I’ve read of good race horses being required to carry 130+ lbs against younger or less successful horses carrying much less. I thought it was to give a younger horse more of a chance but isn’t a race about which horse is fastest? Why is a better horse penalized & how do they determine the weights?
The idea of weight allowances, or assignment of weights to handicap a horse, is to try to even things out by making the better horses carry more weight and giving the less-successful horses a chance by giving them a lighter weight.
All the weights that racehorses carry start with The Jockey Club Scale of Weights as the basis. The website gives the Scale of Weights: http://horseracing.about.com/library/blscale.htm
The weights in these tables are the "starting point" for weight assignments for all Thoroughbred races in America. (There is a different Scale of Weights for Thoroughbred races in Britain/Europe, with somewhat heavier weights.)
When a Racing Secretary is writing the races he’s going to put in the Condition Book (this is the list of future races to be run at a race meeting), he starts with the Scale Weight as his basis.
How adjustments are made to the weight assignment depends on the kind of race it is. In most races, the weight each individual horse carries is determined by the conditions of the race.
Here is an example from the Pimlico Condition Book for the current meeting: (This is the first race for the day before the Preakness, this coming Friday, 05/15: http://www.pimlico.com/NR/exeres/E5D0865F-B0C2-4BB0-8F85-A54BC3D52A85,frameless.htm?MeetStartDate=18%2f04%2f2009&RaceDay=15%2f05%2f2009)
"Purse $30,000. For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old and Upward Which have never won a race other than Maiden, Claiming or Starter or Which have never won two races.
Three Year Olds 119 lbs.
Older 124 lbs.
"Non-winners of a race other than Claiming at a mile or over since March 15 2 lbs.
"Such a race since February 15 4 lbs. "
Basically, three-year-olds will carry 119 pounds, four year olds 124 pounds. The maximum weight allowance is four pounds, given to any horse which has not won a race other than a claiming race at a distance of a mile or more are allowed 4 pounds. So the lightest weight any horse would carry would be 115 pounds, for a three-year-old with the maximum weight allowance. Top weight would be 124 pounds for an older horse that cannot claim an allowance. So top to bottom there is a weight spread of 9 pounds between the horses considered best and the horses considered worst.
Every handicapper uses their own formula for determining how to allocate weight. The rule I was brought up on is that 1 lb weight = 1/5 second of time = 1 length at distances of at least a mile, as long as the weights are above scale weight.
Basically, using this rule, the racing secretary who wrote the conditions for the race I’m using as an examples sees a 9 length difference between the strongest horses and the weakest horses if they were all carrying equal weights. And he attempts to equalize things by calling for weight allowances.
In a handicap race, which is a race where the racing secretary assigns the weights, the handicapper looks at the performance of the specific horses that are entered, the weights they have carried, how well the horses have done in similar races, and whether any of the horses have raced against each other, and he assigns weights in an attempt to equalize things.
To cite an example, when Man O’ War was racing, he gave up to 32 pounds weight to some opponents and still beat them. When his owner Sam Riddle asked racing secretary Walter Vosburgh what weights Vosburgh would assign to Man O’ War if the great champion raced as a 4-year-old. Vosburgh unhesitatingly said that since Man O’ War had already won with 138 pounds as a three-year-old, he would assign Man O’ War more weight than he’d ever assigned to any other horse. Riddle immediately decided to retire the horse.
Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed
Iam just beginning dressage so I need one that is expierenced in the first level at least
You can browse "Phoenix" on www.craigslist.com in the pets section to see if there are any ads with such a horse for sale.
Also, you can check out the forum and get to know people at the Arizona Dressage Association website here – http://www.azdressage.org/
There may also be ads in the local papers like the Arizona Republic & East Valley Tribune.
Checking around at feed/tack stores and local stables is also a good idea. Not only might there be ads posted but the people in the shops/stables might know of a horse for sale, too.
If you’re willing to wait, the Scottsdale arabian horse show will be held next year, in February I think. There are always LOTS of for sale ads and horses on property that are for sale. And it is a great place to meet horse people and make some connections to help you network among them. Plus, it’s a fantastic multi-day event with a lot of great classes and events, shopping, and dining.
hi, just trying to find out if derby horse sales is on this saturday? does anyone know? if so what time does it start? the one in england by the way. any one no if its any good ?
hi its always on the second and fourth saturday of the month i havent been for a while but i heard it gets about 35 to 40 horses in
My horse is a Spanish Mustang/paint horse and I noticed a white spot by his flank and now im starting to find small streaks of white but he is only 9 years old so its not grey hair. Is it possible that he is turning into a paint color?
do you have any before and after pics? Also if he is mixed with a paint then it’s probably just his colors coming out late. My friends horse is a flea bitten gray paint and arabian that"s 1O and his paint markings are coming out. And you know how grays start out light and get darker. Hope this helps!
I have a barn to board at ect. but finding a horse I like it hard. Is there anyway to find arabian horses in Pennsylvania? I tried Dreamhorse.com Equine.com Equinenow.com. I’ve always had the fantasy of having a black arabian trained in hunter jumper…I jsut need to know where I can get one! Also, if I boarded and went up the the farm and helped out everyday or every couple days would they knock the board down a little?
If you go to shipshewana indianna i got my registerd 6 year old traind arabian at a auction for only $600 and it was perfect…so you could take a drive dow there and you could look at petfinder they have like some with a adoption fee for only like $100…AND THEY ARE IN PENNSYLVANIA
I have a friend who’s a very good horse trainer…trained horses basically all her life. Anyway, we live in Idaho, & I was wondering what a reasonable price would be for training a horse, say for a month.?
Thanks in advance!
She trains western only. Breaks the wildest of colts, & does it really really well.
She trains from roping to reining, to basically everything western.
If she’s good, has nice facilities, and known in the area for being good, $400-700. Depending on boarding and all the other things.
Saddle breaking should be more. Dressage, reining, and cutting, even more. Barrel racing, other speed events, jumping, team penning, roping, should be a tad less.
Palomino horses are golden in color. Horse breeders have found that these?
Palomino horses are golden in color. horse breeders have found that these
horses do not breed true (offspring are not always palomino). One horse breeder kept
records of the types of offspring produced when breeding palominos. The types of
offspring were as follows:
65 Palomino, 32 cream-colored, 34 chestnut (reddish brown)
What is the probable mode of inheritance of palomino coloration?
A Palomino bred to Palomino it gives:
25% Cremello
50% Palomino
Palomino bred to chestnut:
Never gives cremello
50% Palomino
Cremello bred to chestnut:
100% Palomino
And sometimes a ideal chestnut for Palomino production is the red cherry red with flaxen mane & tail.
I have been using dream horse, equine, AG direct and horsetopia.
So far dreamhorse is the only one that has given me anything worth while.
I’m just looking for a good, young horse that I can train for eventing in the Great Lakes area. I don’t know if anyone knows of some good horses (preferably low in price.. I’m not looking for amazing I’m just looking for potential) but if anyone has any ideas or any other websites that yield good results, please let me know.
Thanks!
http://www.equinenow.com
http://www.equinehits.com
http://www.craigslist.com
http://www.petfinder.com
My horse needs to be under 500 dollars. And if you don’t know a site but you or your friend have a horse for sale for that price email me please
Please know one say that we should save more money, we have gotten 2 beginner ponies that my daughter has grown out of for under 300 dollars.
I am sorry I forgot to say where I live. I live in WI.
Thank you all for being concerned about making sure that the horse is ok. We are making sure any of the horses we even consider buying we visit them first and make sure there is a gaurentee with them
I don’t know if you have access to this or not so I’m giving it to you just in case. my email is silverboy470@yahoo.com
And if you have anything to ask say or what ever feel free to email me.
http://www.equine.com actually has a section for FREE horses.
I would suggest a free lease, so when you are done with the horse you can give it back to the owner, rather than have to find it a new home.
Since you have had horses in the past, or currently have them, you already know that the purchase price is nothing compared to the cost of upkeep.
I spend about $3000 per year, per horse, for vet, farrier and feed, and I get most of the services for less because of quantity discounts..
I have found a wonderful horse. My parents say that they know I am responsible, mature, and committed to owning a horse. Mom had said that she wanted to lease a horse first, so I get to bond with the horse and to see if the horse and I connect. Now she says we aren’t going to, and she won’t tell me why. She and dad said that we can afford a horse, and everything, but she still won’t give. I have tons of horse experience- riding, training, and vet care. I have found an amazing place to board a horse, where we have to pay almost nothing- I just work off most of the board. I am getting certified in trimming and shoeing, so that gets rid of another cost. All my parents have to pay for is the initial cost of the horse which they said they could handle. Please help me!
Sorry. I don’t know what to tell you. You seem to have a good argument in your favor, but there must be something that your parents a afraid of. And by afraid I don’t mean that they are scared of anything, just maybe if they say that they know you’re mature enough and so on, maybe they’re are just worried that it will come down to them being the ones to take care of it in the end. Sometimes parents have a way with saying one thing, but really meaning another. I know…I am one. I think if you give them time, and really present your side of it, you may be able to get their approval. It just might take more time than you are willing to wait. I would definately try to find out the real reason that they changed their minds. They might just have a good one. 