How Are Racehorses Trained?

Recently, I was at a housewarming party for a friend.

They had just moved into a brand new home with several acres of land.

Behind the house was a stable with several horses.

They told me that they had inherited the horses from the previous owner of the house, who was a professional horse trainer.

While the horses were past their prime age for racing, my friend told me they had decided to keep the horses and they were thinking about opening a facility for horse riding lessons.

As we continued our conversation, it got me thinking: What kind of life had these horses lived? How were they trained?

The answer is that the process of training a racehorse isn’t easy, especially when a trainer’s sights are set on the top races in the world. A racehorse’s training begins shortly after they are born and will continue until they are retired.

So, I decided to do some research on the training process for racehorses, because I thought it would give me some insight into the types of lives that these relatively young horses had already lived.

So, today, I’d like to present the information I’ve found to answer the question: “How are racehorses trained?”

 

How do you raise a horse for racing?

 Training a racehorse begins shortly after they are born.

The first two years of their lives are critical to their training, especially considering some of the most highly regarded races in the world are for quite young horses.

The first step to training a racehorse is getting them accustomed to being handled and tacked up — which means placing a saddle, saddle pad, stirrups, bridle and possibly a martingale on the horse.

You want to make sure that they are fully comfortable with the weight of the saddle, the tightening of the girth, and the bit in their mouth.

Once they are fully comfortable in their gear, the next step is to practice adding the weight of a rider.

After they have grown accustomed to being ridden in full gear, then a trainer can begin the process of teaching them to load into the starting gate, stand still as the gate shuts, and break from the gate to begin a race.

 

When does their formal training begin?

Generally, once a horse reaches its second year, its formal training will begin and it will make its way onto a track.

 

What does the formal training process look like?

At this point, daily training usually begins.

It is customary for horses to hit the track between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. with either an exercise rider or jockey for jogs and gallops.

The trainer determines the speed and distance to work the horse each day.

These workouts are generally timed and used to gauge their performance for a specific race.

The amount of work and the speed at which a horse is expected to go during training is directly correlated to the next race it will be running.

For example, when the horse is training to race in the Kentucky Derby, the trainer will work their horse up to a distance of 1 1/4 miles long and then continue to improve their speed.

Of course, horses also need to become comfortable racing against each other and not just performing solo on a track.

As the race nears, the horses on a farm will begin training together to get all of the horses used to the feel of having others next to them.

On a racetrack, horses will bump into each other, kick dirt in the air, and provide plenty of distraction if a horse isn’t focused.

The more they are able to log training with other horses, the less likely they are to be fazed by these distractions on race day.

 

Do racehorses get to rest?

Absolutely, yes!

In fact, resting is an integral part of their training every day.

After their morning runs, the horses will be fed before being given several hours to rest and relax.

After their rest, racehorses are also examined thoroughly for injuries to make sure that they are in top shape.

Rest is also taken into account on a weekly level for their training.

During peak season, horses are only expected to work on their speed twice per week — when they will be worked to a fast gallop.

During the rest of the week, they will focus on steady galloping and cantering.

Depending on a horse’s race schedule, Sundays are usually reserved for complete rest and quiet.

 

Why do racehorses train early in the morning?

Early morning workouts are crucial for racehorses for several reasons.

First and foremost, it allows horses and their trainers and jockeys to make it to afternoon races, if their schedule dictates that.

Early morning training also helps horses and jockeys avoid higher temperatures that could lead to negative health effects.

It is also easiest to manage the horse traffic and jockey availability when training is scheduled for early in the morning.

 

Do jockeys train with the horse they will ride in a race?

 Jockeys may or may not train with the horse they will be riding before the race.

Usually, jockeys will try to ride their horse before its race if the horse trains at the racetrack where the competition is taking place.

If so, then a trainer will try to get their race jockey to ride the horse at least once so that the horse and jockey can become familiar with each other.

This helps the rider and horse have a slight competitive advantage on the day of the race.

Generally, jockeys will ride their mount at least once before the larger races, like the Kentucky Derby or the Grand National — even those that are kept at off-site training facilities.

Racehorses that train off-site will typically not get to train as often with the race jockey, but it’s quite possible it will log more time with the jockey if they are available for the horse’s official workouts.

Before a race, a horse needs to log a specific number of “official” workouts that occur in public and are timed by track officials.

A horse’s trainer will encourage the race jockey to ride with the horse for those official workouts to help get a better understanding of how the horse will perform on race day.

 

When does a horse’s training end?

A horse’s training doesn’t end until that horse retires.

As they grow older, they will compete in races that allow their age group to qualify.

So, while they may not qualify for the Kentucky Derby because that race is only eligible to 3-year-old horses, they will qualify for other races that allow horses older than 3.

However, on average, a racehorse’s career doesn’t last much longer than 3 years.

Usually by age 6 or 7, a racehorse has been retired.

Of course, if they become injured, then they will be retired sooner.

As you can see, training a racehorse is a meticulous process that is highly dependent upon the races that a horse will be competing in.

No matter what, a racehorse is pretty much primed for competition from the moment they are born until the moment they retire.

The first year of their life will be spent raising them to become accustomed to the racing life before their formal training truly begins.

Once their formal training begins, their training will largely revolve around the race that is next on their schedule.