Horse racing Insights for Beginners

What is it does one has to look for in a horse when it is going down to post?

Lionel wrote: What is it does one has to look for in a horse when it is going down to post?

check to see if the horse has looked at the tote board on its way down :evil:

Seriously though I don't like fillies that swish their tails nor do I like excessive sweat or anxious horses

General well being radiates to a horse’s skin and hair. A healthy horse almost always presents a healthy hair coat, one that gleams after basic grooming. When a horse thrives, his dapples, the web of spotted markings on his coat become clearly visible.

Observe carefully what lies beneath the coat, the muscle and bone. You can see the outline of ribs in a fit racehorse, but there’s fine line between fit and skinny, and between fit and heavy.

Horses sweat. Kidney sweat can appear as a white foam between the hind legs, a sign of nerves. An extremely nervous horse will break out in sweat all over his body before even warming up for a race.


A horse that stays dry, has a rich coat, and is carrying proper weight still can give off negative signs. How is the horse relating to its handlers? Is it balky and irritated? And how is it relating to the surrounding environment? A horse that is attentive and observant without being unsettled is the ideal.

"Observe carefully what lies beneath the coat, the muscle and bone. You can see the outline of ribs in a fit racehorse, but there’s fine line between fit and skinny, and between fit and heavy."

Woody Stephens .... trainer in the US of A ....sometime in the 1950's

Oh yes, if a horse has a boner, avoid for two reasons. It has no desire to run and be careful if it swings that thing it will bash you on the head :woohoo:

MY UNCLE ALWAYS SAID IF A HORSE TAKES A CRAP BEFORE THE RACE IT WILL WIN OR AT LEAST RUN A GOOD RACE :lol: :lol: IT WILL BE FREE AND EMPTY :lol: :lol: READY TO RUN

Thanks guys.

Duppie, this is the calibre of people on this site...always willing to share info...sometimes, we just have to ask

In addition to the points made above, I like to see a horse canter down with an elastic stride, throwing the front legs out smoothly.
It is important to get to know the horses individually- some always go down scratchy, but run fine, whereas others generally go down well, and should be avoided on the days that they don't.

4 legs is always a good sign
Plus green with black sleeves also positive

Dave Scott wrote: 4 legs is always a good sign
Plus green with black sleeves also positive

Having red and blue halved sleeves is also quite good.


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haha Dave - it's when the majority of the field are green with black sleeves that it becomes tricky.