Coaching A Mustang The American Horse

February 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Different horses have different temperaments and attitudes, and some can be so energetically proud that getting a handle on them is left to pro trainers, and even they have difficulty coaching the horse. Take the Mustang for instance.

The Mustang is perhaps the horse breed that may best embody American ideas of freedom and pride. When brought into an equestrian training pen, most trainers would admire the creature, but at the same time back away from being obliged to coach it. Mustangs are wild steeds, that’s definite, but like how other types of horses can be trained for equestrian sport or other functions, so are they able to. But whoever’s coaching them should be aptly talented and justly qualified. Herein lies the problem.

Owning any horse, even a Mustang, can cost as little as $130 plus a trailer home. Due to this, many would dare buy themselves a proud steed and try to train it themselves. Being all but complete beginners with little or even no qualification to train horses, they are fortunate if they can basically train the steeds to do something that looks like horse riding. In reality if they are able to do that, it only means the horse would then need to be retrained in the right demeanour for it to be suitable for equestrian sport. Making the poor animal un-learn nearly everything it was ‘taught ‘ is a tedious and prolonged process in itself.

So if nothing else but to avoid the hassle, it’s only proper that an excellent equestrian coach handle a breed like a Mustang. But what qualities of a coach would make her a great choice?

Experience and experience matter, especially when handling Mustangs, but beyond that the trainer or breeder should really care for the horse. This suggests she has the patience to whittle down the Mustang’s pride and stubbornness until he becomes a cooperative partner. The eagerness to spend a lot of time on the steed to consistently meet his aggressiveness patiently is most probably the foremost characteristic you would want in a coach.

The Mustang is kind of powerful willed, and will not follow a hesitant or unskilled hand that poses to steer it. But given sufficient time, patience, and the right coaching regimes and practices, even Mustangs become trustworthy and safe mounts. All they want is a compatible home and a leader.

The initial few barriers to break down are the hardest ones: replacing a Mustang’s flight or fight nature with proper replies to cues, removing the fear that makes the mighty steed bare his teeth or lash out, and essentially training what once was a wild animal.

More on the techie side of coaching though: horses should be well capable in foundation coaching. When beginners try their hand at coaching Mustangs, they tend to skip foundation training for many varied reasons, and this is never advisable nor acceptable.

Horses are Heather Toms’ passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers… like all things about horse rugs.

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Essentials Required To Boost Your Horse Riding Skills

February 26, 2012 By 1 Comment

Every equestrian wants to become the ultimate in pony riding talents. Perfection may be close to impossible to reach, but the serious riders keep having a go at it anyhow.

Use these 5 simple techniques to raise your riding skills:

1. Study Others

Constantly study videos of other riders. You’ll learn a lot about right posture and wrong posture. The visible media is a very handy tool for human learning, and it may astonish you to know just how much the study of good riders can assist you in learning. Try and attend riding lessons and pay close attention to what the trainer is saying. He’ll be communicating a lot good riding tips which will benefit you. Develop the habit of looking into the way riders and horses interact; see how they pick up on each other’s cues. If you polish your observation powers, you’ll learn a good deal.

2. Work with a Professional Coach

One of the surest ways to put an edge on your horsemanship is to work with an expert tutor. Enrol yourself in riding classes run by experts. Even professional riders use trainers to keep their skills sharpened and keep on top. Good trainers spot issues straight away, and help you iron them out. They help you and your horse improve individually as well as jointly: the better your understanding with your horse, the better your riding.

3. Do a Better Balancing Act

Even with hacking or trail riding, you cannot be an accomplished horseman without a well developed sense of balance. A good sense of balance is needed not solely to keep you on top of your pony, its also critical for good coordination with your pony while riding. Riding bare back is one of the best methods of improving your sense of balance. Try riding your pony without stirrups and reins also. To do that, you need someone else to assist you, as the horse should be guided by a lunge.

4. Keep Fit

You can’t expect to reach peak performance unless you are awfully fit physically. Do not make the gaffe of presuming it is just your pony that must be in perfect physical condition. You ride better when you are physically fit. You can try Pilates, which has become the in style sort of fitness regime among horse riders. This regime boosts the condition of the center of your body: it will help build up abdominal strength, which helps with ideal balance and posture while on horseback. You can try any sort of effective exercise that builds up your body strength and flexibility.

5. Practice

In case you have any doubts, which you shouldn’t really: practice does make perfect! Workshops, training sessions, fitness regimes and observation are useless unless you are learning constantly and applying your lessons into practice continually. As with any other activity, the more that you work at it, the better you become.

Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about stable rugs

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Understanding And Curing A Roach Backed Pony

February 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A roach back isn’t just an unpleasant physical deformation particularly on a horse, it is also a serious condition that may not be totally cured regardless of earnest efforts. For an equestrian who trains horses for horse riding and sport, a roach back needs to be fixed. Horses with such backs aren’t precisely ideal candidates for any activity concerning a rider. But what do you do when confronted with a mare with a roach back?

Understand the Condition

The physical nonconformity is a consequence of the affected pony not using her back properly. Developmental challenges that the mare has not overcome have made her back form badly, and consequently she can’t use it correctly. It’s important for an equestrian bent on making an attempt to fix a roach back pony to appreciate why the roach back came to be, as a steed’s reaction to treatments—especially body work—would be telling indications of where the agony or tenderness is and that would in turn tell the equestrian where to focus their work on. And a mare afflicted by a roach back will have no option except to respond to body work that’s changing how afflicted areas are formed and thus forcing her to relearn how to utilise them.

A pony that isn’t using her hind quarters and back correctly would necessarily tax parts of her body taking the extra load—usually her hind legs, especially from the stifles down. As such, she would need some treatment to ease agony or soreness of these parts.

Bony Horse Backs

In a few cases of roach back, a steed’s back may appear bony, perhaps even spiky. This is thanks to the pony not using his back and hindquarters like she typically should and as a result very little muscle has developed there. This suggests the deformed vertebrae is near to the skin, making the back look bony. To handle this issue and get your roach back pony ready for a minimum of horse riding outings, you need to bolster muscle development in those bony regions. How? Try using backing.

Backing would force your mare to use her hindquarters and her back, and that in turn would prompt muscle development in the right places. When done properly eventually your mare would develop just the correct amount of back muscle that would cover the bony appearance. Extend the usage of backing to develop lateral muscles by backing in circles in a round pen.

Trauma

A horse who’s gotten used to a roach back all her life will require special help solely to be rid of years of pain due to the condition. Even before it’s possible to start backing or body work, you as the equestrian first need to take care of any negative reactions that would impede the progression of the treatment applied to your mare. A great herb-based drug that helps calm horses and any reactions they may have is Eleviv.

Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about equestrian wear

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How To Choose An Equestrian Holiday

February 26, 2012 By 1 Comment

Finding the proper horse driving vacation online is just not all the time as straightforward and simple as it could seem. The choice on-line is gigantic – you can now journey to almost every protected nation on the earth for an equestrian vacation. So how can horse riders make sure that the horse riding holiday they choose will dwell as much as their expectations? Listed below are a few factors one should keep in mind before reserving an equestrian vacation.

1. Proprietor accessibility – Do the house owners trip out personally with their visitors or do they rent guides to steer their rides? If their company’ and horses’ nicely-being is the owner’s high priority, they’ll ride out on every ride. Hired guides could be glorious, but when they can’t offer the identical continuity as the house owners can. Guides are often replaced.

2. Robert M Pardes . The Horses – Do the horses used through the horseback using vacation belong to the proprietor or are they rented? Many equestrian vacation suppliers hire horses through the season only and are sometimes unfamiliar with the horses they’ve particularly at the start of the season. Rented horses aren’t always the best quality and can’t present the identical driving expertise because the horses which were fastidiously chosen or raised and trained on site.

3. Riding Environment. Carpet Cleaner Perth . Not all driving holidays can supply equally good using conditions. Some locations could also be surrounded by flat, uninteresting countryside. At others the bottom may be uneven and the potential for using safely at speed is limited. Some are positioned in lovely, fertile however inaccessible valleys. Generally there is a whole lot of street using, busy roads, electric fences, gates and local farmers who refuse to allow horses on their land. Typically one can ride all day with out seeing different individuals, however somewhere else the driving trails are crowded with tractors, bikers and hikers. It is very important find out earlier than you e-book what sort of setting you may be driving in.

4. Gaits – Legal responsibility issues have turn into extra prominent lately and some owners won’t enable horse riders to go quicker than a fast stroll, whereas others will solely enable a gradual trot. If you need to canter during your driving vacation, find out if this can be doable earlier than you book. Group size additionally influence the quality of the using, smaller groups typically ensure better riding, for horses and riders. The proprietor should be able to assess their visitor’ using ability accurately before visitors arrive. Many horse using vacation hosts now ask friends to fill in a using level questionnaire before they arrive and start with a driving session in a riding area earlier than setting out on a ride.

5. Tack – Tack could make or break a horse driving holiday. Quality outfitters have different saddles and bridles for every horse – every
soccer.com coupons particularly adjusted to the anatomy of the precise horse. Tack needs to be in prime condition and nicely maintained during your vacation for security in addition to aesthetic reasons. A driving vacation supplier might use totally different tack from what you might be used to – if you’re a dressage rider, getting used to a western saddle might take a while.

6. Security Concerns – Horses and riders should be rigorously matched. The pace of each journey should be adjusted to the power of the least skilful rider in the group. The weather must be taken into account. Ride leaders ought to have first help training, be attentive to all of the horses and riders and have the ability to talk rapidly and successfully with the outside world within the case of an emergency. Tack ought to be reviewed and repaired tack daily and leaders should be certain that horses are safely saddled and bridled earlier than using out. Horse riders must be appropriately dressed – all riders should put on authorized driving helmets.

7. Insurance – most house owners insist that guests take out journey insurance coverage appropriate for horse riding holidays – it’s also necessary that the owner is correctly insured to current horse riding holidays.

8. Instruction – Some horse using holidays are trail rides only and don’t provide using lessons. If you need to enhance your driving means throughout your equestrian vacation, find out beforehand if the option of riding classes can be available. Riding instructors should be fully qualified and experienced. Sometimes outfitters additionally provide pure horsemanship classes and equine-assisted teaching sessions.

Horse lovers who take the above mentioned points into consideration could have a significantly better likelihood of discovering the horse riding vacation of their dreams. A bit of analysis if usually all that’s essential to avoid unwelcome surprises.

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How To Take Pro Horse Photographs

February 26, 2012 By 2 Comments

When you first took up the mantle to become an equestrian, you most likely had visions of you horse riding and perhaps even dreamed of taking part in dressage events. But did you ever see yourself as a shutter-bug? There are times when you want to take pictures of your horses, and not just any pictures, but photographs that show their strength, speed and beauty. Whether they’re for the purpose of advertising or promotion or to show off recent achievements in competitions, as a rider, you will find yourself taking pictures of your horses.

And it isn’t like you’re taking photographs to save the memory—most of the time footage are employed when you want to sell a particular stud of mare. Of course , pictures of an athletic horse performing dressage maneuvers certainly would leave a good impression on possible purchasers. But you do not need to just take any picture of your horses, you need to take good footage of them. And photography requires practice. Professionals even have degrees or certificates that attest to their photographic capabilities, so do not think you can do it how they do easily. There are a few tips you can follow to boost your pony photography.

For one thing, the film you use matters. Top of the range film renders prime quality shots. 200 ASA is great film for the 35 mm format. And if you’re going digital, you’d need higher pixel (or as it stands today, megapixel) counts. But don’t waste the top quality , high price film (or megapixel battery consumption) on a bad day. Pick good days when it’s not too dark and not so bright. Your pony would look best if the lighting isn’t too bright or otherwise. Too much sun causes darker shadows, and this won’t make for a nice picture ambience, especially for dark horses.

A note on preparing the horse you intend to take a picture of: except for making sure she’s clean and healthy, make her look her most beautiful. Use appropriate props, for example platted manes and oiled hooves if that is proper for her equestrian activity. Also, everything she is going to wear should likewise be clean and professionally maintained. The horse isn’t the one and only factor in the picture that needs preparation though, the background needs some preparation and thought too. It’s best to set her up against a uncluttered background. And any handler or rider appearing in the shot should look their finest also.

You might need an additional set of knowledgeable hands to deal with the pony since you will be doing the shooting. And when you start shooting, ensure you get the very best angle of the pony. Stay clear of going too much to the front or rear, as these angles have a tendency to enlarge specific bits of the pony. Try and catch the better part of whatever action you need your horse to be doing—capture a shot with her extending her leading leg while in a trot or canter, for instance. And ultimately, just keep at it: most picture perfect moments are accidental, so just click away and you’ll get the correct one.

Horses are Heather Toms’ passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers… like all things about horse rugs.

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What To Look For In A Likely Dressage Champion

February 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Any equestrian, even those who only accept weekend horse riding, but love horses and everything about them however, would at one point dream of entering a dressage competition. But when that really becomes a possibility , the mere act of selecting from potential dressage level steeds could be a hurdle to overcome. What do you look for in dressage level horse?

The pirouette, a canter the movements of which are likened to a coiled lion, is a perfect maneuver that you should usually picture in your brain. A horse that can perform this move gracefully is a horse you can take up through the levels of dressage. Picture the old portraits of the American Revolution heroes on horseback, balanced for battle. Their steeds kind of sit on their hindquarters, and their fronts seemingly become lighter.

Except for steeds to be well placed to accomplish that and many other higher level maneuvers, they should not only have the skills and display the talent they also need to be built in a physical standard that fits with the thorough demands of sport like dressage. So when looking for prospects, check for these:

Whithers higher than croup “Called the uphill build, this fundamentally means a horse has a higher neck set, which in turn means she will carry herself with ease uphill. Check to see if in the point where the neck meets the whither if the muscles are concave or powerful, and will it require (and does it have the potential to) be worked on to be in a position to handle higher level frames?

Necks that allow flexion “In short , the length of the horse’s neck must be not too short and thick, though not extraneously long as well such that it’s tough to compact the steed.

No evidence of being ewe-necked “A horse could be born with an ewe-neck or early coaching might cause her to develop one. You’d desire to search for a robust, clearly defined crest rather than an overdeveloped muscle under the neck.

A straight back “Straight, but not hollow.

Natural suspension “Particularly for the canter and trot, horses with natural tendency is preferred over horses that were simply trained to develop a talent for suspension.

Good walk “While the canter and the trot can be improved, it is toughest to address horses that simply do not have a naturally free, good, swinging walk.

Gait straightness and purity “Though not as critical as the above factors, it is still superior to buy horses that have built in abilities to both extend and also collect within gaits.

Bloodline “It can’t be denied that genes play a very important role in selecting horses for such sport as exacting as dressage, so it would definitely be an edge if you get a horse with bloodlines of previous champions.

You can look into purchasing or leasing schoolmasters, horses that have took part in dressage but are moved down a level for various reasons. Naturally, knowing more on the sport by watching such events would be a good way to discover what else you want to keep an eye peeled for when looking for prospects.

Horses are Heather Toms ‘ passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers like all things about horse rugs .

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Horse Racing – Smd Led Module Manufacturer – Led Cabinet Light …

February 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Forms
One of the principal forms of horse racing, which is popular in many parts of the world, is Thoroughbred racing. Harness racing for Standardbred horses is also popular in Australia, New Zealand, the eastern United States and more popular than Thoroughbred racing in Canada and parts of Europe. Thoroughbred racing is done on the flat or over jumps, as steeplechasing or hurdles races. Quarter horse racing is also popular in the western United States and Florida. Racing with purebred Arabian horses exists in several states in the United States, as well as in most of Europe and the Middle East. This form of racing is known as endurance racing.
The different types of racing all concern different breeds of horses. The Thoroughbred races moderate distances at very fast paces. The Standardbred horses use their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop. The Quarter Horse is involved in short distance sprinting while the Arabian is involved in endurance racing. These four different breeds of horses possess different muscle structures that make them suitable for their type of racing. These horses race on various track surfaces ranging from dirt to a synthetic surface such as viscoride or polytrack.
The breeding, training and racing of horses in many countries is now a significant economic activity as, to a greater extent, is the gambling industry which is largely supported by it. The time invested in training these horses is extensive and varies according to the type of race the horse is involved in. Exceptional horses can win millions of dollars and might make millions more by providing stud services, such as horse breeding.
North America
History
Race at Churchill Downs
Horse racing in the United States and on the North American continent dates back to the establishment of another course named Newmarketn the Salisbury Plains section of what is now known as the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York in 1665. This first racing meet in North America was supervised by New York’s colonial governor, Richard Nicolls. The area is now occupied by the present Nassau County, New York region of Greater Westbury and East Garden City. The South Westbury section is also (appropriately) known as Salisbury.
Thoroughbred racing
In 1665, the first racetrack was constructed on Long Island. The American Stud Book was started in 1868, which prompted the beginning of organized horse racing. There were 314 tracks operating in the United States by 1890 and in 1894, the American Jockey Club was formed. The anti-gambling sentiment prevalent in the early 1900s led almost all states to ban bookmaking. Bookmaking is the process of taking bets, calculating odds, and paying out winnings. This nearly eliminated horse racing altogether. When parimutuel betting was introduced in 1908, the racing industry turned around. Parimutuel betting is basically wagering against the other bettors and not the house. All the money is put into a pool and those who win divide the money left over after taxes and racetrack expenses have been removed. Horse racing flourished until World War II. The sport did not regain popularity until horses began to win the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown is a series of three races, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes.
Endurance racing
Endurance racing began in California around 1955, and the first race marked the beginning of the Tevis Cup This race was a one hundred mile, one day long ride starting in Squaw Valley, Placer County and ending in Auburn, California. Founded in 1972, the American Endurance Ride Conference was the first national endurance riding association
Quarter horse racing
The first records of Quarter Horse races dated back to 1674 in Henrico County, Virginia. Each race consisted of only two horses and they raced down the village streets and lanes.
Major racetracks
Major horse racetracks in the U.S. were opened
at Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York in 1863;
at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland in 1870;
at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, opened in 1875;
at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York (just outside New York City on Long Island) in 1905.
at Fairmount Park Racetrack, Collinsville, Illinois in 1925.
at Hialeah Park Race Track, Hialeah, Florida in 1925.
at Santa Anita Park, in the San Gabriel Valley community of Arcadia, California, in the Los Angeles area, in 1934.
at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky, opened for racing in 1936
Belmont Park is part of the western edge of the Hempstead Plains. Its mile and a half main track is the largest dirt Thoroughbred race course in the world, and it has the sport’s largest grandstand.
In March 2009, Magna Entertainment Corp., the owner of Pimlico Race Course, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after defaulting on a US$40 million loan.
The latest major horse track opened in the US was the Meadowlands Racetrack opened in 1977 for Thoroughbred racing. It is the home of the Meadowlands Cup.
Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has its own Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Hall of Fame honors remarkable horses, jockeys, owners and trainers.
Types of racing
The style of racing, the distances and the type of events varies very much by the country in which the race is occurring, and many countries offer different types of horse races.
In the United States, Thoroughbred flat races are run on surfaces of either dirt, synthetic or turf; other tracks offer Quarter Horse racing and Standardbred horse racing, or combinations of these three types of racing surfaces. Racing with other breeds, such as Arabian horse racing, is found on a limited basis. American Thoroughbred races are run at a wide variety of distances, most commonly from 5 to 12 furlongs (0.63 to 1.5 mi; 1.0 to 2.4 km); with this in mind, breeders of Thoroughbred race horses attempt to breed horses that excel at a particular distance (see Dosage Index).
A horse race at Del Mar
Race length and track surface
Thoroughbred racing
Flat racing is the most common form of Thoroughbred racing. The track is typically oval in shape and the race is based on speed and stamina. Within the general category of Thoroughbred flat racing, there exist two separate types of races. These include conditions races and handicap races. Condition races are the most prestigious and offer the biggest purses. Handicap races assign each horse a different amount of weight to carry based on their ability. Beside the weight they carry, the horse is also influenced by its closeness to the inside barrier, the track surface, its gender, the jockey, and the trainer. A typical Thoroughbred race is run on dirt, synthetic or turf surfaces. Viscoride and Polytrack are synthetic substitutes. Thoroughbred races vary in distance, but are usually somewhere between five and twelve furlongs. A furlong is a distance measurement equal to one eighth of a mile or two hundred and twenty yards.
Endurance racing
The length of an endurance race varies greatly. Some are very short, only ten miles, while others can be up to one hundred miles. There are a few races that are even longer than one hundred miles and last multiple days. These different lengths of races are divided into five categories: pleasure rides (1020 miles), non-competitive trail rides (2127 miles), competitive trail rides (2045 miles), progressive trail rides (2560 miles), and endurance rides (40100 miles in one day, up to 150 miles in multiple days). Because each race is very long, the tracks are almost always just dirt.
Quarter Horse racing
When Quarter Horse racing began, it was very expensive to lay a full mile of track so it was agreed that a straight track of four hundred meters, or one quarter of a mile would be laid instead. It became the standard racing distance for Quarter Horses and inspired their name. With the exception of the longer, 870-yard (800 m) distance contests, Quarter Horse races are run flat out, with the horses running at top speed for the duration. There is less jockeying for position, as turns are rare, and many races end with several contestants grouped together at the wire. The track surface is similar to that of Thoroughbred racing and usually consists of dirt or a synthetic surface.
Horse Breeds and Muscle Structure
Muscles are just bundles of stringy fibers that are attached to bones by tendons. These bundles have different types of fibers within them and horses have adapted over the years to produce different amounts of these fibers. Type IIb fibers are fast twitch fibers. These fibers allow muscles to contract quickly resulting in a great deal of power and speed. Type I fibers are slow-twitch fibers. They allow muscles to work for longer periods of time resulting in greater endurance. Type IIa fibers are in the middle. They are a balance between the fast twitch fibers and the slow-twitch fibers. They allow the muscles to generate both speed and endurance. Type I muscles are absolutely necessary for aerobic exercise because they rely on the presence of oxygen in order to work. Type II muscles are needed for anaerobic exercise because they can function without the presence of oxygen.
Thoroughbred
There are three founding sires that almost all Thoroughbreds can trace back to: the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin, and the Byerly Turk, named after their respective owners, Thomas Darley, Lord Godolphin, and Captain Robert Byerly. All were taken to England where they were mated with racing mares. Thoroughbreds come in many different colors, all of which are recognized by the Jockey Club. However, the most prevalent include bay, chestnut, black, brown, and gray. Thoroughbreds range in height, and are measured in hands (a hand being four inches). Some are as small as 15 hands while others are over 17 hands. Thoroughbreds can travel medium distances at fast paces, requiring a balance between speed and endurance. They possess more Type IIa muscle fibers than the Quarter Horse or Arabian. This type of fiber allows them to propel themselves forward at great speeds and maintain it for an extended distance.
Arabian Horse
The Arabian Horse was prevalent in societies as early as 1500 B.C. The Bedouin Tribe in Arabia specifically bred these horses for stamina, so they could outrun their enemies. It was not until 1725 that the Arabian was introduced into the United States.
The Arabian Horse is primarily used in endurance racing. They must be able to withstand traveling long distances at a moderate pace. Arabians have an abundance of Type I fibers. Their muscles are able to work for extended periods of time. Also, the muscles of the Arabian are not nearly as massive as those of the Quarter Horse, which allow it to travel longer distances at quicker speeds.
Quarter Horse
The Quarter Horse was prevalent in America in the early 1600s. These horses were of mainly Spanish origin until the English horses were brought over. The native horse and the English horse were bred together, resulting in a very compact muscular horse. At this time, they were mainly used for chores such as plowing and cattle work. The Quarter Horse was not recognized as an official breed until the formation of the American Quarter Horse Association in 1940.
In order to be successful in racing, Quarter Horses needed to be able to propel themselves forward at extremely fast paces. The Quarter Horse has much larger hind limb muscles than the Arabian, which make it much less suitable for endurance racing. They also have more Type IIb fibers, which allow the Quarter Horse to accelerate rapidly.
Training
The conditioning program for the different horses varies depending on the race length. Genetics, training, age, and skeletal soundness are all factors that contribute to a horse performance. The muscle structure and fiber type of horses depends on the breed, therefore genetics must be considered when constructing a conditioning plan. A horse fitness plan must be coordinated properly in order to prevent injury or unnecessary lameness. If these were to occur, they may negatively affect a horse willingness to learn. Sprinting exercises are appropriate for training two-year-old racehorses, but they are mentally incapable of handling too many of them. A horse skeletal system adapts to the exercise they are receiving. Because the skeletal system does not reach full maturity until the horse is at least four years of age, young racehorses often suffer multiple injuries.
Important races
The traditional high point of US horse racing is the Kentucky Derby. Together, the Derby, the Preakness Stakes run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Belmont Stakes held at Belmont Park on Long Island, form the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing for three-year-olds. They are all held early in the year, throughout May and the beginning of June. In recent years the Breeders’ Cup races, run at the end of the year, have challenged the Triple Crown events as determiners of the three-year-old Champion. The Breeders’ Cup is held at a different track every year; the 2008 edition was held at Santa Anita. It also has an important effect on the selection of other annual Champions. The corresponding Standardbred event is the Breeders’ Crown. There are also a Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers and a Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters, as well as an Arabian Triple Crown consisting of Drinkers of the Wind Derby in California, the Texas Six Shooter Stakes, and the Bob Magness Derby in Deleware.
Thoroughbred and Arabian fillies have their own “Triple” series, commonly referred to as The Triple Tiara. While there is some disagreement over which three races make up the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, the Arabian list is more formal and consists of Daughters of the Desert Oaks in California, the Texas Yellow Rose Stakes, and the Cre Run Oaks in Delaware.
Betting
American betting on horse racing is sanctioned and regulated by the state the racetrack is located in Simulcast betting almost always exist across state lines with no oversight except the companies involved through legalized parimutuel gambling. A takeout, or “take”, is removed from each betting pool and distributed according to state law, among the state, race track and horsemen. On average, 17 percent is withheld from win, place and show pools, with 83 percent being returned to the winning players.
Canada
The most famous horse from Canada is generally considered to be Northern Dancer, who after winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Queen’s Plate in 1964 went on to become the most successful Thoroughbred sire of the 20th century; his two-minute-flat Derby was the fastest on record until Secretariat in 1973. The only challenger to his title of greatest Canadian horse would be his son Nijinsky II, who is the last horse to win the English Triple Crown. Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, home of the Queen’s Plate, Canada’s premier Thoroughbred stakes race, and the North America Cup, Canada’s premier Standardbred stakes race, is the only race track in North America which stages Thoroughbred and Standardbred (harness) meetings on the same day. The Pattison Canadian International has the largest purse of any Canadian horse race.
Australia
Tambo Valley Picnic Races, Victoria, Australia 2006
Main articles: Thoroughbred racing in Australia and Harness racing in Australia
Horse racing in Australia was founded during the early years of settlement and the industry has grown to be among the top three leading Thoroughbred racing nations of the world. The world famous Melbourne Cup, the so-called race that stops a nation, has recently attracted many international entries. In country racing, records indicate that Goulburn commenced racing in 1834. Australia’s first country racing club was established at Wallabadah in 1852 and the Wallabadah Cup is still held on New Year’s Day (the current racecourse was built in 1898).
In Australia, the most famous racehorse was Phar Lap (bred in New Zealand), who raced from 1928 to 1932. Phar Lap carried 9st 12 lb (62.5 kg) to win the 1930 Melbourne Cup. Australian steeplechaser Crisp is remembered for his battle with Irish champion Red Rum in the 1973 Grand National. In 20032005 the mare Makybe Diva (bred in the United Kingdom) became the only racehorse to ever win the Melbourne Cup three times, let alone in consecutive years. In harness racing, Paleface Adios became a household name during the 1970s, while Cardigan Bay, a pacing horse from New Zealand, enjoyed great success at the highest levels of American harness racing in the 1960s.
Mauritius
On 25 June 1812, the Champ de Mars racecourse was inaugurated by The Mauritius Turf Club which was founded earlier in the same year by Colonel Edward A. Draper. The Champ de Mars is situated on a prestigious avenue in Port Louis, the Capital City and is the oldest racecourse in the southern hemisphere. The Mauritius Turf Club is the third oldest active turf club in the world.
Undeniably, racing is one of the most popular sports in Mauritius now pulling regular crowds of 20,000 people and over to the only racecourse of the island.
A high level of professionalism has been attained in the organisation of races over the last decades preserving the unique electrifying ambiance prevailing on race days at the Champ de Mars.
Champ de Mars has four classic events a year such as: Duchess of York Cup, Barbe Cup, Maiden Cup and the Duke of York Club.
Most of the horses are imported from South Africa but some are also acquired from Australia, United Kingdom and France.
The island of Mauritius situated in the Indian Ocean not far from the very large island of Madagascar.
New Zealand
For more details on the topic, see Horseracing in New Zealand.
Statue of racehorse Phar Lap in Timaru, New Zealand
Racing is a long-established sport in New Zealand, stretching back to colonial times.
Horse racing is a significant part of the New Zealand economy which in 2004 generated 1.3% of the GDP. The indirect impact of expenditures on racing was estimated to have generated more than $1.4 billion in economic activity in 2004 and created 18,300 full-time equivalent jobs. More than 40,000 people were involved in some capacity in the New Zealand racing industry in 2004. In 2004, more than one million people attended race meetings in New Zealand. There are 69 Thoroughbred and 51 harness clubs licensed in New Zealand. Racecourses are situated in 59 locations throughout New Zealand.
The bloodstock industry is important to New Zealand, with the export sale of horses mainly to Australia and Asia generating more than $120 million a year. During the 2008-09 racing season 19 New Zealand bred horses won 22 Group One races around the world.
Notable racehorses from New Zealand include Cardigan Bay, Carbine, Nightmarch, Sunline, Desert Gold and Rising Fast. Phar Lap and Tulloch were both bred in New Zealand bu
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gaga has 1 articles online

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Successful Horse Racing Handicapping By Just Doing One Thing

February 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Horse racing seems to be getting more and more complicated as horse players all over the world compete in mutuel pools trying to eke out a profit.  Now there are sire ratings and track models and computer simulations and as if all that wasn’t enough, there are video horse races you can bet on.  The only thing that I haven’t figured out is if I am supposed to handicap the software or the video horses.

As it gets crazier and crazier it is nice to stop and re-think the whole process and come back to reality.  As ridiculously simple as it may sound, I can tell you what you need to do to succeed in just one sentence.  Here it is…

Only bet on a horse when the odds are right.

That is the key to success when you’re betting on horses.  It doesn’t matter whether the odds on your wager are 2-1, 5-1, or 50-1.  If the horse will win often enough in that same scenario to pay for all your bets and make a profit, then you will be a successful horse player.  I know what you’re thinking, “It’s not that easy.”

I didn’t say it was easy, just that it was simple. It doesn’t matter what horse racing system or method you use to choose your bets as long as they are going to hit often enough at the right odds to keep you in the black.  If you make a bet on a horse with certain attributes in a particular type of race at the right odds, it will be profitable.

The problem for most people who try to beat the races is that they develop their own style or method that doesn’t work and then stick with it, hoping to get lucky.  Here is how you break that cycle and start to make a profit.  It isn’t easy to break old habits, but if you really want to succeed, here’s what you need to do.

Start by being a very good observer and handicap every race to the best of your ability making any pertinent notes about each horse in the race. Then assign what you consider to be fair value odds to each horse.  This is your betting line.  To make it simple, after you’ve looked the race over, you can look at the morning line odds for each horse and decide if you think the handicapper got it right.  Write your own odds beside those morning line odds for each horse.

After the race, write the results and payoffs on your program.  Now take them home and keep them until you have a good stack.  Then take them out and start looking for scenarios that you can identify, such as an allowance horse of 3 years old dropping into a non-winners claiming race for the first time, etc.  Once you have spotted some scenarios, start comparing the odds to what the winners paid and see if you can identify a fair odds value for such a horse.  It just takes a few scenarios to develop spot plays that will make you money over and over again.

You may not find many of these, but every one you find is like gold.  Now when you handicap a race, look for scenarios, your spot plays, and only bet them when the odds are above what you have determined are fair value odds.  If they win one out of four races, then you need 4-1 odds in order to make a profit.  For every $4 that you spend on bets, you will get back $5.

Now here is a warning.  Things do not always stay the same and losing and winning streaks occur.  Therefore, once you find a winning scenario, do not bet heavily or with more money than you can afford to lose.  Be cautious, bet light and gradually build up a bankroll.  As I said, things can change and there will be dry spells and good spells, so stretching your bankroll out over many bets is the smart thing to do, and you will never beat this game unless you are smart and protect that bankroll.

There it is in a nutshell, the secret to making money at the races.

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Bill Peterson has 1 articles online

If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://williewins.homestead.com/truecb.html and get the truth. Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to Horse Racing Handicapping, Bill’s handicapping store.

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Horse Racing – Now And Then

February 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The sport of horse racing is popular in many parts of the world. In fact, the sport is so highly regarded that governing bodies have been formed to regulate horse racing events. Many people may not realize that horse racing’s history stretches way beyond the well-known annual Kentucky Derby. Although the origins of modern horse racing date back to the 12th century, horse racing was actually popular long before that.

Horse racing can be traced back to around 4500 BC; it was popular among the nomadic tribesmen of Central Asia. This is not surprising since these wandering clans were the first people to domesticate horses.

In the 12th century, English knights returned from the Crusades with Arabian horses. These horses were revered for their swift speeds. An effort began to import an increasing number of Arabian stallions to breed with English mares. The goal was to produce horses that combined the traits of speed and endurance. This breeding continued over the next 400 years and resulted in the Thoroughbreds we know today.

The fastest horses were paired up and raced against each other, which grew to be a popular pastime among the English nobility. King Charles II held private horse races from 1660–1685, and during Queen Anne’s reign (1702–1714), horse racing emerged as a professional sport. The races began to include several horses, and spectators wagered on the outcomes.

Soon, there were racecourses all over England, which increased the competition to attract better horses. In order to compete, the courses offered increasingly large purses. This resulted in the potential for breeders and horse owners to make a very nice profit. With all the changes and expansions, it was evident that there was a need for a governing authority. The Jockey Club was formed in 1750, and it still exercises complete control over English horse racing to this day.

The Jockey Club set forth standards and rules that helped define the quality of horse racing. It also designated certain races as definitive tests of excellence, such as the Triple Crown. The English Triple Crown consists of the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby and the St. Leger Stakes.

Beyond setting the standards and rules for horse races, the Jockey Club also defined regulations related to racehorse breeding. The huge task of tracing the pedigree of every horse racing in England was given to James Weatherby. Although tracing the complete family history of each racing horse was not easy, Weatherby completed his research and published it as the Introduction to the General Stud Book in 1791. Members of the Weatherby family have carefully tended to keeping records of the pedigree of every foal born to those racehorses as the years have gone by. By definition, all true “Thoroughbreds” are descendants from horses listed in the General Stud Book. It’s also interesting to note that the pedigree of every Thoroughbred can be traced back to one of three stallions, referred to as the “foundation sires.”

Meanwhile, the industrial economy was booming during the 1800s in America, which resulted in an increase in various types of gambling, including betting on horse races. The popularity of the sport grew exponentially, and hundreds of tracks were constructed across America. However, at that time there were no governing bodies to enforce rules or standards, which led to the domination of many tracks by criminal elements. This corruption resulted in a growing anti-gambling sentiment throughout the country, and soon many states banned bookmaking. By 1908, the number of racetracks had dropped from hundreds to just 25. That same year, pari-mutuel betting was introduced for the Kentucky Derby, which marked the beginning of a major turnaround for the sport in America. Soon, more tracks opened, and more state legislatures legalized pari-mutuel betting. Today, American horse racing is regulated by state governments.

The newest trend in all types of gambling, including horse racing, is Online Betting. These online games are realistic, and they offer chances to win real money. In addition, you can find great horse racing tips, such as ways to beat the odds and other advice, at quality online resources.

Horse racing may have started as a simple sport, but it has grown into a global phenomenon. The Internet makes learning about horse racing and gambling on races all over the world easier than ever before.

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Joey Dorrington has 4 articles online and 1 fans

Joey Dorrington writes about gambling and online betting. Dorrington studies the history of various types of sports and gambling. He says you can find everything from Horse Racing Tips to strategies for betting on football by using online gambling resources. Dorrington recommends the Tom Waterhouse website for all your online betting needs. For more information please contact: Level 6, 73 Walker Street, North Sydney, NSW 2059; Telephone #:1800 WATERHOUSE.

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How West Nile Virus Impacts Your Horse

February 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When an equine illness is so devastatingly dangerous as to threaten the lives of both the horses and the equestrians handling them in an outbreak, understanding what is fact and what’s myth about such illness is tantamount to proper pre-emption and prevention. The West Nile Virus, after taking both equine and equestrian lives, is one such very dangerous disease that is surrounded by myths that need to be put straight.

The Unsafe Vaccine: One such myth about the West Nile Pathogen that not only finished horse riding escapades but horse careers (as well as equestrian careers) concerns the vaccine developed to prevent it. The myth goes that the vaccine itself is deadly, and has caused the deaths of some steeds it was applied to. That’s simply not right. The vaccine developed by Fort Dodge and the Merial vaccine are both effective and safe. The thing is, when a horse is already infected, no amount of vaccination can save it. And that’s what doubtless started the rumour and the eventual myth: an infected pony was immunized and died of the disease.

West Nile is History: Most trainers and owners are happily going for horse riding sessions and shows without realizing the need to vaccinate their horses against the West Nile Virus because they think it’s a thing of the past. While it’s right that the occurrences of West Nile Virus contagion has decreased, many horses are still believed to be carriers of the virus that are either slow in showing symptoms or will never show any. Most animal and horse nationwide associations endorse vaccinating steeds each year particularly those at higher risk due to their mosquito-infested geographical areas.

One Vaccination is All that is Needed: Most trainers may think that a horse vaccinated from the West Nile Pathogen last year is still safe from the pathogen this year. Proof does suggest that some horses can resist the virus now if they were immunized a year back, but without yearly vaccination, a steed (and her owner) can never be really safe from the West Nile Virus. Contracting even a diminished sort of the illness can spell disaster, as this disease due to a virus has no known cure, and when infected, a horse may then go on to develop neurological symptoms, which it might then give in to sooner or later.

Vaccination Against Other Mosquito-Carried Diseases is Satisfactory Protection: Many an equestrian has settled on a vaccination shot of equine encaphilitis and thought it enough to prevent the West Nile Virus from infecting their pony, since both sicknesses are carried by a common culprit: mosquitoes. That isn’t right. The carriers might be the same, but the sicknesses, and their causes, are different. A vaccine for one disease doesn’t protect horses from anything apart from the disease it was intended for.

The West Nile Pathogen is indeed a pathogen that needs to be avoided at all costs, and believing misconceptions about it isn’t going to help. Except for knowing myth from fact, sanitation and hygiene is important, particularly cleaning up water buckets and other containers, and making certain that no stagnating water is around.

Horses are Heather Toms’ passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers… like all things about horse rugs.

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