How can horse races overcome their fear of starting gates?
Although the name of the horse racing starting gate varies from region to region, its function and purpose remain the same. This mechanism, known as a stanch or starting barrier, ensures fairness in horse racing. Horse racing tracks worldwide use starting gates because there aren’t any alternative options available for them.
Although starting gates are important in preparing horses and jockeys for races, their presence does not always sit well with horses. It doesn’t matter how many sales pitches a company uses to sell a starting gate; it’s not guaranteed that a racehorse will enter one, especially if they have a bad memory associated with it. Companies like Brooklynz Stainless Steel Pte. Ltd., HBD metal gate lock replacement (https://www.brooklynz.com.sg/hdb-metal-gate-repairs/) providers and gate manufacturers now even provide padding and electromagnetic devices inside the starting gates for horse and rider protection. However, for some horses, this may not be enough to overcome their fears.
Therefore, racehorses need to be familiar with starting gates and other factors that might affect their race before the race day.
Preparing horses for the big day: Starting gate training
Most racehorses do not fear the starting gates, but a few do. It depends on their temperament. To overcome fear, it is necessary to understand what it stems from. Training and competition are only possible if you can get them out of the starting blocks.
Gate training aims to make sure that racehorses are calm and confident as they approach the gates. Racehorses need to remain calm and still when standing in the gates to avoid injury to themselves or their riders. The only thing you need is patience and abundant faith, encouraging your horse to overcome its blocks.
When starting a horse’s training for the race, guiding a young horse over and through obstacles is crucial. It will help build trust and will be helpful when loading horses into trailers or horseboxes for transport. The next step is to make noise around the horse. It can be done with rattles, beating drums, or banging pipes and bells in a stable or in a nearby stable yard. By doing so, the horse will be less sensitive to noisemakers in race tracks. Even though it may seem unnecessary, horses can be stirred up by numerous sounds and noises on race day. The best thing you can do is take your racehorses to the starting gate before a race to familiarize them with the area.
The following practices can go a long way in making your starting gate training successful.
- Allow pets to sniff around and learn to trust that the gates are safe for their safety.
- For safety purposes, make sure the hbd metal gate repair is carried out beforehand by an expert like Brooklynz
- Stainless Steel Pte Ltd, who is a specialized stainless steel fabrication.
- Walk the racehorses through the gates several times
- Once the horse is comfortable walking through the gates, have a rider accompany them
- Allow the horse to stop briefly within the gates before they continue
- Make sure you practice getting in and out of the horse’s gate
- Recreate the race day atmosphere by placing another horse next to the training horse
The horse will finally learn to leave the stall once the gate opens. It will walk, run and then exit at its own pace until it can break free at a gallop. It is also essential to make hbd metal gate lock replacement before the race commences.
Inside the starting gate on a race day
Horse racing’s starting gates are located in the rear of the stall, with an entry point at the front. Here is where horses will enter to prepare for the race. After the horse has entered the enclosure, the gates are used to lock the horse behind them. As the entrance is located in the rear, the front gates will usually be closed once the horse has been placed into the gate. The front entrance is not always locked; it can be opened by a crew if necessary.
Modern horse racing, however, usually starts with the horses being lined up for a start. The starter will decide if the horses are in good health and if the race can go ahead. As soon as the horses enter the horse gates, the operator will press a button to disconnect the electric current at the start gates. This would allow all stall doors at the track to be opened simultaneously. The bell will ring to signal the start and the stop of the race. Continue Reading
