The Process of Racehorse Training

(Newswire.net — May 19, 2022) — If you are an owner of a racehorse and want to know how they will be trained, or how their process of training is done, we are the right place for you. However, if you are an enthusiastic bettor who wants to know how those speedy horses are trained, we are here for you too! 

If you have ever wondered about the process a horse must go through to become a proper racing horse, we have everything you need to know, from forewarning about training to the requirement of routine, training programs, and even a step-by-step guide. 

So, no matter why you want to know; if you’re an aspiring trainer, or if you are just interested in the preakness stakes betting and want to know what the horses went through to get there, we have it all!

A Word Of Warning

There are some things you will need to consider before you get started. In order to ensure that the training is effective, you need to have a good understanding of horses at their core. 

You might think that training a horse is not that different from giving them a bath or brushing their mane, but it is very different. So, what do you need to think about? 

1. Firstly, consider the age of your horse. In the earliest times of your horse’s career, their training should be about education and their development physically instead of racing fitness. 

A young horse will often have short preparations before they have their race preparations. Note that frequency is imperative to their development both physically and mentally. 

2. Consider, also, the horse itself, every horse is unique, and it will have its own personality. Some will normally keep themselves fit, others need a helping hand and may gain weight easily. 

3. Do not forget to note the length of how they are trained per session. An older horse may be out for a refresh and will have residual readiness, rather than a horse who’s been out of the game for longer.

4. A horse who is recovering from sickness, or injuries will need to build strength slowly but surely, taking time. Rushing this is no way to get an efficient horse. 

5. Remember the practical circumstances of this. Many things can impact the scale of the training including sickness and injury, and the weather also. So, remember timing also. 

Routine Is Everything

Aside from instances of injury, horses that work will typically exercise every day in one way or another. Many will often be on a walking machine each day, some may also be ridden or go for a swim 6/7 days. 

When your horse is ready for fast work they can do this 3 or more times per week, and exercising on other days can be a bit slower, such as sand track work. 

Crafting a routine is very important, and it can be different for every horse, as you must remember they are individuals, but they will need similar routines to fulfill the needs they need to meet to be an effective racehorse.

What Is The Ideal Training Program?

We cannot give you a specific training program, as every one of them is different, however, what we can do is show you the typical formatting of a program for a horse that is experienced and without injury. 

This horse would typically have returned from a spell of 6-8 weeks.

Weeks 1,2 & 3: In this period the horse would be doing slow work to build up muscle again, perhaps swimming activities would be incorporated. This work includes canter and trot in 2 laps of a sand track. 

Weeks 4,5 & 6: This work will start to include paced work, it will include a moderate hand gallop, at around 18 secs per 200 m. This can then be increased over time to a ¾ pace for the last work and extended from there. ¾ is rated at around 14-15 secs per 200 m.

Weeks 7,8, 9 & 10:  Depending on how the horse has progressed, they can now have some fast work in this time. This will be a brush home over the last 200 m at 12 secs to start with, and then they can start to work on 5+1 at 1000. This can be built to 5+2 per 1000 m eventually. 

Weeks 11, 12, 13 & 14: Continue the fast work and extend it gradually. A horse may have a second jump out in this time before its first race begins. 

There are many reasons a training program can be different, typically though, a good trouble-free program for a mature horse will see it racing around 14 weeks after a standard spell. 

This also means that a first start can be 16-22 weeks long after their last start. It varies from horse to horse though, and their age, skills level, and so on. 

What Is A Good Step-By-Step Process?

Here are a few things worth noting to finish off about starting to train a horse. 

Always get the right horse: The right horse is totally imperative, you do not need to have any particular style of horse, but the right horse is an art. Your heart horse may not be the right horse which can lead to sadness and briefness. It can also prevent injuries, so get the right one. 

Lead training: Lead training is important as the horse needs good manners when interacting with people. This is not unlike dog lead training in a way, you are basically teaching it basic commands and how to be polite 

Always learn from the experienced: If you are new to training, you need to seek out help from an experienced and successful trainer. This is best for you and for the horse. You should also consult them about the needs and challenges. 

You want the horse to feel part of the family as they are herd animals. 

Ground and saddle training:  Both are important. Ground training is used to teach the horse ways to exercise and can help expel excess energy. Saddle training will teach the horse how to be ridden and get them used to the saddle being there.