Spend a little time watching the horses as they walk in, and you just might spot the winner.

Study the horses pre-race to pick the potential winner.

By C. Reid McLellan

We have gone from taking a one-minute look at a program page to spending 4 to 10 minutes per race to evaluate each race on a race card.  Later in this series, we will talk about making decisions based on information obtained from that evaluation.

But, don’t forget those numbers represent real live horseflesh.

This month, let’s take a look at the horses.

One of the reasons we go the races is for enjoyment. In this day and time when there are so many televisions at racetracks, we sometimes forget that one of the enjoyable things about racing is time spent watching the horses as they walk in.  A side benefit is the information we can obtain while enjoying the beauty.  So, position yourself along the rail, by the paddock and/or in the grandstand, and let’s take a look at ‘em!

Walk Up

If you can position yourself where you can see the horses walk up to the paddock, pay attention to horses that look like they want to.  These will generally be horses that will have a bounce in their step while not fighting with their handler. They will not be jumping around and using a lot of excess energy.  It is sometimes hard for people to distinguish between a positive animated walk and a nervous jig. One way to make that distinction is to pay attention to a horse’s eye, ears and neck setting.  Preferred is a bright, inquisitive-looking eye, ears pricked forward and neck slightly arched.  Horses sweating so much that white lather forms between their back legs or on their neck under the reins are usually telling us that they are nervous.

Paddock

At the paddock, we are going to look for horses that demonstrate confidence and those that are demonstrating nervousness. Look for a horse that confidently looks out of its saddling stall (alert with head up, ears pricked forward, surveying the crowd), but not difficult to saddle. Horses that run out of their saddling stall repeatedly, rear and/or kick violently in the saddling stall are generally not feeling good about racing.  Some horses walk to the paddock dull but as soon as they get in the paddock they assume a much more positive body language.  Don’t overlook a horse that is standing calmly to be saddled in favor of one that is constantly moving.

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Well Being

If you get a good look at the horses as they are walking up, notice each horse’s hair coat and other indications of positive energy.  A healthy horse will usually have a shiny hair coat, short in summer and luxuriant in winter.  Overweight, out-of-shape horses can have sleek, shiny hair coats, so look for evidence of muscle fitness by looking for definition of muscling.  A smooth, rounded hip that lacks muscle tone (jiggles when the horse walks, no creases) is usually indicative of a lack of muscle fitness.

While horses are being saddled, pay attention to their demeanor.  Some horses may have looked asleep or dull as they walked up but came to life once they were saddled.  Other horses may have looked really good walking up, but look dull once saddled.  The latter could be an indication of a horse that might not be mentally or physically prepared for this race

Post Parade

As each horse walks on the track with a rider on its back, we get a final opportunity to see what that horse is telling us.

Watch for a horse that is walking straight, neck arched, face perpendicular to the ground;  light bounce to step or animation to its walk; tail arched out from buttocks. Negative body language would include horses that are holding their heads up (face horizontal to ground), shaking head from side to side, nervously lunging forward or spinning out so they are at a 90-degree angle to the lead pony; sweating profusely; walking so slow or pulling back so that the lead pony rider appears to be dragging the horse.  Watch as the horses move off from post parade for warm-up.  If the lead pony breaks into a lope (or canter) and the racehorse continues to trot, that could be a negative sign.  Ideally, a racehorse will pick up a lope within one stride of the lead pony picking up its lope and will do so without much encouragement from either the lead pony rider or the jockey.  Generally, as the horses break off to go for their warm-up, there’s about 8 minutes left to post time and plenty of time for you to make it to the window or autotote machine and make your wager.

Horses might not whisper, but they do talk to us through their body language.  The next time you go to the races, take time to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells.  And, remember to take a good look at the horses.  What they’re telling you might help you have the time of your life.

As executive director of The Elite Program, C. Reid McLellan organizes and teaches Groom, Owner and Trainer Elite classes around the country. Find out about the next available class here!

As owner and agent of Purple Power Equine Services, Reid helps people buy and sell race and show prospects and provides guidance and assistance with training, breeding and other equine services.