Training for the Trainers

The #1 question asked here is "how can I become a trainer"?  In recent years that question has become a little easier to answer due to the "Groom Elite" program.  We're happy to report that there are new classes coming up that include the Trainers' Exam Prep class.  Find out more at https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/231832/groom-elite-announces-three-new-classes

The #2 question asked here is "how can I become an exercise rider at the track"?  The answer to that one is sadly still the same as it ever was, a long work in progress that I detail in this article, http://racehorsetrainers.com/article/example-website-article-1/

I say the answer is sad because I feel there should be a more formal and affordable course for exercise riders to take before they try to gallop horses at the track.  Something like this really should be required for riders to get a track license. This is very badly needed today as veteran riders are aging and retiring, and young riders are showing up at the racetrack unprepared for that environment.  Accidents are increasing because some new riders don't understand the rules of morning training hours and some don't have the experience to be able to stay aboard and control very fit thoroughbreds.

Maybe Groom Elite can add an exercise rider class to their program.

What happens to race horses once they stop racing?

Most ex-racehorses are adopted and re-trained for another sport. There are hundreds of non-profit organizations that take in retired racehorses and advertise them to potential adopters. The horses go on to do everything from trail riding to showjumping. 

Retired Racehorse Project is a showcase for adopted thoroughbred racehorses.

Do racehorses know what they're in a race to do?

Racehorses really know when they lost and they show it after the race is over by stomping around, shaking their head and generally acting mad. When they win they are bigger than life, confident and proud. 

Less talented racehorses that just aren’t fast enough or lack confidence in general, also know when they lose and that type will tend to sulk after a race. 

Bad racehorses that may be fast enough but they just don’t want to race are the worst to be around because they neither get mad nor sulk, but walk around after the race acting like, “see what I did, I got out of that race without even trying, ha, ha! Why don’t you let me try showjumping?” Believe me, thoroughbred racehorses are pretty smart cookies and every one is unique.

What is the name of the bugle fanfare played at the start of horse races?

“Call to the Post” https://youtu.be/MI8dg02lNyA

How does the buying process work when buying a race horse?

There's 3 ways to buy a horse for racing in the U.S.
 
1. private sale - if you identify a horse you'd like to buy, and you can contact the owner, you just call and make an offer.  If the offer is accepted you pay by bank wire transfer or cash to the seller, and you get a notarized bill of sale signed by buyer and seller, and you receive the original registration papers for the horse from the seller.

2. claiming from a race - the U.S. has claiming races at most tracks with a set price for each horse in the race.  If you identify a horse to "claim", you must have deposited money on account at the track where the race will be held, and then you must submit to the racing office a "claim slip" properly filled out and signed by the buyer, no later than 15 minutes to post time for the race.  After the gate has opened for the race, and if no other party also submitted a claim for the same horse, you then own that horse and must pick it up in the paddock after the race.  

3. auction - many auctions are held in the U.S. and in fact all over the world for race horses of all ages.  Each auction company has rules for how to go about bidding on a horse.  Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton sales companies are 2 of the biggest auction houses for thoroughbreds in the U.S.  See their web sites for details.

Who makes the rose garland given to the winner of the Kentucky Derby?

https://www.kentuckyderby.com/history/traditions/garland-of-roses has all the details.

If I meet a racehorse owner at the track, what questions should I ask?

Ask which race and the name of the horse, and ask if you should bet that horse to win, or put it in an exotic bet - that will start a great conversation. Always ask the owner if you can get in the win photo, and if the horse wins make sure you are standing near the gate into the winner's circle and just file on in there with the owner's group for that picture.   Make sure to ask the photographer how to order the photo before you leave after the photo is taken.  They will usually have photos ready by end of the race day.

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How does the rider get a horse to go sideways?

After the horse is trained to respond to the leg and rein aids, often all the rider needs is to sit slightly harder on the seat bone that is on the side that you wish the horse to move to.  The horse will move that way to stay in balance with the rider - weighting the stirrup on that side may have the same effect but the stirrup is not needed, only the rider's weight in the saddle.  Often I see riders inadvertently sitting unevenly in the saddle, sometimes just because the rider is built a little crooked, maybe one leg is longer than the other, or the rider's spine is slightly crooked, and they have problems with a horse drifting in or out, or problems getting a right or left canter lead.  Sometimes perceived problems with a horse are really problems with the rider.  

What doesn't work to get a horse to go sideways is pulling the horse's head around to the side you want him to move to.  Works better to move both reins together in the direction you want the horse to move, so to go sideways left, the right rein will rest on the horse's neck and the left rein will not pull the horse's head around but will hover next to the horse's neck, creating an opening for the horse to move into.

What does it mean when a mare suddenly starts rearing and other bad behavior?

The first thing that came to my mind when I read your question is that sometimes mares have terrible reproductive issues that make them crazy, even dangerous every time they cycle into heat.  I have known of mares that had to go on Regumate to regulate hormones, and I've also known of mares that had their ovaries removed to resolve their pain.  

You asked for the Trainers' test, and we've heard there's prep exams being held in 2017!

C. Reid McLellan, PhD., Executive Director of the Groom Elite Program, Inc., and a nationally known equine educator, will be conducting a trainers' exam "Prep Class" in Lexington, Kentucky on June 28-30, 2017.   There's another one at Remington Park, August 16-18.

For details, see https://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/trainers-exam-prep-class-held-june-28-30-lexington/

Always Dreaming and the draw reins

I cringe every time I see the video of Always Dreaming lunging about on the track, sometimes way overflexed with nose on chest - probably an old video, hopefully he's going better now, but I have to wonder if anybody from that barn thought to try the chambon first.  It's all elastic, adjustable, runs from the poll, through the bit rings and to the girth - so out of the rider's hands.

Go slow and set it loosely to make sure it doesn't freak the horse out, first just walk around the barn, then take some time jogging before going on to gallop.  In our experience, most horses find it a calming influence and those we've tried it on showed immediate improvement, eventually to the point of not needing it at all in a fairly short time.  The chambon is so rare on the American racetrack that we kind of hide ours as a "secret weapon".

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/378795018647867045/ - here's Always Dreaming overflexed in draw reins

OWNERS - do you know where your day rate money goes? (Updated)

This is an article we originally wrote many years ago, and try to keep updated every few years, detailing the costs of owning a racehorse in training at the track.

We just updated the numbers through 2015, read the full text at http://racehorsetrainers.com/article/do-you-know-where-your-day-rate-money-goes/

Where do trainers get all the stuff they need for the stable?

I haven't written anything lately because I've been busy working at the track - in the stable as groom, hotwalker, barn foreman, and frankly - equipment manager.  There is so much stuff you need to run a racing stable, and it's used hard so some things wear out amazingly fast. A university student just asked me where we get all our "stuff" as part of her marketing study, and here's what I said, probably more than she wanted to know, and I could elaborate a lot more!

"Hi Raquel!  You specified “blankets, saddle pads, bandages, hoods” – by hoods I assume you mean blinkers.  We buy most of our stable supplies from http://www.bigdweb.com/ unless we need something that’s so heavy the shipping cost will be too high. 

 

For heavy things like rakes, forks, wheelbarrows, fans: we go to Home Depot or Lowes. 

 

For heavy things like buckets of poultice, powdered or liquid supplements, we go to the local tack shop – most racetracks have a vendor for these items on site or near the stable area.  Sometimes it’s the feed company located on the racetrack property or close by.

A challenge is the stuff that race trainers need to be color specific to match the stable colors and/or logo – we need stall webbings in the stable colors which usually have to be ordered and they are very heavy.  The saddle pads with logo have to be specially ordered.  Usually the on-track tack shop can get these things at the best price." 

 

I would just add that getting saddle pads with logo and signage is fairly challenging.  The people around who provide these services specific to the horse and racing industry seem to be few and far between.   I'd like recommendations! 

Good article from New South Wales

http://www.breedingracing.com/industry-features/ - It's educational and interesting to read racing coverage from Australia, showing how truly global our sport is and how much we have in common with racing around the world.  Some of the Aussie racing expressions are quite unique!

Some horses are born to be at the track.

Great story about a retired thoroughbred racehorse who is most suited to sticking around the racetrack rather than starting a new career.  Most thoroughbreds do like to have a job.  Most of them don't like hanging around the pasture 24-7.  Read more >>

How to train your young horse without setbacks due to injury

Denny Emerson shared this article on Facebook. It's about training for endurance competition but also very much applies to starting young throughbreds for racing or bringing back older thoroughbreds after a long layoff. A valuable read for all trainers: http://perseveranceendurancehorses.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/endurance-training/

The job of a thoroughbred trainer is this.

Occasionally the frog of a horse's hoof will shed, exposing healthy but sensitive tissue underneath. If it happens a day or two before a race, the sensitivity can be enough to interfere with a horse's race performance.

Listen to what Jere Smith Jr. did when this happened to a horse he had entered to run, as he remembers the situation from many years ago.

Hear this interview at http://jrsmithjr.com/interview.htm and please read the comments after, which follow up some questions that came out of this interview.

I answered this question on Quora, "How is strategy used in horse racing?"

Posted on Quora, a really interesting forum on all subjects.

"How is strategy used in horse racing?"

As soon as the entries for a race are set and available, the trainers, owners, jockey agents, and the more detail minded jockeys are handicapping the race to determine strategy by examining the past races of each horse in the race. Post position is huge because a horse that usually gets out of the gate early and likes to be close to the front of the race early can get cut off and boxed in. A heavy favorite will be targeted by all the riders who will try to keep him behind horses, down inside or far outside. A heavy favorite that has an outside post position and doesn't need to be on the lead early is very dangerous and more likely to win. The strategy for such a horse is to take his time, ease up slowly and try to get position to make a clear run to the finish. By race day, everyone involved with the horses has mapped out how they expect the race to go and where each horse will be in the race at all times. In the paddock before the race, the trainer, owner and jockey will have a short pow-wow to discuss how they think the race will play out and what the jockey's strategy should be. Despite all this, the best laid plans often go awry and the jockey then needs to fly by the seat of his pants to try to win or at least finish strong.

Long term strategy is also important. Good trainers plan a horse's races carefully, picking out a race to aim for and training up to the race to hopefully have the horse in peak condition on the day of the race. Entering a horse in the right type of race is also crucial because each horse is competitive at a certain level. Most horses are only competitive at a certain distance (short, middle or long) and on a certain surface (turf, dirt or artificial). It's difficult to find the perfect race to fit a horse at exactly the right time he is ready for a race but it's the trainer's job to do that.

Trainers often lobby the racing office to try to make sure an appropriate race will be available for a horse that needs a certain type of race. Trainers have a book from the racing office that lists each race that will be held on each day of the racing meet, but the racing office also adds races to those available in the book in order to maximize the possibility of having a lot of horses in each race. The races that have the most entries for a day will be the ones that actually are run. If less than 6 horses enter a race, the office usually does not use that race and the trainers who entered will have to pick another race to enter. Thus trainers have to be in constant planning and strategy mode in order to find the right race for a horse at the right time.

I agree with California Chrome's owner - but maybe not for the same reasons.

Yes I thought he was out of control after the Belmont but after watching the NBC coverage and promotions leading up to the triple crown races, I actually agree with his opinion, to a degree. I think it might be a good idea to only allow horses who rack up a certain number of points in Kentucky Derby prep races to run in the Preakness and Belmont, as well as the Derby. I would not go as far as saying only the Kentucky Derby starters can run in the Preakness and Belmont but making the other races also fit into the "point system" seems like a great idea to me.

Those who say "why change the triple crown now?" have missed the fact that Churchill Downs has already unilaterally changed it by creating the point system for Kentucky Derby eligibility. By the way, this fact is seared into my mind because Churchill Downs refused to include the Illinois Derby in the points system for seemingly childlike punitive reasons - see http://www.kentucky.com/2013/08/09/2758644/road-to-the-kentucky-derby-series.html for details.

I think it would really help racing if we had a set group of horses and their connections to follow throughout the triple crown media coverage. NBC reached a huge audience but sadly we heard mostly about California Chrome and his colorful connections, while many of the other connections are also very entertaining. Perhaps making the point system apply to the triple crown would narrow the possible contenders to the point where media coverage could help us get to know them better and get behind our favorite. It might help create more long term fans of the sport. So in that regard I agree with California Chrome's owner.

My sense is that in the "old days" the triple crown was more about sporting rivalry and less about maximizing a horse's earning potential - so that is another reason I agree with California Chrome's owner. Don't get me wrong, I have the greatest respect for Christophe Clemont, a great trainer and an interesting person. I would like to have heard more about him in the NBC coverage but since he was a newcomer to the series he was mostly overlooked - I'm sure he is fine with that but I'm not. I would have liked to hear more from him and all the other characters in all three races. Clemont may be one of the very few trainers around who can plan out a horse's campaign so carefully. He has done a fabulous job with Tonalist, a very beautiful horse. But to casual fans it's a big letdown to have an unknown horse and connections turn out to be the spoilers.

Feed to Win

It has come to our attention that there's too many race trainers out there who are skimping on feed. We find this very distressing since the health and well being, not to mention the success of a racehorse, depends on careful management, and there is nothing more basic than the nutritional requirements of the athlete.

Why would a trainer skimp on feed? I would only be guessing but have to assume the reason is money, since feed costs are the second biggest expense a trainer has after payroll. That being said, some trainers have very odd ideas about how to manage their horses.

Owners or potential owners should feel comfortable asking their trainer about how their horses are being fed, and definately ask for information about their trainer's overall feed program. I believe that to protect themselves owners should read up on the basic care recommendations for a racehorse in training. http://www.thehorse.com/articles/10331/feeding-racehorses is an excellent article about the feeding of racehorses from a youngster to full training and racing age. We especially like the quote below, because we see far too many racehorses that are underweight and run down. Owners, ask questions - it is your right to know.

"Although a racehorse will perform to his best advantage if he’s not carrying around any excess body weight, there’s a big difference between being fit and being underweight and run down. Far too many racehorses are the latter, unfortunately, and far too many trainers mistake simple ribbiness for good muscle tone! Like any other type of athlete, a racehorse must have stored reserves to run on, or he’ll run out of gas in the stretch. Be sure to provide your horse with enough groceries so that he’s able to maintain some cover over his ribs and spine. If he’s a picky eater, or the nervous type which walks his condition off in his stall, try making his diet more energy-dense by substituting corn or barley or a high fat extruded or pelleted feed for oats or an oat-based sweetfeed. (Don’t neglect regular deworming and dental care, both of which can have a serious impact on a horse’s ability to maintain condition.)"

Another really useful tool we found is a "feed calculator" at http://horse.purinamills.com/products/feedingcalculator/ which includes recommended amounts of "Purina Race Ready", a feed used by many thoroughbred trainers. For a thoroughbred in race training, use "Performance --- very heavy work" for the "lifestyle setting" and 800-900 lbs for the weight of the horse, and the calculator says this horse should have 10-12 lbs of Race Ready feed per day and a similar weight in hay per day.