Have you ever rode a race horse?

Question

Are race horses much harder to ride and control than ordinary horses? I know they're not as tame but really, how much more firey are they? Would you consider them pretty easy to control the same as ordinary horses or are they a total different breed of horse altogther?

Answer 1

Race horse's are very broke Young ones learn as they are being trained ,,

They are broke for what they do ""RACE""

And yes you have to be very skilled to ride them ..

Some older horses, Pull very hard and you have to have the leverage to keep them from running off . I used to shorten my stirrups, some time stand up on them But if any thing broke or if he tripped ..I kiss my butt good bye  

A good rider can handle tough horses , Some riders Just dont have it

Being on the race track is very hard work You have to be just as fit as a jockey is  and the horses are .Maybe even more because we gallop them and they usually  just work them

Not all !But most

I think Quarter horse's  much easier Tbs are a bit tougher

It not so much the breed Because allot of them become show horse and they are quite so it's really just the racing and the good feed etc, That might make you think they are different

Now some have traits from their parents so some are a bit different in attiuded's

I sure hope this helps  

I worked at Santa Anita and all Calif tracks married a Quarter horse trainer.. 35 yrs in horses

It a good job but 7 days a week and 360 days a yr

Answer 2

I think the issue with controlling a race horse is not dealing with the horse, but dealing with the speed.  It's really easy to control any horse at the walk, but move up to a trot and canter and you have to be stronger and more in control of the horse.  It's very difficult for a horse to make a sharp turn at a high speed and it's going to take a long time to stop a horse going very fast too... just like driving a car.  

The other issue with racehorses is that they're very young horses and they eat very high energy food.  For the most part they're well trained and will behave themselves and they go out to the track every morning and walk around the shed row calmly.  But there are times that they can get very energetic and strong and they can hurt themselves or other horses or people.  That's when it's harder to control them... with the right experience you know how to control a horse when it acts like that.  A beginner rider doesn't have the experience necessary to deal with a racehorse, but a more advanced rider (or any kind of horseman) does.  

Most racehorses will finish racing while they're still only 5-8 years old and will get retrained for ordinary riding... when they start this rehab session they usually come in very calm and know how to walk trot and canter under saddle... the issue is just to teach them to respond to leg and rein aids that they wouldn't have used before.

The major issue in controlling a race horse is to understand what your rein aids mean to that horse... for an ordinary lesson or show horse, pulling on the reins means stop.  Racehorses are trained to pull against the reins and go faster.

It's all about the experience and knowing how to deal with the horse that you're working with.  There are people who take beginner lessons on dead-broke school ponies and there are people who train the young racehorse to take his first saddle and rider and learn to walk trot and canter under saddle.  Racehorses aren't dangerous so long as you understand what you're doing.  I wouldn't even call racehorses "wild"... it's not like we're taking them out of a field, strapping a saddle on and galloping them around a track.  These horses have been around people since birth and are taught to understand and obey human commands from a very young age.  A wild mustang would be a lot harder to control than a racehorse.  

Controlling a racehorse isn't going to be the same as riding an old school pony but with enough experience you can learn to do either safely.

Answer 3

Yes, I have ridden lots of Thoroughbreds, which is what the breed which is used for racing is called. They are no more difficult to control than other horses, provided that they are properly trained and handled. Thoroughbreds used for racing MUST be well trained- they could not race if they were not, as they would present a danger to themselves and everyone else on the track with them. Don't forget, races like the Kentucky Derby are run at speeds in excess of 50 mph- and at that speed, anything which goes wrong is most likely going to result in a serious or fatal accident. Proper training helps prevent accidents- and by doing so, it also helps prevent fatalities for both horses and humans alike.

Good question !!

Answer 4

Starlight I dont think the horses in the Kentucky Derby get up to 50 mph that is a little fast you need to do some more research on that one try around 30 mph thats a much better estimate