Quaterhorse racing question?

Question

I just started watching quarterhorse racing and was wondering if anybody in Answerland can explain what a flipping halter is and how it is used..

Thanks all..

Answer 1

A flipping halter or rig is a special halter designed to keep horses from rearing or flipping in the gates.  It's design is similar to a halter but has a loop at the bottom under the horses head to run a chain through which is attached to the gates, when the gates open the chain comes loose letting the horse go.   You have to get approval from the stewards for a horse to run in a flipping halter.  Only horses that tend to become really fractious in the gates end up wearing a flipping halter.  Horses wearing the flipping halter are usually loaded into the gates last.

Answer 2

I've been trying to find a diagram or photo showing a flipping halter in use.  Basically, this is a halter that is used in the starting gate to keep a horse from rearing up and going over backwards in the gate.  Quarter Horses are especially prone to do this because they are "hot" from the gate from the get-go and have to run all out from the second the gate opens.  While Thoroughbred jockeys usually allow their horses to settle for the first few strides out of the gate, Quarter Horse jockeys have to be whipping and driving from the start-- if you lose a length in the break from the gate, in a quarter-mile race you've probably lost all chance.  

Use of a flipping halter or flipping rig is something that has to be approved by the starter or stewards.  If a horse is prone to rearing at the start or going up in the air, it puts both the horse and its rider in danger.  Much preferable to school the horse not to do this, but sometimes that can't be done successfully.

Answer 3

WHEN A HORSE HAS A PROBLEM OF STANDING IN THE GATE, THE TRACKS STEWARD WILL REQUIRE THE TRAINER TO WORK THE HORSE OUT OF THE GATE WITH A FLIPPING HALTER, IT'S A STRAP THAT SNAPS ON THE STARTING GATE AND THE HORSES BRIDLE, WHEN THE GATE BREAKS OPEN IT SNAPS OFF AND THERE RUNNING, IT'S A SCARY THING TO WATCH A HORSE FLIP OVER IN THE GATE, AS A YOUNG MAN I SAW A HORSE "AUSTIN MITTLER" REAR UP IN THE GATE AND KILL JOCKEY" ALVARO PINEDA" IT WAS BY FAR THE SADDEST DAY IN MY HORSE PLAYING LIFE, I CAN RE CALL IT LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY, THE GREAT" BILL SHOEMAKER RODE THE STUPID HORSE NEXT TIME OUT, AND IT WON BY 10 LENGHTS, PINEDA WAS JUST AS GOOD AS LAFFIT PINCAY AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH.

I KNOW A FEW QUARTER HORSE JOCKEYS AT LOS ALAMITOS, ANY MORE QUESTION FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME AT [e-mail], I HAVE BEEN AT THE FINISH LINE FOR THE LAST 35 RUNNINGS OF THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS AT LOS ALAMITOS, IN THAT RACE THE 10 FASTEST QUARTER HORSES LINE UP, AND 21 SECOND WE HAVE A WORLD CHAMPION....NO VOTING..JUST GET THERE 1ST....