Why do horses keep running after a race has finished?

Question

As in they will run an extra couple of laps after the race instead of just stopping to rest.

Answer 1

It is not only horses that do not stop after they have reached the finishing line - humans do it too. And greyhounds... and any other creature or machine that goes very fast.

It is very difficult for any moving object to stop dead in its tracks if it is going very fast. This is because of what is known as momentum.

However, apart from the science of moving objects, it is also very hard to train animals to stop suddenly when they are going full pelt. They need to gradually come to a walk and then stop when they are not doing a hundred miles an hour.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Same reason cars keep going after you brake.  They need to slowly calm down

Answer 3

It's the beginning of the "cool down" process, plus when you are traveling at 40-45 MPH they can't stop on a dime.

Answer 4

Because horses don't come equipped with disk brakes.

Answer 5

well the horses are running around 30-40mph and if they just all-of-a-sudden stop after they pass the finish line, it would be like a car slamming on the breaks. the rider would go flying off, plus the horse might injur itself in stopping so suddenly.

like people said before me, it's like people after they finish a race they have to run a little farther away from the finish line because they need time to slowly come to a stop.

hope i helped u out!!

-mel

RIP BARBARO

Answer 6

they do not run an extra couple of laps ,after the gnomes have pulled the horse up and get off the lad/ lass who looks after it will walk it around until it has cooled off and stopped blowing.

Answer 7

It lets them cool down. Its the same for people, if your run a marathon and stop suddenly all of your muscles cramp up. Its for the good of the horse.

Answer 8

You need to watch a race, and pay close attention to the cooling down process. You will notice that immediatly after crossing the line the jockey butt raises, when he does this he is slowing down the horse. Obviously, he isn't physically strong enough to stop the horse going that fast immediatly but the horses usually stop about 1/4 or halfway around the track. They could stop faster but they need to slow down slowly to let their hearts slow down. They are then asked to trot. For a racer it's more like a giddy bouncy thing that slowly becomes a trot.

If you are watching the race on tv you will notice that the interveiwer on the horse has to keep her horse trotting very quickly to keep up with the racers, the jockey does not stop the horse to be interveiwed. Trotting back to the finish wire area allows the heart to slow down more. Once the jockey is off a groom takes the horse and walks it until it stops blowing, further cooling down takes place off the track.

If you sit on a horse and work it you will be able to feel the heat the horse is letting off, in any sport the horse needs to be cooled down until you cannot feel that heat. They need to be trotted, walked and then walked more. Usually a "cooler" a light blanket, is put on the horse in the stable area while it is walked to soak up the sweat.

Consider that these horses have more muscle than most other horses, and are raced very young, they usually peak at 3 - 5 years old, but live to be 20 + years old. Racing is a lot to ask of a young horse. Their muscles need a ton of oxygen to keep from cramping, which can ruin a horse. Horses are huge, that heart needs to pump fast. At rest it's 30 - 40 BPM and can reach 250 BPM during a race.  You could imagine cooling down might be important.

Look up Secretariat and his autopsy results.

The question you should be asking is why do race horses need to be cooled down. :D