Why are most male racehorses not gelded?

Two reasons.

The first is to give them a chance to prove their worth through actual performance.

The second is that the natural aggression of intact males can be channeled through training to give them a stronger desire to win (geldings, on the other hand, tend to perform more reliably).

So, why do humans sometimes win "Man Vs. Horse" races?

Horses can run at 30mph - so a human racing a horse might seem like a no brainer. The horse is going to win.

Except, that's not how it works out once you extend the distance. In the 25 mile Man Against Horse Race in Prescott, Arizona in 2016 the times for the winning runner and winning rider were...identical.

The horse did win the 50 mile race, by quite a bit (90 minutes), but there's more evidence. The average speed of the winner of the 2016 FEI World Endurance Riding Championships over 100 miles was only slightly faster than the average speed of the winner of the men's marathon in Rio.

What gives?

Humans are pursuit predators. We are amazing endurance runners. A horse can keep up that 30mph (or even faster in the case of specialist racehorses) for about four miles and then that horse is, well, done. Zzzzz. Rest now. Endurance racers alternate walk and trot, and only canter or gallop for short periods. In many races, they're mostly walking. The human, on the other hand, can keep up a nice steady pace for the entire distance.

Overall, it tends to even out - and humans and horses cover about the same amount of ground over long distances.

When were riding helmets invented?

Helmets were, of course, first invented as part of armor. The word "helmet" means "small helm" and meant a helmet that only covered part of the head. The modern hard hat for construction use was invented in 1919 for miners - before that, leather helmets were sometimes worn.

As hunting with hounds at speed became a more popular sport in the 19th century, the hunt cap became popular - this was a lightweight hard hat that lacked a chin strap and provided only a small amount of protection. Chin straps started to become popular in the early twentieth century.

The modern riding helmet, though, has its origins in racing. In 1941, accident insurance was introduced for jockeys - which meant head injuries started being tracked. The first payout went to the family of an 18-year-old apprentice, Joe Giangaspro, who died of a head injury after a race at Hialeah.

In the 1950s the Jockeys' Guild, which governed the insurance, put effort into developing a proper safety helmet for jockeys. (This is also when goggles became mandatory for jockeys). In 1956, the "Caliente" helmet was introduced in the US. Proper safety helmets spread from racing into other equestrian fields. In the 1990s, helmet laws began to spread through the western world - often helmets being mandatory for youth under 14 or when riding on the road. Many western and dressage riders, however, still refuse to wear helmets.

Where does the phrase "got my goat" come from?

This phrase may or may not have anything to do with horses. To "get one's goat" is to make one
angry or mad, and it more likely came from a naval tradition of keeping ship's goats.

However, there's another popular etymology which, while it has no evidence, makes some sense.

In order to reduce stress, racehorses that travel a lot often have companions that go with them. A variety of animals are used - miniature horses, donkeys, chickens, etc. Goats, however, are one of the most common. Goats and horses get on well together - in some parts of Europe co-grazing goats with horses is done for pasture management.

Stealing a racehorse's companion would make the horse antsy, stressed, and even angry - and thus unlikely to perform well on race day.

There's no actual proof this has anything to do with the saying, but it's a cute idea.

What is a chute?

Two definitions:

1. In racing, an extension of the stretch to allow sprint races to be run in a straight line.

2. In rodeos and cutting competitions, the chute is any device or area in which an animal is held prior to competition. So, it can refer to the narrow pen a bucking horse or bull is held in before being released, a similar pen used to hold cattle for roping, the narrow gate into the arena used when barrel racing, etc.

What is bearing in?

Bearing in or out is when a racehorse doesn't run in a straight line, losing ground. It's usually caused by jockey error (the jockey tries to go around a horse in front of them and ends up moving too far) or by the horse being tired or slightly lame. Inexperienced horses, especially two year olds, may also "bear in."

What is a "blow out"?

A blow out, which is sometimes hyphenated, is a very short workout done against the clock. It's usually half a mile or less and the horse is run at full speed. It's designed to help a racehorse practice running flat out so that he speeds up correctly towards the finish line. Blow-outs are also used as a way of measuring a horse's raw speed.

What is acey-deucey?

Acey-deucey is deliberately riding with one stirrup shorter than the other. It's most often seen in racing, where a jockey will slightly lengthen the inside stirrup - some riders believe this helps them get better balance through the turns.

What is a brush fence?

A brush fence is a hedge with brush built on the top. The horse is supposed to jump through the brush. If the fence is high enough that the horse cannot see the other side (an exercise of trust in the rider), it is called a bullfinch.

Brush style fences are common in steeplechasing.

Japanese steeplechasers jumping a brush fence. Image source: The colonel of the lamb via Wikimedia Commons.

What are bucked shins?

A bucked shin is a swelling on the front of the cannon bone between the knee and fetlock. It's an inflammation of the sheath that covers the bone and is most often seen in racehorses that are starting their career and other two-year-olds being worked hard. It's caused by concussion and can be treated by pin firing (which requires two or three months of rest and which some vets consider not helpful) or by backing off on training and giving the horse lighter intensity work until the swelling goes down. (Not complete rest).

Bucked shins are essentially caused by working young horses too hard, which is why they're often seen in the racing industry where there's a lot of pressure to get two year olds ready for their first race.

What is a jockey skull?

A jockey skull is the lightweight, tight fitting helmet worn by jockeys under their silks. This style of helmet is also often worn by eventers for the cross country phase - and sometimes for other phases with a velvet cover. (Helmets with fixed covers are preferred by specialist show jumpers).

Jockey skulls are sometimes worn by pleasure riders in Europe and other places with a cool climate, but are less often seen in the US - they can get very hot.

What is a bib?

It has nothing to do with horses spilling their food everywhere. A bib, often seen in racing, is a running martingale that has leather or fabric between the two straps. This makes it stronger and less likely to break under pressure, but limits the motion of the reins some.

What is a yoke?

A yoke is a very simple type of breastplate that consists only of a neckstrap and a strap between the horse's front legs. By definition, a yoke has no connection to the saddle or bridle and does not affect the horse.

Yokes are most often seen in racing but occasionally in eventing. They prevent the girth from slipping back, but their primary purpose is to give the rider an extra "handle" to grab in an emergency. In some areas they are called "chicken straps."

They should not be confused with the yoke used on oxen.

What is a shadow roll?

A shadow roll is also called a sheepskin noseband, although many are now synthetic.

Shadow rolls are most often used in racing, and their purpose is to prevent the horse from seeing shadows on the ground, especially on dirt track. A horse will sometimes jump a shadow, causing it to lose ground in the race (I've seen horses lose major races this way).

They are also sometimes seen in eventing and show jumping, where they are used to encourage a horse to lower its head in order to see the jump, or for the same reason as in racing - to stop them jumping things on the ground that don't actually exist.

This racehorse is wearing a (probably synthetic) shadow roll. Image source Maryland GovPics via WIkimedia Commons.

What is an anti choke plate?

An anti choke plate or no choke plate is a device commonly fitted to the underside of a racing standardbred's bridle. The theory is to prevent the horse from dropping or ducking his head, which can interfere with the airway and also reduce the driver's control over the horse. (It has nothing to do with choking on one's food).

What is a nasal strip?

If you read yesterday's post you'll notice that the racehorse with blinkers also had what looked like tape on his muzzle.

Image Source: MarylandGovPics.

Or maybe it's a band aid?

It's a nasal strip. Human athletes use nasal strips to hold the nasal valve open and prevent it from collapsing under pressure. You see them mostly on football players because they're wearing mouthguards and can't breathe through their mouth - which means they need that extra bit of airflow.

Horses also cannot breathe through their mouths. However, the nasal strip is not used primarily to enhance performance (although some racing jurisdictions ban it as a performance enhancer) but to help prevent bleeding in the lungs. Equine nasal strips were first seen in the 1999 Breeders' Cup. They are also sometimes used in the cross country phase of a three day event.

Why do we say "straight from the horse's mouth"?

It's another racing term. When looking for information on a horse's form, you might want to get to a source close to the horse itself, such as the trainer or, sometimes even better, the groom that looks after the horse.

Thus, a tip that came straight from the horse's mouth implies that it came from even closer to the horse - the horse itself. It originally meant a very good tip to work out a bet, but then extended to become something you might say about any very reliable piece of information.

Why is racing over fences called steeplechasing?

The term actually originates in Britain and Ireland. The first races were run over open countryside, with horses clearing whatever obstacles were in their path. They were intended as a test of hunters - in fact, in the United Kingdom amateur steeplechase mounts still have to qualify by attending a certain number of hunt meets each year.

The races were generally run from one village to another - and riders would navigate by pointing their horse at the church steeple.

What is a tongue tie?

A tongue tie is a strap that's used to restrain the tongue and hold it in the lower part of the mouth when a horse is being ridden or worked. They are designed to prevent the horse from getting its tongue over the bit or otherwise interfering with the bit action. (It's also often said they help keep the airway clear, but I'm not sure how as horses do not breathe through their mouths).

Tongue ties are commonly used in racing (when control is paramount). They're illegal in many other sports and often frowned upon as they can cause severe injury to the horse's tongue if not fitted correctly.

Do horses get nose bleeds?

Yes - in fact they're fairly common, enough that there's a racing term "bleeder" for a horse that gets nose bleeds after a race.

Nose bleeds at rest are rare, and can be caused by foreign bodies or trauma to the nose, fungal infections, cancer, sinus disease and infections in the guttural pouch (again, often, fungal in nature).

Most commonly, as mentioned, the horse "bleeds" after strenuous exercise. This actually comes from the lungs - horses are prone to rupture of small blood vessels when they work particularly hard. (Abscesses and pneumonia can also cause this). Bleeders are generally treated with a drug called lasix - but it's banned in some countries as it also enhances performance and many trainers put all racehorses on it whether they bleed or not.