what makes a good dirt horse?

Can someone explain to me please, what makes a good dirt horse a.o.t. a good turf/grass horse? Is there anything visible in confomation or action, i.e. before it has actually run on that surface, that makes it at least probable that the horse will act on dirt? Good grass horses usually aren't good on dirt I'm told but Animal Kingdom seems to have turned that one on it's head by winning the Derby.

Mr Prospector

Some horses run on anything (dirt, turf, artificial surfaces), some don't. I can't really say what it is that makes the difference. I do remember reading an article years ago where an American jockey explained the difference between riding on dirt and turf. He said that generally speaking a dirt horse has to have more early speed and be able to race closer to the pace, while on grass you can afford to bide your time a bit more and not necessarily have to "chase" as much. I guess the horse's running styles would need to mirror this.

However, there are always exceptions and we have seen the Kentucky Derby won by horses coming from a mile behind. The flip side of this is that it takes a very good horse to win the Derby and very good horses are often much more adaptable or versatile than the run-of-the-mill types who only know one way of doing things and need everything to go their way. I suppose a horse's action comes into the equation as well, and a willingness to race through the kickback that comes with a dirt track is also an element. Certain pedigrees produce more "dirt" than "turf" horses or vice versa, and even in SA we have seen some sires' progeny do particularly well on our two sand courses, but you'd need to have a far better eye for a horse than I do to just look at a horse and say, "this will run better on dirt".

An interesting example of a horse with an alleged "grass" pedigree who was no great shakes on grass but became a superstar when switched to dirt was Cigar. I guess there are no hard-and-fast rules, and you just have to try different things if you have the opportunity (like in Gauteng, where there is a sand track that you can try out as an alternative surface).

Does the horses action play a part?

gregbucks Wrote:

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> Does the horses action play a part?

I'd imagine so, but I'm no expert.

I'm definitely no expert but i have noticed in the past on a few occasion at the vaal .

Horses which have an action which looks like the horse is almost striding short ( i think its called daisy cutting action )
have taken to the sand . This however is not gospel just an observation .

Daisy cutter is a term for a horse that does not lift up his legs sufficiently, or goes too near the ground, and is therefore apt to stumble.

Probably not ideal for the jumps.

Have seen a few horses with this action, in not mistaken does Eruption not tend to "mow the lawn" Mark?

Watching Vaal sand races it seems the winner quite often (not always) has quite a high-knee action, like it was riding a bicycle, similar to what you see on a mudlark. A daisy-cutter would make a poor heavy-going horse I suppose ... would drag the feet through the deep grass and mud. Don't know if that has any relevance to sand tracks though.

Something else I noticed ... just by chance I tuned into a dirt race the other day that was part-way through. Didn't know what was racing or the odds ... they came round the turn so we saw the horses from the front. One stood out for me as having a noticeably broad chest and powerful front aspect generally, and I thought, There's the winner. Which it was ... Maybe those who keep/train/ride dirt racers could give their opinions? It may have been just that one animal, not relevant overall.

antsinner Wrote:

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> Mr Prospector


100% - what makes a good horse? a great deal of MR P BLOOD!!!

In the good old Ooh Ess of Aye we think of a "daisy cutter" as a term used to describe the low action of a grass horses.

An old time trainer once told me that grass horses run on the top of the ground and dirt horses have to plow through it.

It takes strength and the ability to absorb concussion to be successful on dirt, which is why so few females runners try bigger, stronger males on dirt.

The best dirt horses have the ability to set up a strong rhythmic stride and keep it up strongly.

there is a theory that horses that perform well in soft going on grass,do well on sand.is this true

I have never known that to be true.