheck, breastplate, harness (saddle, or "back-saddle"), hopples, knee boots and brushing boots. Part of a trainer's job is to decide what gear what works best for each individual horse to get the best performance out of them.

When you look at this picture, it's easy to see why Standardbred's are so used to having things strapped to them - adding a riding saddle seems like the logical next step!

So, What's The Point Of All Those Gadgets?

Let's looks at some of the basic gear - from the outside looking in, harness racing seems cruel and unnatural. What needs to be kept in mind here, is that the Standardbred is BRED to pace. There are a great many foals who are born pacing, and will "free-leg" (ie: pace without the use of hopples) from just about the time they can stand. These are what you'd call a 'natural' pacer. The gear used in harness racing in designed to enhance the pace gait, not to inhibit the horse. 

The harness: Harness is the equipment worn by the horse when racing or training. It includes a saddle, girth, crupper, bridle and driving lines (reins). 

The headcheck: The headcheck (or overcheck) is what is used to keep the horse's head balanced while pacing. Not every horse will race with a headcheck, but they are very common.

The hopples: Hopples are used to help a pacer maintain their gait. They are comprised of four loops (two on either side of the horse), with an adjustable middle portion. The hopple loops attach to the hobble hangers, which are also adjustable. The front loop is a bit smaller than the hind loop, and the horse's legs go through each. They do not force a horse to pace, which is a wide belief among those who are not involved in racing. They are there to encourage the horse to remain in gait and are loose enough to allow the horse freedom to extend while discouraging the trot action. A horse can still canter in hopples (not encouraged, but breaking gait happens and is termed a "gallop")..

The lugging pole: The lugging pole is a straight pole that attaches to a ring on the horse's racing bridle (to a special noseband), then to a strap on the horse's harness at the top of the saddle. The purpose of the headpole is to keep the horse's head straight. The pole is designed to stop horses "hanging in" or hanging out", ie: not keeping their racing line and straying sideways. As you can imagine, a collision at speed during a race is quite dangerous.
While lugging poles are common, most horses will race without one.

Ear plugs: Ear Plugs are small pieces of cotton or rubber placed in a horse's ears in order to reduce the noise a horse can hear. In many cases, high-strung horses are easier to control when they do not hear all of the sounds of the other horses during racing or training. Ear Plugs can either be left for the duration of a race, or they can be "pop outs." These "pop outs" have a string attached to them which runs back to the sulky and is easily grabbed by the driver, who can pull them out when he feels the time is appropriate during the race, ie: during the home turn when the driver wants to hear the other horses approaching, thus envoking a competitive spirit in the home straight.

The Whip: Why do we mention this you ask?
All too often we hear someone talking about the way harness drivers "flog" their horses. In almost all cases, that's just not true. The harness racing stewards are very vigilant about the whipping rules and monitor closely. It is not uncommon for several drivers a meet to be fined for "raising the whip too high" or "unnecessary whipping" .... If you watch closely, most drivers whip the splash sheet (the coloured material between the drivers legs that extends up the sulky to reduce the dirt spray) - this method causes no pain or contact to the horse, but makes a sound designed to encourage the horse forward towards the line.

From Paddock to Track: How is The Racehorse Trained? 

Jogging

When the horses are not being hoppled (ie: driven in the cart in hopples) they are jogged. This involves numerous horses being placed on a jogging machine (pictured below) and jogged for a pre-determined amount of time at a steady speed. Each trainer has their own ideas about time and speed, but the principle is the same: basic fitness and conditioning for the horse.

Trackwork

2 or 3 times a week, each horse is hoppled. This can involve either fast or slow work, depending on the day, the horse's level of fitness, and how close to racing it is. For this, the horse is harnessed up and driven behind the cart. A horse can also be jogged or galloped (ie: cantered) in the cart just to break up the routine.

Below is a picture of our mare on lease, Whatsmynameagain (Charlie), doing a trackwork session. During trackwork, there is no need for formality; you just need your safety vest, helmet, and the rest is up to you! No colours or good race carts - just good, solid work in a casual but safe setting...... Safety always comes first!

Raceday, 7th November 2009:

After all that hard work (and money!), raceday has arrived!!

Trainers are required to be present one hour before the first race - so naturally, the horses come as well. It's a long night, standing around from 5pm to 10pm. Luckily, most of our team will stand quietly. 

The following pictures were taken on November 7th 09, and feature several different horses from the stables of our trainer.

Getting Ready:

Below is a picture of Charlie, getting ready for her race. She works and races without a headcheck, but as she knocks her knee, she wears what is called "spreaders" - the horseshoe shaped foam around her front legs are spreaders - essentially, when fitted, they assist in keeping the horses legs wide enough not to knock their knees. Knee knocking can cause injury, but generally interferes with the horses stride causing the gait to break unevenly, and thus, losing speed.

The Parade Ring:

Before the race, all horses must present to the parade ring. Horses parade in sequential order until it's time to move out onto the track. The horses are then led out onto the track by the Course Clarks, who also assist if there's an accident during the race or if a horse becomes out of control.

The Warm Up:

When the horses move out onto the track, they're given several minutes to warm up before the race. When the first warning whistle is blown, horses will take their place near the barriers and continue to circle until called to "score up" to the barrier.

Behind The Barriers:

In Canberra, all races are via "Mobile Start". The horses score up behind this moving barrier, and when the green light signals racing time, the barrier speeds off to make way for the horses.

And They're Off And Racing:

In this picture, we were watching number 5, Oscar Can.
Each horse generally likes to run from a different position. Some like to lead, some like to travel in the pack, and some like to come from the rear. Oscar hasn't quite worked out which position he likes yet!

In The Money:

If you're lucky enough, you too can enter the winning circle!
Kool Kitten finishes 2nd and lines up to present herself for the offcial "weigh in". Results are not official until correct weight is called.  

It's a long road to success, and alot of hard work. But it sure is fun!!