Horse Racing Guide

In the same way as the abbreviations ‘P’ and ‘PU’ stand for ‘Pulled Up’ in horse racing form figures or detailed results in the form book, ‘U’ or ‘UR’ stands for ‘Unseated Rider’. It refers to a situation in which, for whatever reason, a horse parts company with its jockey, but does not, itself, lose its footing. If, on the other hand, horse does come to grief, of its own volition, or as the result of being impeded by a rival, this is denoted by ‘F’, for ‘Fell’, or ‘B’ or ‘BD’, for ‘Brought Down’.

Obviously, horses typically fall or are brought down at obstacles in National Hunt racing. Of course, they may also unseat rider as the result of a jumping error, but can also do so – albeit much less frequently – in Flat racing, as the result of stumbling, jinking or swerving or a tack failure, such as a slipping saddle.

Horses are herd animals, so a horse that has unseated its rider often continues to run ‘loose’ with the rest of the field, even as far as the finish line. Indeed, in the absence of the additional weight of a jockey, such a horse may well pass the winning post first, but, wherever it finishes, it is designated a non-finisher. Historically, in National Hunt racing, unseated jockeys were permitted to remount, if it was safe to do so, but the practice was banned by the British Horseracing Authority in November 2009.

The life expectancy of a horse varies according to its breed, habitat, living conditions and the availability of food and medical care. There are no hard and fast rules but, generally speaking, the larger the horse, in terms of both height and weight, the shorter its lifespan.

Truly wild horses, such as the rare and endangered Przewalski’s horse, and the feral descendants of domesticated species, such as the American mustang or Australian brumby, live for between 20 and 30 years on average. Domesticated horses, including Thoroughbred racehorses, typically live longer than their wild counterparts, and can reasonably be expected to live for between 30 and 35 years, or more, on average.

Indeed, according to Guinness World Records, the oldest horse, of any description, was Old Billy, who was bred in Lancashire, in Northwest England and died in 1822 at the age of 62. According to the same source, the oldest throughbred was Tango Duke, a gelding foaled in Victoria, Australia, who died in 1978 at the age of 42. Interestingly, no pedigree records exist for the latter exist, so he may, in fact, have been born to unregistered parents.

Of course, domesticated horses receive general care and attention, shelter and regular sustenance from their owners. They are protected from their natural predators, which, in the wild, include bears, mountain lions, wolves – and, of course, man – and have access to advanced veterinary care, making them less susceptible to bacterial and viral diseases, such as salmonella, tetanus and equine influenxa, to name but three.

The term ‘horsebox’ is used generically to describe a variety of motor vehicles, such as lorries, vans and trailers, used for transporting horses. Obviously, it a wide-ranging term, covering models of different sizes and levels of complexity and correspondingly, an assortment of prices.

The simplest, least expensive horsebox is the hitch-and-tow style, which, as the name suggests, is ‘hitched’ to the back of a vehicle with sufficient towing capacity, such as a four-wheel-drive vehicle, sports utility vehicle or pickup truck. Hitch-and-tow style horseboxes feature adjustable windows and vents, quality rubber matting on the floor and suspension, all of which help to create a light, airy and comfortable travelling environment for the horse. From the point of view of the owner, they also have the added advantage that no additional driving tests are required. Basic models of this type typically start at around £3,000 or £4,000.

Self-contained, motorised horseboxes are a more expensive option, and may be purpose-, or coach-built, on a brand new chassis or conversions, in which a vehicle that was originally used for a different purpose, such as a commercial delivery lorry or van, is stripped out and refitted. In addition to a higher purchase price, motorised horseboxes are also subject to the cost associated with any other motor vehicle, such as insurance, road tax, fuel, repairs and maintenance. It is also worth noting that, in Britain, most horseboxes of this type require a Category C1 or C1+E driving licence and hence additional driver training on the part of the owner or operator. Expect to pay at least £18,000, and probably more, for this type of horsebox.

The short answer is yes, they do. Thoroughbred racehorses are elite equine athletes so, akin to their human counterparts, their diet is designed specifically to keep them fit, healthy and performing to the best of their ability. In terms of digestible energy or, in other words, the amount of energy in the diet that is absorbed, a typical racehorse requires approximately 35 megacalories (Mcal) or 35,000 kilocalories (kcal).

During exercise, muscle glycogen, which is a stored form of glucose, is the primary fuel for a racehorse. Thus, racehorses need quick-release energy sources, in the form of low-fat, high-carbohydrate cereal grains, such as barley, corn and oats, to prevent fatigue. Fat, too, is a concentrated energy source that supplies calories for lower intensity training, as well as being beneficial to the coat, hooves, joints and skin.

Likewise, fibre is a source of energy and helps to maintain proper gut function, which is essential to the health and well-being of a racehorse. Thus, racehorses should eat up to 2.5% of their body weight in fibre-rich forage, such as grasses, hays or legumes; that’s up to 25lb per day in the case of a typical mature racehorse.

Other necessary diatary components include protein, ideally from cereal, oilseeds or pulses, which helps to build and maintain muscle mass, minerals and trace elements, such as salt, calcium and magnesium, which help reduce fatigue and joint pain, and vitamin E, which prevents damage to muscle cells. Of course, hydration is also paramount, with even an inactive racehorse requiring up to ten gallons of water a day to replace lost fluid.