History of the Breeds

The Finnhorse is the only original horse breed in Finland. Sweden and Norway also have similar cold-blooded breeds. The Finnhorse has been known for about 1000 years and originally was used for farm and forest work and in the army. The Stud Book of the Finnhorse was founded in 1907 for draft and carriage horses but is now divided into four parts for racing trotters, riding horses, draft horses, and small pony-type horses. Seventy-five percent of the registered Finnhorses are trotters. The Finnhorse is heavy and well muscled, with a short neck and usually a heavy head. The average height is 155 to 160 cm, but pony-sized Finnhorses exist. Swedish and Norwegian cold-blooded horses are slightly lighter and smaller than Finnhorses, with an average height of 150 to 160 cm.

Trotting competitions are the main use of Finnhorses. In Scandinavia all harness races are for trotters; there are no pacing races. The first records of trotting races are from 1817, when races were arranged on the ice of the river Aura in Turku. The first races with official timing took place in 1862 in Viipuri. In the early years the trotting races were arranged by the state to support and develop horse breeding in Finland. In the first races the distance was 2138 m, and they were on a straight track. The horses raced individually, and prizes were given according to the times. The first official Finnish record was from 1865 by the mare Brita. The average time for 1000 m was 1.51.3 (1 minute 51.3 seconds, equivalent to a mile in 2 minutes 59 seconds). Today the record is held by Viesker and is 1.19.9 (2:08.5). Betting was first introduced in 1928 but developed slowly until the 1960s, after which rapid growth followed.

In Sweden, racing also was started in the early nineteenth century on roads and icetracks. The first permanent tracks were built in the early twentieth century. The first official record in Sweden was in 1829, 1.37.6 (2:37), held by a Norwegian horse, Sleipner Varg. Today the record is 1.17.9 (2:05) by a Swedish stallion, Jarvsofaks. When racing became more popular, Swedish and Norwegian horsemen started trading horses across the border, and the Swedish and Norwegian breeds began to merge together. Today the breeds are genetically alike, and they now are considered to be the same breed. Sweden and Norway have a close collaboration in breeding and racing, and their horses race in the same races.

Today the races are held at modern dirt tracks, and in the same events there are separate races for Finnhorses and Standardbreds (STBs). The Finnhorses are allowed to race first at the age of 3 years, but not uncommonly they start racing as late as 5 or 6 years of age. They are allowed to race until 16 years of age, and a Finnhorse usually is considered to be best from 7 to 10 years of age. Some stakes races are held for 4- and 5-year-olds, but the main events are for older horses. The biggest event for Finnhorses is the Kuninkuusravit, the Royal Trot, which is held annually in July or August at a different track in Finland each year. The race is one of the major sporting events in Finland, attracting about 50,000 people. Separate races are held for mares and stallions; geldings are excluded. To be allowed to race in the Kuninkuusravit, the horse has to be approved for public breeding and has to be entered in the Stud Book, which requires inspection and approval by a special board. The horses race three times in 2 days over distances of 1609 m, 2100 m, and 3100 m, and the final result is based on the total time for all three races. To win the royal title is the greatest honor a Finnhorse can ever achieve; the best stallions have won the title five times (Vieteri, Vekseli, and Viesker), and the best mares, four times (Suhina and Valomerkki). This is good proof of stamina and endurance, which are typical for the Finnhorse at its best.

In Sweden and Norway horses usually start racing at 3 years of age and are allowed to race until the age of 15. Stakes races are open to Swedish and Norwegian horses, and big races are held for 3- and 4-year-olds and for older horses. Finnish horses are not allowed in these races, and only a few races are held in which all Scandinavian horses race together.

Training a Cold-Blooded Trotter

Traditionally the horses have been bred and trained by farmers, and many remain home bred and trained. There are no sales for Finnhorses, Swedish, or Norwegian trotters. Most horses are broken at 2 years of age, spend the next summer at pasture, and then start more serious training in the winter at 3 years of age, often with a summer break. Farm and forest work has historically been part of the training to build up strength. Speed work is not done at all at this stage, and traditionally some trainers have never used speed work. Horses started racing at 5 to 6 years of age and raced themselves to condition. However, many professional trainers now train cold-blooded horses, and the horses are better prepared for the races and start racing younger. The race times for the beginners are faster, which has caused problems for many old-school trainers. Many Finnhorses are not natural trotters, and building them up to speed takes time and training. If fast speeds are demanded too early, gait abnormalities develop at higher speeds, and horses lose complete control of the trotting action while appearing sound at a slower trot.

Training cold-blooded trotters takes much more time than for STBs, making training more expensive and leading to problems in getting new owners and trainers. In all Scandinavian countries, fewer cold-blood races are held than STB races, and they are concentrated in the north. Nonetheless, cold-blood racing is supported by the central racing organizations of each country and continues to thrive.

Racetracks and Weather Conditions

The racetracks in Scandinavia are 1000-m oval dirt tracks, and the horses race counterclockwise. The climate is cold in the winter, and the tracks freeze and get covered by snow (Figure 113-1). In winter temporary tracks also are made on ice for smaller races with no betting. The variable climate causes track problems. In late autumn when the track is frozen but not yet covered by snow, the surface can be treacherous. Snowfall makes the tracks smooth but not hard, and provided the horse is shod properly, the track is not slippery. In the springtime, when the snow begins to melt, the track conditions vary throughout the day, being hard in the morning after a night frost, becoming good for a few hours when the frost melts, and then becoming wet and soft the rest of the day. Keeping the track in good condition requires much skill.

Fig. 113-1 Winter racing.

(Courtesy Olavi Ilmonen, Lahti, Finland.)

Because of the long winter, much of the training has to be done on snowy or icy surfaces. Snow is a good surface on which to train a horse, but special shoeing with studs is essential so that the horses do not slip. In the winter many trainers do much of the speed work in snow, which can be deep. The training speeds can be lower because of the resistance, but the training effect is equal or even better than when the training is done on the track. Snow provides a soft and smooth surface, acting as a shock absorber. Many horses with lameness problems race better in winter because of the training in snow. Horses also are trained on the ice of lakes, which is also a good surface. The surface of the ice gives slightly, and shoes with studs can get a good grip. The worst training surface is ground that is frozen hard like asphalt; this type of surface causes many lameness problems.

Shoeing Considerations

In the winter (November to April) special requirements for shoeing are needed to prevent the horses from slipping on ice. Studs, 5 to 15 mm in length with sharp tips that offer a good grip on the ice or snow, are screwed into the shoes. Four to 15 studs are used per shoe; more studs usually are used in the hind shoes. It is important to have enough studs for the horse to avoid slipping slightly at every step, causing joint and muscle soreness. A risk of interference injuries exists, and some horses with poor action cannot race in the winter. Forelimb heel injuries are common if a horse breaks stride. Elbow boots may be necessary to protect the elbows from stud-induced trauma. Some lameness problems get worse during the winter, because traction from the studs stops the feet abruptly. Hock-related lameness is often worse during the winter, and tendon and suspensory ligament (SL) problems increase.

The shoeing of racing Finnhorses is otherwise much like that of STBs, but many Finnhorses are not natural trotters and tend to gallop or pace, so many trainers use special shoeing to help the horse to balance. Young horses often need heavy front shoes with toe weights and bell (overreach) boots when they are learning to trot. The total weight per foot can be up to 500 to 800 g, and this predisposes the horses to lameness, particularly tendon and SL injuries. Improvements in breeding have decreased the number of horses with severe balancing problems. On the hind feet Finnhorses usually wear normal STB shoes. The lateral branch of the shoe is often longer and bent slightly outward (trailer) to make the hind action wider and therefore avoid interference between the forelimbs and hindlimbs. Although many STBs race unshod, this is rare in Finnhorses.

Conformation and Lameness

The Finnhorse is a heavy, draft-type horse compared with other racehorses. The forehand is heavier than the rear of the horse and is combined with a heavy head and a thick and short neck, causing much stress to the forelimbs. Finnhorses often stand back at the knee, and this sometimes is combined with lateral deviation of the carpus (offset knees). Forelimb tendon, SL, and carpal injuries are not uncommon. The hindlimbs are usually conformed better in Finnhorses than the forelimbs. The most common faults are sickle hocks and cow hocks, which can cause curbs or other lameness problems in the tarsal area. Fetlock conformation is often good, and most Finnhorses have big hooves with good-quality horn.

Lameness Examination

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