There is no horse in the world that can walk out on to the track of a busy racing event and successfully make it to the end, let alone try and beat its fellow competitors. For a horse to be transformed from a regular animal into a powerful, motivated, and successful racer, the horse will need to go through many years of training and conditioning that starts when they are still young.
While the training regime is usually modified depending on the horse, for the most part modern racehorses will need to undergo specific types of training to get them ready for the track. Let’s explore what kind of training regimes are usually involved for today’s racing horses.
Early Preparation
Preparing the horse from an early age is key to unlocking the potential of the animal so that it’s ready for the time it either gets sold to a trainer or enters the race for the first time. The young horse, which will always be a yearling, or a horse that’s under two years old, will generally be given a window to spend time in the pastures, where it will grow and get the proper nutrition that it needs.
This is also the first instances of the horse getting used to living within a stable as well as wearing the kind of gear that they will need for professional racing. Grooming, exercise, and good nutrition are all important during this stage, and allows the horse to build a good temperament as well as develop properly.
Once a horse has reached certain stage of development, it will either be put on sale, or if it’s already with the trainer, it will begin the more difficult parts of its training process.
Breaking The Horse
Once the horse is usually older than a year, the trainer will begin the breaking process, which is a part of its pre-training, including the basic skills it will need to learn to be comfortable with a rider on its back. They will be taught how to manage more stressful environments, as well as to remain calm while being handled. This can also be the period in which the horses will potentially meet its future jockey and forming a bond early can help the horse become more comfortable for races in upcoming years.
The Training Period
After the breaking and pre-training regimes have come to an end, the horse can begin to train properly. This can take many months of hard work, but the horse will learn everything it needs to compete in a professional setting, while the trainer rarely has the time to enjoy hobbies like playing at a video poker casino in Dubai.
Racehorses are athletes, and their training will be intense to ensure that they are physically capable of meeting the demands of professional racing, while also having the right temperament for the racetrack. At around the 18th month mark, many racing horses will be involved in their first racing event, which is one of the best ways to determine whether the animal has the skills necessary to continue in the pro racing scene.
