Racehorse Equipment Needed Before a Race

It’s All in the Equipment

Picture it! Usain Bolt takes his place in the lineup for the final of the 100 meters in the World Championships. There’s a charge of anticipation in the air as the crowd awaits the sound of the starting pistol, eyes fully focused on the fastest man in the world. BANG!

The athletes fly out of their blocks and head towards the finishing line at a blistering pace. With Usain Bolt trailing at the rear of the field in last place, unable to make any ground on the leaders due to the size fourteen wellington boots on his feet. Crazy, right? Of course, it is. It would no more likely happen than Lewis Hamilton taking his place on the grid at the Monaco Grand Prix in a pedal car.

Top performers in any sport need top-quality equipment to perform to the best of their ability. The finest of footwear, clothing, and training equipment. With this in mind, doesn’t it make sense that the same principles should be applied to thoroughbred horses before they take part in a race? A cheap oversized saddle or awkward fitting stirrups isn’t going to cut the mustard out there on the racecourse.

What’s Your Number?

Betting plays a huge part in the sport of horse racing, and the cloth that is worn under a horse’s saddle on the day of the race plays an important part in the sport where betting is concerned. The saddle towels are emblazed with a horse’s number corresponding to the number in the race day program, allowing bettors to keep an eye on their selection in the parade ring or during the race.

To make it easier for punters to recognize their fancy in the race, numbers correspond to different color towels. This usually means the number one would be red, two white, and three blue. Race names are also added along with the horse’s name whenever horse and jockey are involved in a stakes race, allowing bookmakers and betting sites to provide crystal clear contestants.

The Difference Between Winning and Coming Second.

Weight means everything in horse racing. A saddle weighing a pound more than the one on the horse coming up on the rails can mean the difference between your horse winning or losing by a nose. The saddles racehorses wear on race days are quite different to the ones you’ll see them carrying on their backs on the gallops and a world away from those you’d find on horses at riding schools up and down the country.

Weighing anything from two to ten pounds, the saddles top jockeys use on their mounts on race day are not only light, but they’re also sometimes that small, it’s difficult to see how anyone could actually fit their backsides on them. Jockeys would use any number of different saddles, which would be determined by the weight they are assigned for their race. If they come in under the weight, they can opt for a saddle with weighted pads to make up the difference.

Shorter, Lighter, Faster.

Loading up a horse with equipment that weighs as little as possible doesn’t only apply to saddles. The stirrups thoroughbred racehorses have fitted on race days weigh far less than those you’d find on a regular horse. Not only are they lighter, but the leather straps are far shorter, which allows the jockey to ride over a horse’s withers.

Riding in this position means a jockey generally hovers over the saddle, meaning, although the horse is supporting the rider’s weight, it’s not expending any energy moving him. The stirrups used in horse racing are constructed using lightweight materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, and even titanium, which is as strong as steel and has twice the strength of aluminum.

Blinkers

They may cost a great deal more than a regular horse, and there’s no doubt they are fitter and faster, but this doesn’t mean they are not prone to losing concentration during a race. Horses can sometimes be easily distracted, whether it be by other horses, people in the crowd, or even birds. 

This behavior can slow a horse down, so to counteract it, a trainer will often fit their horse with blinkers, or blinders as they’re also called. These will make sure a horse is concentrated as he will be unable to look around. The difference in a horse’s performance after being fitted with blinkers is sometimes remarkable.

Conclusion

Lighter saddles, featherweight stirrups, blinkers that aid concentration and saddle towels help punters cheer on their investment during a race. Just some of the equipment that affords the thoroughbred racehorse the best opportunity to win his big race.