CHAPTER 27 Along with racing shorter distances, Quarterhorses are also known for their speed at these shorter distances. Despite the world record for both Quarterhorses and Thoroughbreds being within 0.15 seconds at 402 m at the time of this writing, Quarterhorses reach a greater top speed in their races (Nielsen et al., 2006). The relative lack of difference in record times is attributed to Quarterhorse races beginning when the starting gates open (Nielsen et al., 2006) compared with Thoroughbred races that officially begin when the horses cross in front of a flagman stationed a short distance in front of the gates (Ainslie, 1986). Thus, Quarterhorses are timed from a standing start, whereas Thoroughbreds are timed from a running start. Using a high-speed camera, Pratt (1991) was able to determine that it takes approximately 0.35 seconds for the starting gates to fully open and a nearly 0.6-second time elapse from the beginning of a race until a Quarterhorse has taken a step away from the starting gate. This difference in the methods used to time races explains why Quarterhorses are recognized as being faster than Thoroughbreds despite having similar record times at the quarter-mile (402-m) distance. Quarterhorses accelerate rapidly as they sprint away from the starting gates, and Pratt (1991) calculated that they reach their peak speeds by about 230 m in a 402-m race. Peak speeds in Quarterhorse races have been calculated to be around 90 kilometers per hour (km/hr) by both Pratt (1991) and Nielsen et al. (2006). As the horses become conditioned, the distance they are ridden at a “gallop” (i.e., a moderate to fast canter) increases to a distance of about 1200 to 1600 m following a warmup at the trot of about 400 to 800 m. Additionally, as soon as horses start to be ridden on the racetrack, they are often gradually introduced to the starting gates. Frequently, during the early stages of training, a horse is walked through the starting gate each time it is ridden on the track. While walking through the gates, horses may be asked to stand quietly before being allowed to proceed slowly out. Once the horses are comfortable standing in and walking out of the gates, they may be encouraged to trot away from the gates, and they will eventually be asked to gallop away from the gates. Typically, at least 45 days of such training (often even several months) will occur before the horses’ trainers close the doors of the starting gates while their charges are inside. At that point, the starting gates may be manually opened (to allow for an environment in which the trainer can better control the gates to minimize startling the horse) and the horse then is asked to sprint away from the gates. After this phase of training has been completed successfully, with the horse at an acceptable comfort level, the gates may be mechanically opened and the horse asked to sprint away again. If all of this is performed correctly, the horse is ready to do the same in the company of other horses. Learning to sprint away from the starting gate is often done over a period of several weeks and is a gradual process. Taylor indicates the first two or so times he works (i.e., “sprints”) a young horse, the distance is only about 45 m and typically the work begins from a controlled gallop to allow the horse to gradually learn how to respond when asked. After that, the distance sprinted will likely be increased to about 90 m. Similarly, during early gate-work such as when the gates are being manually opened, horses are only sprinted a short distance such as 45 m before being slowed down. This gradually accustoms them to running fast with riders on their backs and helps ensure a positive experience for the horse. Only after a horse is comfortable with being asked for speed and has had several shorter sprints will the distance be increased and official works, necessary to qualify for racing, will be performed. These official works tend to be from 201 to 229 m in length. However, as the distance worked increases, the time between works also increases so that when the 2-year-old is ready to race, it may be sprinted only every 14 to 21 days. Taylor indicated that he does not like to work a horse any closer to a race than 2 weeks, thus placing great importance on the training regimen prior to race day. Also, most of the horses are being ridden only every other day at most, unless they need more riding time for their mental well-being. Although they are only galloped a few days per week, the horses are usually walked on nonriding days for anywhere between a half hour and an hour. After galloping, many are also walked for approximately a half hour or so or until the horses are cooled down. If a horse does need to be ridden more than a few times a week, the focus of training shifts from a conditioning aspect to a state of mental preparation to enable the horse to handle the mental stresses of racing. Zarate emphasizes that it is important for 2-year-olds to run error-free races, hence the importance of mental preparedness. Such a break from training is a necessity if an injury develops. Both Zarate and Taylor indicate that knee and ankle chips are the major problems they encounter. Bucked shins (dorsal metacarpal disease) can be a problem with racing Quarterhorses, although Taylor suggests that a tremendous difference may exist in incidence rate among trainers. As with Thoroughbred racehorses, respiratory problems are encountered in Quarterhorses also.
Training the racing quarterhorse
Uniqueness of the racing quarterhorse
Speeds
Example training program
Training the racing quarterhorse
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