Part 7: Off And Racing!
By Emily Schulz
Watching your horse race for the first time is better than hearing your child say their first word or buying your first alcoholic beverage solo when of legal age. What they all have in common is the anticipation leading up to the event. So many hours of hard work behind the scenes go into getting a racehorse ready for their debut and lucky for you, you just get to sit back and enjoy the show! You might have gone to the races before but you’ve never been as an owner, here’s a long list of why being a racehorse owner is the best thing you’ll ever do in your life.
Who doesn’t love special treatment? No matter where your horse is running, you’re sure to be looked after by your trainer, syndicator and race club. Before your horse arrives on course you should receive an update from your trainer or syndicator on how the horse has been going and expectations for the day. They might also throw in some other jargon which we’ll help you out with below.
Raceday Privileges
Depending on what state you live in and what type of owner you are, these privileges will vary. Generally, when your horse is racing you will get free admission to the racecourse along with a guest ticket and possibly members passes for the day. Don’t forget to grab your free race book because your name (or your syndicate name) will be printed in hard copy, how cool! Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the race book it’s time to look through the first few pages and find the horse stalls list. Look for your horses name, the number on the left will be what race they are in and the number on the right will be the stall number. Your horse will arrive between 1-3 hours before their race (depending on if it’s a country or city meeting) so be aware of that if they’re running in the last and you’re there for the first! The horse stalls and parade ring are where you get to watch your horse getting pampered, saddled and warmed up. If you’re lucky, depending on if your horse is nervous or not for it’s first day at the races, you might even get a pat and a selfie with them. Ask the strapper any questions you like about your horse’s personality, they spend the most time with them after all.
Half an hour before your horse is due to race they’ll be saddled up and make their way to the mounting yard to parade before their race. As an owner, you get exclusive access to the mounting yard so you can talk tactics with the jockey and rub shoulders with racing royalty. To be fair, your horse will probably be debuting on a country track and you won’t be giving the jockey instructions, it’s best to stop biting those fingernails, take it all in and enjoy! Win, lose or draw, your horse and jockey will come back to the mounting yard and will chat about what just happened in the race. If you’re lucky enough to be a winning owner, you get to be a part of the winning photo (which you can buy directly through the Fred App) which is then followed by post-race hospitality that the clubs provide which will vary for each racetrack. Usually, there will be some kind of room or bar for the non-winning owners to watch the replay and drown their sorrows together contemplating all the what ifs and buts.
When your horse races, if it picks up some prizemoney each time then that’s great. If it pays for itself then that’s amazing and if it wins big then that’s a bonus! We’re seeing big prizemoney increases in some states which is great for people just getting into racehorse ownership. Normally, prizemoney is paid down to tenth place with ten percent going to the trainer, five percent to the jockey and a couple percent goes towards equine and jockey welfare. As you are likely just a hobby racehorse owner, your winnings are completely tax free... hallelujah! If your horse gets to some better races they might be in the running for trophies, jewellery, horse rugs, steak knives… the list goes on. No matter what prizemoney your horse has won on the day or how much they’ve cost you so far, the most important goal of their debut was that your horse had a great experience and if they didn’t win this time, they’ve got some experience under their belt for next time. Horses can’t win every race so buckle up and get together with your fellow owners and just have a good time through all the highs and lows.
“Owners can expect special privileges on race day including exclusive access to designated owners areas and hospitality. We look forward to hosting our wonderful owners at the upcoming Spring Carnival”
Club Memberships
So what do you do when your horse isn’t racing but you still want to go to the races looking and feeling a million bucks? Why not become a member of your local track. Depending on what state you live in, you might be able to join a single club or multiple in one. Metro clubs have many benefits that come with a price tag however if you’re going to more than just the carnival days in the year than it works out pretty good value. These clubs have premium facilities including cafes, restaurants and bars to wine and dine you at all hours of the race day. Ticketing for you and guest passes throughout the year including invites to exclusive events such as trackwork mornings, stud and stable tours and evening events with top racing participants. If your guest loves the racing so much, refer them and you could both be rewarded with the many reward and loyalty systems clubs have in place.
Apart from merchandise and newsletters, you’ll get access on big days and even reciprocal rights to interstate clubs as well as clubs of other sporting codes. If that wasn’t enough to sell you, you can get a car pass for carnival time and discounts with the clubs’ partners in fashion, food and finery. Some clubs arrange coach services to get you to and from races safely and you could even get a birthday voucher to spend however you like. There are different tiers of membership depending on what you’re looking for so it’s best to check out your local race club and see what they have on offer and what suits your budget. You might find you want to support your local country club and be right up on the winning post in a more relaxed members enclosure, whatever tickles your fancy. You might just be happy with going to the races when your horse runs, this is fine too, some clubs even give you a free membership if your horse wins at their racetrack!
Gear Changes
So, it’s unlikely your horse will have lots of different race gear on for its first start but that will depend on your trainer and your horse. Your horse will start off with a bridle of some sort, a saddle blanket and a saddle provided by the jockey with correct weights that your horse has been assigned. You might have heard in a previous update that your horse trialled in blinkers or when the jockey comes back after the race and says your horse might need a tongue tie and you’re left thinking…. what?! Don’t fear, we’re here to help.
Credit - Bradley Photos. Left to right - Cross Over & Lugging Bit; Norton Bit; Browband & Norton Bit & Winkers
There are many different gear changes that can tweak a horse’s performance but it’s not all straightforward and what works for one horse may not work for another. Here’s a list of some common gear changes in alphabetical order and what their purpose is. If you’re a punter, you may already know a few of these and how they influence a horse’s performance. If you want to know what they look like, do a quick search.
· Bandages – protective leg wraps for horses that may have a big action and knock themselves causing discomfort during a race
· Bar plates – a different kind of shoe that takes the pressure off the horses’ heel distributing the weight evenly, your horse probably has foot issues which will require time
· Barrier Blanket – a weighted blanket that is placed on a horse when in the barriers to keep them calm, it then unhooks when the horse jumps out of the stalls
· Barrier Extension – a bracket that attached to the back of the barriers to provide more room if your horse is huge or long in its conformation
· Blinkers – head gear that helps your horse focus on what is in front of them restricting their vision on what is behind. This gear change can really switch a horse on but can also cause them to over race and burn too much energy early in the race
· Blindfold – same as for humans, a hood covering the eyes to help nervous horses during the barrier loading process
· Bit Lifter – this does exactly that, it lifts the bit to keep it high in the horse’s mouth so that the tongue doesn’t get over the bit making it hard for the jockey to steer
· Browband – cushioned band on bridle at base of the horse’s ears for added protection, used on horses that have a habit of rearing up in the barriers
· Bubble Cheeker – these are rubber circles with rubber spikes that go on one side of the bit to help horses that lay in or out
· Butterfly Bit – bit shaped like a butterfly that allows the jockey to put more pressure on one side of the mouth if required to get horse travelling better in the run
· Cheekers – Similar to a bit lifter but made of rubber
· Concussion Plates – another shoeing option for horses with leg or feet issues, commonly used on firm tracks to reduce jarring of lower joints or feet during a race
· Cornell Collar – not very common, prevents displacement of the soft palate which means the horse isn’t able to breathe sufficient oxygen in while running at high speeds and therefore contributes to poor performance
· Cross-over Noseband – can stop a horse from opening its mouth during a race which can lead to over racing. Helping a horse to regulate it’s breathing can lead to improved performance
· Earmuffs – help to settle nervous horses by blocking out noise, be wary of using them on front runners as they might not be able to hear horses coming up behind them. Pre-race earmuffs are used to settle pre-race nerves and are taken off at the barriers
· Ear Plugs – block out noise by muffling loud sounds of a race day
· Gelded – coined ‘The Ultimate Gear Change’, meaning a male horse that has had the snip. This prevents growth and soundness issues as well as keeping his mind on the job if he’s getting easily distracted by fillies and lacking concentration in the run
· Glue On Shoes – another solution for horses in hoof issues that prevent them from having a normal race plate fitted
· Kyneton Noseband – for horses that pull hard but have sensitive mouths, rein pressure is transferred to the nose rather than the mouth
· Lugging Bit – also called a ring bit, helps keep a horse running straight if they’ve been hanging, which gives jockey better control and hopefully improves performance
· One Eyed Blinker – prevents a horse from hanging in or out, eye cup on one side
· Nasal Strip – horses only breathe through their nose so these strips are designed to help open up the airway to improve breathing, some trainers believe it helps speed up recovery, reduce lung stress fatigue
· Norton Bit – another option for horses that pull hard, the aim is to help the horse conserve its energy to it can finish off in a race
· Nose Roll – restricts vision for horses with high head carriage causing them to bring their head down, increase oxygen uptake and prevent over racing.
· Pacifiers – head gear with mesh coverings over the eyes which restricts vision requiring the horse to concentrate more and can also help to relax anxious and highly-strung horses
· Race Plates – normal lightweight racing shoes, means your horses feet are healthy
· Stallion Chain – used on stallions or big horses with a bit of sass, gives strappers and barrier attendants more control on the ground
· Standard Bit – normal light bit that isn’t severe
· Synthetic Hoof Filler – used on horses that feet need some help, it strengthens the hoof wall giving it a solid foundation to nail a shoe onto, cosmetic fix not performance enhancing
· Tail Chain – not very common, it’s literally a chain that is attached to the top of the horse’s tail and dangles down to stop wind from entering the horses rear which can cause stomach pain and poor performance
· Tongue Control Bit – piece of metal that sits under the bit with a raised middle section preventing the tongue getting over the bit which causes poor performance
· Tongue Tie – common gear change which prevents tongue getting over the bit or choking down
· Visors – like blinkers but they have a small slit in the eye piece allowing some vision behind, prevents a horse from panicking if they can’t see horses behind them whilst also keeping focus in front
· Winkers – fluffy cheek pieces that marginally restrict vision but are less intrusive than blinkers or visors
“Different gear changes can determine the performance of a horse and this has been an integral part of any trainers ammunition. Blinkers on and off, tongue ties and just small things like ear muffs can change a horse's attitude and desire to be better. It’s great in a stable like ours of approximately 30 horses, we get to spend intimate time with our horses rather than be in training huts relying on information from others that may lack experience. We are a very hands-on business from top to bottom on a daily basis.”
Well don’t say we didn’t tell you so that being a racehorse owner is an amazing experience and there are so many benefits to be enjoyed. We hope this instalment has given you some tools to better understand what on earth your trainer or syndicator is talking about in those updates. You’ve been a great student so far and you’re almost ready to graduate from our Freducation series, look out for the final edition, Part 8: Life After Racing.
