Less Is Always More

In horse racing weight is everything. Each horse must carry a predetermined specific weight, set by the Official Handicapper in every race which it runs in. And every single gram counts.

The general rule of thumb is that 500 grams is equal to a length in distance – a length being the unit used to measure the distance a horse finishes behind the horse in front of it, in a race. It is approximately 2.4 meters, or 8 feet. So a heavy bridle, or any superfluous equipment, could theoretically make a horse finish a length behind a horse with less equipment.

With that in mind, when trainers present their horses on race days, they tend to use the least amount of the lightest equipment possible. They are required, by the National Horseracing Authority (NHA), to ensure that all equipment used on or in relation to a horse, complies with their rules.

Brightly coloured lightweight PVC bridles are widely used in horseracing.

Bridles can be made of PVC or leather, but the rules state that the reins must be rubber covered, and must be attached to the bit by loops, and not buckles. The use of leather reins is completely prohibited in South African racing. All bridles must also be fitted with an Irish Martingale, to stop the reins coming over the horse’s head when the jockey is riding out a finish. No other martingales are permitted in races.

Irish martingales (see the small rings just above the bit) prevent the reins being pushed over the horse's head in a driving finish

One of the most important requirements of horseracing equipment is that it must not get entangled or hooked on the metal framework of the starting stalls. There are restrictions on bits too. The NHA rule on bits simply states, “The use of cheek bits is prohibited”. This means that any bit which has an extension, or extra ring attached to the normal loose ring, is not allowed. This completely rules out bits like Pelhams, long shank gags of all kinds, rope gags, multi-ring gags and Fulmer snaffles, among others. Trainers mostly opt to use loose ring snaffles with steel, Happy Mouth or rubber mouthpieces, but there are other bits which are fairly common too.

Rubber bits are very popular in South Africa

The Dexter Ring Bit is a very popular choice. The extra ring which is attached to the snaffle, and goes through the mouth, prevents the bit from being pulled through the mouth sideways. It also prevents the horse from grabbing the bit with its teeth, and the snaffle mouthpiece is quite thin, making it a little harsher than a normal snaffle. Recently an Australian company has designed a more comfortable version called an “Iqonic Triabit”. The snaffle is a normal loose ring, with the ring itself more ergonomically designed, for more comfort and to reduce the harsh nutcracker action of the snaffle. Most horses work exceptionally well in this new version of an old favourite.

Dexter Ring Bit

Another far more severe bit is the Norton Perfection, or Citation bit - named after the famous American racehorse from the 1940s, who famously won the US Triple Crown, wearing this particular bridle. As curb chains and bit shanks (for poll action) are prohibited in races, a different bit for the really strong-pulling horses was devised to fit in with racing regulations. It is generally used as a very last resort because of its harsh action. There are two snaffles attached to one another. The upper one is considerably thinner than the main snaffle. The upper snaffle is attached to a y-shaped elastic bit lifter and this increases the action on the horse’s palate. The lower thicker snaffle places pressure on the bars of the mouth and has a severe nutcracker action.

Citation Bridle and a Flair Nasal Strip

When horses put their tongues over the bit the jockey lacks control, but there are various measures to address this. The simplest method is to use a bit that has an extra tongue depressor attached. Some horses can still get their tongues over though. Another option is to use a special set of rubber bit lozenges, which attach to a y-shaped extension on the bridge of the horse’s nose, and extends upwards to be attached to the poll piece of the bridle. This lifts the bit in the horse’s mouth, and mostly prevents the tongue coming over the bit. It is called a Bit Lifter, or sometimes an Australian Cheeker.

The third method is to use a tongue tie, although the first two methods are preferred for tongue issues alone.

The tongue tie has been found to have a far more significant effect on racehorses though. In fact the effect is so marked, that in South Africa you must declare a horse to run with a tongue tie and it is printed in the race card. There is a condition called Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate, or DDSP, where the horse’s soft palate can displace upwards out of its normal position, and interfere with the horse’s airflow when he breathes. As you can imagine this is a serious issue, especially at the end of the race when the horse will be breathing very hard and needs every bit of available oxygen. The horse will actually make a gurgling or snoring noise. In official terms the NHA vet will report that the horse has “choked up”. Horses really battle to win when they are affected with DDSP and tying the tongue prevents the displacement in the majority of cases. Horses known to displace their soft palates have been galloped with, and without tongue ties, fitted with an overland or dynamic endoscope. The resulting footage has shown that the tongue tie is definitely beneficial to DDSP sufferers. Additional data analysis done in the UK has shown that horses tend to have a higher than average stakes earnings, even if they do not suffer from DDSP, if they are fitted with a tongue tie. (The study: “The Effect Of ‘Tongue Tie’ Use On Racing Performance Of Thoroughbreds In The UK” SZ Barakzai, C Finnegan, LA Boden)

South Africa's joint top rated horse with a tongue tie

But doesn’t a tongue tie hurt a horse? It would seem so on first glance, but the tongue ties need to be comfortable so as not to upset the horse and undo all its positive effects. It is normally a short piece of crepe bandage or ladies pantyhose and is tied around the tongue once – tight enough to stay in place, but not so tight as to restrict blood flow or cause discomfort. It is then looped around the lower jaw and secured. Tongue ties are put onto the horse while being saddled up, about 20 minutes before the race. They are then removed immediately after the race and so are only in place for approximately 25 minutes on a race day. It is very rare to find a horse with damage from a tongue tie as most tongue injuries are caused by a traumatic injury from the horse’s own teeth.

Occasionally there are horses that have nearly permanent displacement their soft palates. The Cornell Collar was devised to assist them. This piece of equipment has a leather strap which goes under the horse’s throat. It has a small attachment which lifts and prevents the larynx from retracting backwards and in 90% of cases prevents DDSP. The Cornell Collar must also be declared on race day and the NHA protocol for using it can be seen here.

Unobstructed airflow is one of the most crucial things for a racehorse during a race, and the Flair Nasal Strip was developed to assist with that. Their effectiveness in reducing Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH) or “bleeding” has been proven repeatedly in various extensive studies all around the world. They work on the principle that the nostrils flap and collapse slightly as the air is inhaled, causing considerable turbulence in the airflow. The nasal strip “reinforces” the nostrils of the horse, and thus reduces that flapping and keeps them flared during a race. The studies have shown that there is less effort involved in breathing too and this reduces fatigue to some extent. Those same studies have also shown that the nasal strips reduce EIPH by up to 50%.

Blinkers are the one piece of equipment said to have the most effect on performance in a race. They consist of a hood made of lightweight material, with plastic scoops or cups attached next to the eyes, to channel the horse’s vision to the front. Most blinkers only have half cups, and their purpose is to prevent the horse from getting distracted so they focus more on what’s ahead, rather than what’s on either side of them. That channelled focus is often the difference between winning and losing. One often sees a marked improvement in form when horses are fitted with blinkers.

Half cup blinkers

Noise can also be a distraction on race days, and while Hoods or ear muffs are not that widely used in South Africa, they are used extensively in Hong Kong and Japan, and sometimes even in Australia. They look like blinkers, but they have ear covers instead. They reduce the noise and this allows the horse to be less distracted and more focused on the task at hand. Show jumpers often compete in a similar piece of tack called an ear bonnet.

Quirky Hong Kong campaigner Dan Excel (Ire) wearing a Hood/ ear muffs (Photo: www.racingandsports.com.au)

Pacifiers are another form of headgear used on racehorses. Originally they were designed to prevent sand being kicked up into horse’s eyes, during races held on dirt and sand tracks. But in time, trainers started noticing that they also had a calming effect on certain horses. That is the purpose they are used for in South Africa and they must be declared on race days. They consist of a lightweight material hood, just like blinkers, but they have mesh covers over the eye holes instead. They are generally used on highly strung and uptight horses, but only as a last resort.

Another piece of equipment used to make horses focus more during races, is the sheepskin noseband, or shadow roll. They are very fluffy, and often padded to make them bigger, which makes the horse lower its head. Not only does that lengthen the horse’s stride, but it gives the rider a little more control. There is nothing worse than riding a horse with his head held too high, while sitting with short irons. These horses have been called “star gazers” for good reason! In the USA, sheepskin nosebands are also called shadow rolls, as they partially obstruct the horse’s vision for the few metres directly in front of his nose. If a horse is known to jump over shadows on the ground, that sheepskin noseband will reduce that tendency. Some trainers used coloured sheepskins to easily pick out their horses in a race, while watching on television.

A padded Sheepskin Noseband/ shadow roll

Blinkers can sometimes make a horse too keen causing it pull too hard, using up energy unnecessarily, and so a milder alternative has been devised. Two sheepskins can be put on either side of the horse’s head on the cheek pieces of the bridle. They have a similar action to blinkers. The official term is French Blinkers or Cheek Pieces and in Australia they are called Winkers. They must be declared on race days too.

French Blinkers/ Cheek Pieces/ Winkers

Jockeys are responsible for their own saddles, fittings and lead bags. The saddles can weigh as little as 500 grams fully fitted! All of their equipment is made of the lightest but strongest materials though, and are often custom made. They are also responsible for supplying a neck strap, to hold onto as the horses jump from the starting stalls and also a breastplate if necessary. The two point horizontal breastplate is what is allowed in racing. These are mostly made of elastic so as not to restrict the horse’s galloping action. They are attached to the girth point of the saddle, but not the girth itself. A saddle slip at 60km/h could end in disaster!

Trainers and jockeys like to coordinate their racing equipment with the owners' colours

Sometimes people ask what difference just half a kilogram would make to a 500kg horse? Think of a racehorse galloping at a pace of 60km/h, over 1000m or more, for at least one minute, and carrying that weight. It wouldn’t make much difference if it were standing still – but that wouldn’t make much of a race! So less is always more, and that 500g extra could be the factor which causes a horse to win or lose a race by the shortest of margins.

**Published in Equilife Magazine