Yes it is usually a buddy. In most cases the two horses are stable mates that live together. It keeps the stress down. Also in some cases a horse won’t run if it doesn’t know the other horses. A good, though fictional, case is that of the black stallion and his buddy Nappy (Napoleon)
This is mainly a custom which is seen on US tracks. The escort horses are generally there as a means of keeping the excitable youngsters calm and well mannered on their way to the starting gate, as well as to prevent them from wasting too much energy in the warmup period. Most lead or stable ponies are animals which are chosen for their calm dispositions- and I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE which kicked at the horse which was being escorted. I would think that if any lead or stable pony does this, they can kiss their lives at the track goodbye forever. NO trainer I have ever heard of wants to take a chance on one of his top racers getting injured from a kick by the stable pony- and to say that this would be allowed is just plain foolish. Do you think that Rick Dutrow, Nick Zito, Bob Baffert, Wayne Lukas, or any of the other top trainers are going to put up with crap like that, especially when it could result in serious injuries to their top prospects, and possibly mean the end of their racing careers ?? HARDLY !!! If you were a top trainer, would YOU put up with crap like that?? Somehow, I THINK NOT. No, stable ponies have to be horses which are BOMBPROOF, by necessity- and they also have to be able to tolerate things like crowd noise, loud music, loud squawks from the announcers and PA system at most tracks, and other things which would spook a lot of horses I know halfway up the wall.
As for the issue of who catches loose horses or horses which throw their riders during races, THAT JOB is the responsibility of the outriders- the red or green coated riders who escort horses in the post parade. Outriders are much more than just parade escorts- they have rightly been called a “jockey’s and exercise riders BEST FRIEND”, because they do things which no one else is able to do. Catching loose horses during races is one of many functions of the outrider. So is assisting jockeys and the starter at the gate. The outriders all have two way radios, and some of them also have cameras attached to the tops of their helmets, which allows them to assist the racing stewards ( who are the law enforcers at every track) in watching for things like dangerous riding, runouts, interference, and a whole host of other offenses.
One of the biggest things outriders also do is to help the jockey, trainer, and other track personnel, such as the track vet, in the event of an accident or breakdown. A perfect example of this would be what happened when Barbaro broke down at the start of the Preakness in 2006. The first person on the scene that day, other than the colt’s jockey, was the outrider who’d been stationed closest to the starting gate. It was he who called the horse ambulance to come and pick the colt up- and had the colt’s jockey been hurt in any way, he’d have called the medical ambulance as well. The same thing, or a similar thing, happened this past spring at the Derby, following Eight Belles’ tragic breakdown. The first person on the scene was the outrider who called the track vet. The filly’s trainer, Jones, couldn’t get there immediately- the crowds were too thick to allow this. It was at least 20 minutes, and it may have been longer, between the time of the accident and the time when the trainer was on the scene- and during that time, the outriders were there to help and to assist in whatever way was needed. Most outriders are men, but there are some women who do this as well. They are EXPERT riders and horsepeople- they have to be, because both their own lives and the lives of the jockeys and exercise riders they serve depend upon their abilities in the saddle. The horses which they ride are often Thoroughbred or part Thoroughbred themselves, and most are chosen for their calm dispositions, much the way stable ponies generally are. Have you ever watched the conclusion of major races like the Derby, and noticed who it is that catches up with and escorts the winner back to the winner’s circle? It’s ALWAYS an outrider. These people are the unsung, often unrecognized HEROES of most tracks. Theirs is often a thankless job, and sometimes, it can be downright dangerous.
I agree that horses in the US should probably be taught to walk out to the starting gate alone, the way horses in Europe and Asia generally do, but the American public likes to see post parades, and as long as that’s the case, I doubt we will ever see many horses which are trained to do this. Ruffian is one of the few horses I can remember who did do this on a regular basis- she was just mannerly enough to do so, at least some of the time. One of the best pictures I have of her, in fact, is one taken right before the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park, when she walked out on the track alone in front of thousands of screaming fans. But she was an exception- and there just aren’t many of those.
It is for comfort and it is to dangerous to have have people lead them in cause there has been accidents before with people leading them in. So the outriders are less likely to get hurt then if they are walking them.
Having a pony accompany the horse to the gate is something of an American innovation. When an English or European horse comes over here to race and resolutely makes his or her way to the gate without a pony, it makes me a little sad to see the rest of the field being led.
Being ponied does offer a little bit of safety, and having several ponies available to catch a horse that drops its rider is a good thing. But I think it’s custom more than any real advantage that has the pony accompanying the racehorse to the start.
I also wonder how many racehorses are kicked by their pony on the way to post. I know it doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.
Personally, I think that if British/European racehorses can go to the post by themselves, there’s no reason our American racehorses couldn’t.
Its the same as someone who is nervous about going to (say) the dentist and takes a friend for assurance. Horses such as New Approach are very highly strung and doesn’t like traveling so a horse from the same stable goes with him to all races to subdue him.
He’s retired now anyway and is off for stud work, lucky so and so!!
they are “lead ponies” and are to help contain the thoroughbred until he is ready to be entered into the starting gate.
If a thoroughbred runs off the course, the lead pony is the one that bounds out after him.
Yes it is usually a buddy. In most cases the two horses are stable mates that live together. It keeps the stress down. Also in some cases a horse won’t run if it doesn’t know the other horses. A good, though fictional, case is that of the black stallion and his buddy Nappy (Napoleon)
it’s kind of a buddy that keeps the nervous race horse calm and they are clled “lead ponies”
This is mainly a custom which is seen on US tracks. The escort horses are generally there as a means of keeping the excitable youngsters calm and well mannered on their way to the starting gate, as well as to prevent them from wasting too much energy in the warmup period. Most lead or stable ponies are animals which are chosen for their calm dispositions- and I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE which kicked at the horse which was being escorted. I would think that if any lead or stable pony does this, they can kiss their lives at the track goodbye forever. NO trainer I have ever heard of wants to take a chance on one of his top racers getting injured from a kick by the stable pony- and to say that this would be allowed is just plain foolish. Do you think that Rick Dutrow, Nick Zito, Bob Baffert, Wayne Lukas, or any of the other top trainers are going to put up with crap like that, especially when it could result in serious injuries to their top prospects, and possibly mean the end of their racing careers ?? HARDLY !!! If you were a top trainer, would YOU put up with crap like that?? Somehow, I THINK NOT. No, stable ponies have to be horses which are BOMBPROOF, by necessity- and they also have to be able to tolerate things like crowd noise, loud music, loud squawks from the announcers and PA system at most tracks, and other things which would spook a lot of horses I know halfway up the wall.
As for the issue of who catches loose horses or horses which throw their riders during races, THAT JOB is the responsibility of the outriders- the red or green coated riders who escort horses in the post parade. Outriders are much more than just parade escorts- they have rightly been called a “jockey’s and exercise riders BEST FRIEND”, because they do things which no one else is able to do. Catching loose horses during races is one of many functions of the outrider. So is assisting jockeys and the starter at the gate. The outriders all have two way radios, and some of them also have cameras attached to the tops of their helmets, which allows them to assist the racing stewards ( who are the law enforcers at every track) in watching for things like dangerous riding, runouts, interference, and a whole host of other offenses.
One of the biggest things outriders also do is to help the jockey, trainer, and other track personnel, such as the track vet, in the event of an accident or breakdown. A perfect example of this would be what happened when Barbaro broke down at the start of the Preakness in 2006. The first person on the scene that day, other than the colt’s jockey, was the outrider who’d been stationed closest to the starting gate. It was he who called the horse ambulance to come and pick the colt up- and had the colt’s jockey been hurt in any way, he’d have called the medical ambulance as well. The same thing, or a similar thing, happened this past spring at the Derby, following Eight Belles’ tragic breakdown. The first person on the scene was the outrider who called the track vet. The filly’s trainer, Jones, couldn’t get there immediately- the crowds were too thick to allow this. It was at least 20 minutes, and it may have been longer, between the time of the accident and the time when the trainer was on the scene- and during that time, the outriders were there to help and to assist in whatever way was needed. Most outriders are men, but there are some women who do this as well. They are EXPERT riders and horsepeople- they have to be, because both their own lives and the lives of the jockeys and exercise riders they serve depend upon their abilities in the saddle. The horses which they ride are often Thoroughbred or part Thoroughbred themselves, and most are chosen for their calm dispositions, much the way stable ponies generally are. Have you ever watched the conclusion of major races like the Derby, and noticed who it is that catches up with and escorts the winner back to the winner’s circle? It’s ALWAYS an outrider. These people are the unsung, often unrecognized HEROES of most tracks. Theirs is often a thankless job, and sometimes, it can be downright dangerous.
I agree that horses in the US should probably be taught to walk out to the starting gate alone, the way horses in Europe and Asia generally do, but the American public likes to see post parades, and as long as that’s the case, I doubt we will ever see many horses which are trained to do this. Ruffian is one of the few horses I can remember who did do this on a regular basis- she was just mannerly enough to do so, at least some of the time. One of the best pictures I have of her, in fact, is one taken right before the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park, when she walked out on the track alone in front of thousands of screaming fans. But she was an exception- and there just aren’t many of those.
It is for comfort and it is to dangerous to have have people lead them in cause there has been accidents before with people leading them in. So the outriders are less likely to get hurt then if they are walking them.
its a comfort zone to keep the race horse settled down
Having a pony accompany the horse to the gate is something of an American innovation. When an English or European horse comes over here to race and resolutely makes his or her way to the gate without a pony, it makes me a little sad to see the rest of the field being led.
Being ponied does offer a little bit of safety, and having several ponies available to catch a horse that drops its rider is a good thing. But I think it’s custom more than any real advantage that has the pony accompanying the racehorse to the start.
I also wonder how many racehorses are kicked by their pony on the way to post. I know it doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.
Personally, I think that if British/European racehorses can go to the post by themselves, there’s no reason our American racehorses couldn’t.
Hello!
Its the same as someone who is nervous about going to (say) the dentist and takes a friend for assurance. Horses such as New Approach are very highly strung and doesn’t like traveling so a horse from the same stable goes with him to all races to subdue him.
He’s retired now anyway and is off for stud work, lucky so and so!!
David
they are “lead ponies” and are to help contain the thoroughbred until he is ready to be entered into the starting gate.
If a thoroughbred runs off the course, the lead pony is the one that bounds out after him.
Thoroughbred horses tend to be high strung. You’re right, the other horse is usually a “buddy” and helps calm the racer.