Horse-racing has been one of the greatest past times in Europe, Australia and the Americas. I guess it was also practiced even in my own country Sierra Leone in West Africa back in the colonial days at a race course at the east of its city, Freetown. Thus the name ‘racecourse’ has been retained to mark both the cemetery and the road leading to and passing through the country’s world renowned natural harbor, Queen Elizabeth 11 Quay popularly known as Deep Water Quay. However those days are gone. Now with few horse owners remaining, their horses are reserved mostly for occasional and casual rides and not for sports.

So when I was to make a trip to the southern part of the USA specifically, Louisville in Kentucky State, I was exhilarated to learn that horse-racing is a great pastime there where it is attracting millions of fans from all corners of the globe. I had the hope of being transformed in the process of visiting and watching it into an enthusiast myself.

Churchill Downs at the heart of central Louisville in Kentucky is the oldest continuously operated racetrack in the United States of America. As a prelude to the cherished and sought Kentucky Derby which recently had its 133rd race witnessed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11, the Kentucky Oaks featuring the top in racing compete at Churchill Downs in this also famed and classic race. First won by Vinaigrette in 1875 it stands alone as one of racing’s premier events for three-year-old fillies growing in stature among fans and horsemen to becoming now the most esteemed race in the division. The 2008 Kentucky Derby, its 134th running, took place on May 3, 2008 with 157,770 in attendance, the second largest in Derby history. Big Brown won the race by nearly 5 lengths. Eight Belles, the second place finisher and the first filly to run the Derby in nine years, was euthanized at the end of the race after fracturing both front ankles while galloping out, believed to be the first fatality in Kentucky Derby history

On every first Saturday in May, the sports world’s spotlight shines on Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby. The unique combination of history, racing legends and future stars makes the Kentucky Derby the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports, if not perhaps the greatest horse race in the world. Each year, the mile and a quarter ‘Run for the Roses’ attract the finest three year old Thoroughbreds in North America. First won by Aristides in 1875, the Kentucky Derby has become the oldest continuously held sporting event in the U.S.A and the first jewel of the Triple Crown. Together with the Kentucky Oaks, the premier filly race that runs the day before, it draws more than 290,000 race fans annually.

Churchill Downs and its fabled Twin Spires are worldwide symbols of the horse racing tradition and pride. Throughout the world, the Twin Spires are a recognized landmark that has become symbolic to Churchill Downs and “the greatest two minutes in sports”, the Kentucky Derby. Constructed in 1895, the Spires, the creation of a twenty-four-year-old draftsman, Joseph Dominic Baldez, who when asked to draw the plans for Churchill Downs’ new Grandstand, did not include the Spires in the original plan, but as he continued working on his design, felt the structure needed something to give it a striking appearance. Described as towers in the original drawing, the hexagonal spires exemplify late nineteenth century architecture, in which symmetry and balance took precedence over function. Although Baldez designed many other structures in Louisville, the Twin Spires remain an everlasting monument to him.

The Kentucky Derby’s historic racetrack is now one of the most hallowed shrines in American sport. Since its founding in 1874, it has hosted the nation’s top Thoroughbreds in competition for some of the sport’s largest awards, including the $14 million Breeders’ Cup which it had retained for a record six times.

It is amazing to witness its rapid transformation from being just a sport, to becoming a myriad of other activities all attracting public as well as international attention. A multitude of drinking, eating and betting spots in all sections of the complex divert the minds of millions of visitors. And around the vicinity are a whole network of clubs and other entertainment spots catering to different tastes. But for me, the most significant achievement is its creation of a vast museum showcasing the growth and development of this exciting sport with close attention given to every little, but fascinating, detail. By so doing it is expanding public awareness, appreciation and understanding of the Kentucky Derby and Thoroughbred racing from the past to the present for the edification of a fun-loving world. The Kentucky Derby Museum located at the first gate of Churchill Downs features temporary exhibits, a research library, educational programs for all ages, the Finish Line Gift Shop where Derby and Thoroughbred memorabilia and historical books are offered for sale and the Derby Café in two floors of exciting exhibits.

The starting gate at Churchill Downs leads us into an atmosphere of radiant sights, compelling sounds and the alluring color of the Kentucky Derby brought out in greater splendor by the whole range of interactive exhibits in the two- floored museum. The excitement of fast, racing hooves thrills us as we watch ‘The Greatest Race’ on a 360 degree high-definition video screen, whilst sitting on the floor or on a stool in the Great Hall, swiveling round to keep pace with the revolving direction from which the sound and sights are moving. It is almost like theatre-in-the-round except that here the audience is in the middle and the action starts from one point of the circle, moving round and suddenly spreading all around with the volume and thunder of rapidly advancing hooves expanding and intensifying as it does so, showing Derby races from 1918 to the present. It for instance keeps exploring the birth of a foal, onto its maturing into a race winning-horse. A time line on the exterior walls of the Great Hall displays the results of every Kentucky Derby and local and national events for each year since its inception.

Here within the first floor of the museum we spent much time listening and watching some of the best horse owners and trainers share Derby stories and jockeys reliving the best of their Derby moments. I had the pleasurable experience, like many other visitors to mount a dummy horse, and learn to ride like a jockey on a ‘Riders Up’ exhibit.

A replica of Churchill Downs’ Winners’ Circle features the current Kentucky Derby winning horse jockey and the Garland of Roses flanked by the museum’s entire collection of Kentucky Derby trophies.

At the second section of the museum we saw much of what makes a Thoroughbred. This involves a demonstration of its physical power, its life in training and the personal histories of several Kentucky Derby horses. The various exhibits explain a Thoroughbred’s conformation, motion, speed and track conditions. The Winner’s Pyramid shows how long the odds are for the owners, trainers and jockeys to move a Thoroughbred from birth to the Winner’s Circle through a combination of photographs, graphics and audio narration.

The life of a jockey and his importance as the horse’s team mate are documented and showcased in the third section of the museum with exhibits including jockey rooms, saddles, scales and equipment. ‘The Jockey Experience’ presents a photographic promenade of significant Kentucky Derby jockeys, illustrating their ethnic diversity. Kentucky Derby Hall of Champions’ highlights the ‘best-of -the-best’ owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys who have won three or more Kentucky Derby races and the horses which have won the Triple Crown. Tribute is paid to the important role of African-Americans including the greatest jockey of all times, Isaac Murphy in Thoroughbred racing. There is for instance a permanent exhibit featuring African Americans in Thoroughbred Racing. Interactive exhibits include a “Place Your Bets” exhibit that illustrates pari-mutuel wagering and the “Warner L. Jones, Jr. Time Machine”, giving us the rare pleasure of selecting footage of Derbys as far back as 1918. Recent renovations have made it possible to bring more of the sights and sounds of the track to the facility, affording visitors like us the luxury to participate in more “hands-on” activities. One can even be a jockey and ride in a race.

Need a good horse racing betting system?

Horse racing can be very tricky especially if you do not know which method to use for a result, which will make you earn lot of money. This is the reason why people want to know more and more methods about finding out the winner of races.

People differ in their opinion when it comes to finding out which racing newspaper should be used to base the results of a betting system. However, it is a well-known fact that ‘The Racing Post’ is the most trusted newspaper, on which many horse racing betting system are based.

This horse racing betting system too uses the newspaper above for its deduction. The system is called assasin method. The system requires you to use all information about races which have twelve or less runners, it is important that these races should also have speed ratings.

This horse racing betting system also requires that all the horses participating in the races should have a rating too, you should not take those races into consideration where a quarter or more horses do not have any ratings. You should note the horses, which have highest rating in each race you also require to ignore those races where there are more than one horse which is top rated.

Elimination will help you arrive at a list of potential bets; you can start eliminating further to arrive at the resultant most probable winner bet. To arrive at this result you require eliminating:-

Any of those horses whose rivals do not have any or no form behind them are to be ignored.

Any of those horses, which are returning after a long time or are coming in only for the season, are to be ignored again;

Any of those horses, which have not earned a place in at least two out of three last outings, are to be ignored;

Any of those horses, which have not participated for the same distance it is now participating, should be ignored too.

All those horses, remaining after this elimination should be considered for as best bets to bet on, this is one what you require to do in one of the horse racing betting system.

Though this horse racing betting system has been designed after making a careful study, none of the betting system ensure that you will win if you go according to that betting system, therefore it is important that you do not bet with that money, which is important to you, or the one which cannot be spared.

The reason being if you lose in this horse racing betting system, you will surely tend to lose important money, which could further jeopardize your financial situation at home. All the horse racing betting systems are speculation therefore, betting should be done through these systems only if you have enough spare money with you not otherwise.

In last week’s article on horse head injuries, I introduced you to a horse with a skull fracture. And even though horse head injuries like that one appear pretty gruesome on the outside, the horse’s brain emerged from the incident unscathed. Today, I’ll tell you why and how you use this information to know whether or not your equine vet needs to come to your barn for an emergency call in the even of a head injury.

Your horse is a pretty good sized animal. So you would think he has a pretty good sized brain. He doesn’t. Even a 2000-pound Clydesdale has a brain about the size of a baked potato. Not to sound flippant, but that’s one reason horses don’t sustain many serious brain injuries. There just isn’t that much brain up there to injure.

But thankfully, the single most important part of the horse’s skeleton is also the strongest. It’s the assembly of bones and connective tissue known as the “brain box.”

The brain box consists of a series of bones and a lot of fiber-osseus tissue that protect the brain extremely well. The parietal bone protects it from the top. The occipital bone has its back.

The bottom is shielded by the base of the mandible (jawbone – not shown in this picture) along with all of the spongy cartilage, ligaments, and tendons that allow the jaw to move up and down freely.

Your horse’s ligaments and tendons act kind of like shock absorbers for your car. The more healthy ligaments and tendons your horse has in the brain box, the more likely he is to come out of a head injury without any real brain damage to speak of.

That’s the upside. Here’s the downside…

The brain box, as strong as it is, is rather small; there’s not a lot of unused space in the middle of all those bones and protective tissue. If your horse hits his head hard enough, his brain will swell. And there’s not a lot of room for it to do that. This, more than anything else, complicates treatment. And for horses who have sustained permanent brain damage – this unchecked swelling is the most likely reason.

In order for a horse to hurt himself badly enough to cause brain swelling, his head has to impact a hard surface at high speed. That almost always come when a horse rears so high that he falls over backwards and tags his head on a wall, a fallen log, or a concrete floor.

If he connects with the immovable object with enough velocity to damage the brain box, he could give himself a brain hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain box), which means swelling. That is a true emergency: if your horse has swelling in the area of the brain box (see above graphic), you need to get your vet to your horse pronto.

You might be asking “Sierra, how can I prevent this from happening to my horse?”

Glad you asked. The short answer is control rearing on or near hard surfaces.

You know better than anyone what scares your horse. And while you can never be totally sure what he’ll spook at, you can take some action if he gets out of hand.

If you’re horse is in close quarters and becomes just a little spooked, you can probably calm him down with a gentle hand and pleasant tone of voice.

But if your horse is so mortified that all he wants to do is rear and you can’t stop him from doing it, get him out of the area as quickly as you can. And if he’s on a concrete surface, get him off of it. ASAP.

Take all horse head injuries seriously. Just because the brain box is very strong doesn’t mean it he can’t injure it. If your horse hits his head hard enough – God forbid – it could, indeed, result in swelling of the brain. Equine vets have a hard time treating these injuries. I’m sure when I graduate from vet school, I’ll eventually have to do it. But I’m not looking forward to it, that’s for sure.

Did the horse trailer — often called a “horsebox” in Europe — play any role in the Old West? Were horses often transported rather than ridden, and if so, what was the most common way?

I suspect that transporting a herd of horses or any group of horses without riders was generally done by railroad, once the railroad had moved into the West to any extent. And I also suspect that, prior to widespread presence and use of the railroad, most horses were simply herded by riders on horseback as were cattle. (They called them “cowboys,” but obviously, they road horses.)

But in doing some research for a different article horse transports or horseboxes, and I actually couldn’t find any definitive information about when the horse trailer (or horsebox) was “invented” or first came into wide use.

One article in Wikipedia suggested the horsebox or horse trailer was developed during the 1800s by town and village fire departments who would use horse drawn ambulance wagons to actually transport injured but “salvageable” horses back from fire scenes to get them to the town veterinarian for speedy care.

I also discovered that “mass transport” of horses in Europe via boat can be traced in artwork back to the Romans and in tapestries of scenes from the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

But what about the horsebox or trailer? Such vehicles range today in form and function from simple wagons to elaborate stables-on-wheels, often built to accommodate more than one horse as well as having “living quarters” of a sort for people who tend the horses. It almost seems silly to call such rolling homes boxes or trailers, doesn’t it?

However, did such horse transport methods play a role in life in the Old West? It would be hard to think of a vehicle from the 1800s and early 1900s that would have pulled anything equivalent to these trailers — except, perhaps, for the fire ambulances suggested above.

No doubt you’ve heard the old phrase “Less is more.” Never is that more true than when it comes to horse training.

Don’t make the matter complicated for yourself or confusing for your horse; use only the equipment and accessories that you deem absolutely necessary and keep your directives simple, clear and easy to understand.

If you are starting a baby green horse you naturally will begin with short ground work sessions. Keep your requests to a minimum, make sure you are not confusing your horse, and always always end on a positive note.

Stick with tasks that you completely understand and feel confident in your ability to execute. Stay calm and if either you or the horse are showing signs of frustration, immediately take a step back and return to doing something that you both understand so that you are able to wrap up the session with optimum success.

Remember that not every day will lead to progress. However; you do not want to digress. Make sure you’re not expecting too much, too soon (from either yourself or your horse). If you feel you have reached a plateau and cannot make any progress with your horse, consider enlisting the assistance of a professional trainer. Remember though that not all trainers are experts (no matter what they tell you). Make a thoughtful, careful and conscientious decision about who you hire to help with training if you get to a point where you’re certain you cannot do this on your own.

To start your horse, it’s important that you have access to, or create, a round pen. Approximately 60′ in diameter is a very good size. Work the horse off the lunge line at first. Simply drive him forward, directing your energy clearly toward his hind end/ back inside hip. You should have a lunge whip (6′ or so is a good length) so that you can give your horse a bit of a sting on his backside if he does not move.

When he moves forward relax your posture but keep your focus and energy on his hind quarters. If he slows down or turns in drive him forward. Use the lunge whip to reinforce your directive when it is needed.

Do not be afraid to give the horse one good smack on his hind end to make him move. One sharp warning is far more effective than ten nagging little taps (those taps only teach your horse to ignore you).

Note that one good smack is generally all it takes. You want to show your horse necessary discipline then leave him alone. It is the release of pressure that teaches him, not the pain itself. Repeatedly inflicting any pain on your horse teaches him only to fear you and you will not get the response and respect you need to develop a partnership that’s conducive to long-term learning and development.

To stop the horse, firmly say whoa ONCE and step out in front of him. He may stop or he may turn and go the other way. If he stops, verbally praise him. If the horse is not shy or nervous about your approach, this would be a good time to calmly approach his shoulder, look at the ground as you do this (remember; you are a predator and you do not want to put him on edge) and give him a gentle rub on the withers or shoulder. Then step away and send him off in the opposite direction.

If the horse did not stop, but turned and went the other way, go with that and drive him in the new direction. Eventually he will tire and want to stop, at which time you can begin to associate the ‘whoa’ word with the reward of stopping and getting some much needed air.

When the horse is off the lunge line do NOT try to get him to stop by repeatedly yelling “Whoa, WHOA!” or running in front of him waving your arms. Despite what some humans appear to believe, loud noise and frantic movement don’t help to educate your horse.

When the horse is moving forward, stopping and turning in the round pen off the lead line you can attach a rope and begin to reinforce your instructions with calm, clear directives. You can always find helpful DVDs and information online. Even in rural areas, satellite internet connections allow you to quickly download up to date and helpful horse training information from respected clinicians.

The Oldenburg horses name is derived from the horse’s origins; Oldenburg is a city within lower Saxony, Germany. Modern day Oldenburg horses are controlled by the “Association of breeders of the Oldenburg horse”.

Summary

Oldenburg horses are bred for performance and quality; they excel in dressage and showjumping. On the flat the Oldenburg has incredible animated rhythmical gaits, with a great deal of suspension, Oldenburg horses are also extremely accurate over fences; they are bold and have a powerful jump with plenty of scope.

Characteristics

As a result of the Oldenburg’s open studbook, the substance and height of the individual horse will vary depending on the horse’s ancestry. Oldenburg’s are usually bay, brown, chestnut, grey, or black. You can find horses for sale with these characteristics on a good classified advertising website or from a recommended horse dealers.

History and development

The Oldenburg warmblood registry came about in 1923.The Oldenburg’s history lies with the native horse of Oldenburg, the Alt-Oldenburg, meaning old Oldenburg. The Alt-Oldenburg was a general type of horse, a heavier warmblood horse used for agricultural purposes and carriage work. In the 1940s and 1950s horses we replaced by tractors and cars, so the horse became a luxury rather than a requirement so there became a need for a lighter type of riding horse.

The Alt-Oldenburg was refined by infusing Thoroughbred and Anglo-Norman blood. The infusion of the French blood lines proved to be the most successful.

Modern breeding practises such as artificial insemination have allowed stallions from much further afield to be included in the Oldenburg’s meticulous breeding programme to improve the breed; the infusion of various illustrious sport horse bloodlines has made the Oldenburg one of the words leading sport horses.

Hanoverian Horses

The Hanoverian is a continental warmblood horse, the Hanoverian originates from Germany, from the area known as lower Saxony, this area was the former kingdom of Hannover, and this is where the Hanoverian warmbloods name is derived from.

Summary

The Hanoverian warmblood is extremely distinguished; it is one of the oldest most established continental warmbloods, an extremely high achiever that excels in equestrian sport, such as dressage, eventing and show jumping. Hanoverian warmbloods are enormously popular horses and are found on all five continents, this is down to the fantastic attributes of the Hanoverian Warmblood horse.

Characteristics

The Hanoverian warmblood horse usually stands from 15.2 to 17.2 hands. They are usually bay, grey, chestnut, brown or black. Hanoverian warmblood horses are bred for performance, consequently the Hanoverian warmblood is a well built, strong athletic horse with fantastic paces and exceptional jumping form. Classified advertising websites are a good place to find these types for Horses for sale from private and professional sellers.

History

The Hanoverian stud book formally started in 1888, but breeding records date back to the early 1700s, when the Hanoverian warmblood was bred for coach and army work. The Hanoverian horse became one of the most sought horses in Europe. After the Second World War the Hanoverian warmblood horse was bred for performance, as there was high demand for quality riding horses and competition horses.

The Holstein warmblood horse name is derived from its place of origin, the province of Schleswig-Holstein.

Summary

The modern day Holstein horse is a top class all round horse that excels at dressage and show jumping.The Holstein is of international standard. Many of todays top showjumping and dressage horses are Holsteins.

Characteristics

Registered Holstein horses carry the Holstein brand which is depicted by an “H” in crowned shield. Registered Holstein horses usually stand between 16 to 17 hands and can only be bay, chestnut, black, grey or brown. No other colours are permitted. The Holstein horse height and build vary on the individual horses parentage, but overall the Holstein has a muscular strong body and powerful hind quarters which gives the Holstein excellent jumping ability. History The Holstein is thought to be the oldest of all the continental horse breeds, their ancestry can be followed back to the 13th century.

The Holstein horses were used as war horses in the middle ages, the In the 16th and 17th century there was a need for coach horses, so the heavier war horse was refined using Neapolitan, Barbary and Spanish bloodlines, to develop a lighter type of horse, that was suitable for coach work. Later on in the 19th century there was a need for a more athletic faster coach horse consequently the Holstein was improved by adding blood from Yorkshire coach horses, which themselves were high in thoroughbred blood.

In the 1960s the Holstein breed was refined once again, using Thoroughbred blood from Britain and Ireland. The breeders were also aware of the success that the breeder of the Oldenburg had when they infused French blood, as a result of the Holstein breeders also introduced French blood in to the Holstein breed.