Racetrack Chase Horses

[HoofedInTheChest]

What kind of horses do they use at the racetrack for chasing down loose horses?

[macguy]

What kind of horses do they use at the racetrack for chasing down loose horses?


Outriders ride all kinds of different horses.

Often times they are Quarter Horses, but it's not uncommon to see thoroughbreds (perhaps retired racehorses) and other breeds. I've often seen people using standardbreds as pony horses as well.

[HoofedInTheChest]

Thanks for the reply.

[Cardus]

A retired Throughbred in whom I had an interest was taken in by NYRA to be an outrider.

[pondman]

What kind of horses do they use at the racetrack for chasing down loose horses?

Most of the pony horses are well trained, better than race horses. They've got an important job and got to be well mannered. I've seen trainers from SA bidding 10 grand on quarter horses at the Red Bluff sale.

[Linny]

Pony horses and outride horses must be "broke to death." I have often seen pony riders working with young horses during training hours, getting them used to horses running off near them, cantering slow circles to help them learn to focus on the rider while horses are training nearby etc.

The outrider horses have to be fast to catch escapees from the post parade or horses that have lost riders during a race. Quarter horses are fast and nimble and make good ponies. TB's are good at it too but some never lose the desire to run when the pack takes off. Some day when you are watching a race in which you have no betting interest, watch the outrider horses. One is usually near the gate, another near the turn. As the gate opens those horses are ready to GO, in case they need to. In most cases, once the race is off and about to the turn, that rider rides back toward the wire to be there for the stretch run/gallop out. Even after galloping over to the backstretch (which at Belmont seems like miles away) and attending the start then galopping back onto the clubhouse turn, those ponies are still ready to chase a loose one after the wire or run down a horse that doesn't want to pull up. Outrider horses are the fittest things on 4 legs!

[HoofedInTheChest]

Ive seen it a bunch of times at Woodbine, usually after they break from the gate and the jock looses his mount. I'm always amazed at the speed of these horses, usually the race horse has 20 or 30 yards on the outrider and it is picked off in a matter of seconds, very entertaining to watch! I always think to myself "that horse should be racing", but i'm guessing it is a Quarter horse.
The gentleman who rides at Woodbine is a older fellow, and he looks like he walked out of an old Clint Eastwood movie, i see him in the paddock all the time but never get the chance to talk to him. This guy is really good at his job, i'm guessing he spent some time in the rodeo, it reminds me of the calf ropers at the Calgary Stampede.