Parade Ring In Horse Racing

In horse racing, The Parade Ring is a real occasion to assess a horse's nervousness, quality, and physical state, right before the race whilst each horse and its jockey are parading around the racecourse for everybody's eyes.

Horse racing is a sport of high action with millions across the globe watching it live or via television. With several horse racing events held daily throughout the globe. This means that betters like us will have plenty of opportunities to find quality selections. Due to its popularity horse racing is simply one of the best sports to bet on and it is certainly a sport worth specializing in.

Horse Racing Parade Ring Basics

A Parade Ring, or a paddock, is where horses prepare to meet with their riders and parade in front of the bettors. Paying customers can also go to have a look at them in the pre-parade ring, the area where all the horses are prepared to be saddled. This gives punters the chance to make informed decisions about which horse they should place a bet on.

The Pre-Parade Ring

Racehorses are usually guided into the pre-parade ring nearly half an hour before a race is about to begin. This is so they can be walked around by their trainers for warmups, to get their blood flowing, and to evaluate their fitness and temperaments. They get saddled while they are there, and afterward, are walked to the Parade Ring for bettors to see them all at once.

Parade Ring

Nearly thirty minutes before a race begins, the racers begin to appear in the Parade Ring where bettors can evaluate the state of the horses and choose which one to bet on. While bettors are allowed to do that, only officials, owners, trainers, and coaches are permitted to go inside the Parade Ring. Experienced bettors tend to look for horses with sleek healthy coats among other attributes that determine that a horse is, in fact, in good health. Some bettors even have their good luck charms or superstitions like big ears or big hooves.

Signs of a Good Horse

The outcome of a race will ultimately come down to how a horse performs. Although a quality jockey cannot be underestimated they are ultimately nothing without a horse. Following are the signs a racehorse is in good health:

Actively Moving

A horse that is actively moving or dancing, is a good sign because this may mean that they are enthusiastic about racing. Another sign that a horse is healthy, active, and smart is that if it swishes its tail or stomps - not to keep away flies, that is, because a horse swishing its tail for no reasons may be signs of frustration or aggression.

One thing to note, however, is that if a horse starts prancing about too much out of anxiety this may end up with them either tiring or becoming more restless.

Alert Posture

If a horse holds its neck/head upright and looks at its surroundings, that means that the horse is alert and eager to go racing. Other possible indicators are the horse's ears pointing forward; and when it walks, it walks with confident, straight, and vigorous strides.

Bone & Muscle Condition

A healthy horse must have a good bone structure. A horse that is suitable for racing will usually have a lean structure, i.e., a firm athletic physique that is proportionate. Overweight horses by comparison tend to look a lot heavier at the ribcage (also called a barrel). Overweight horses also look heavy from the rear.

The muscle tone on a horse is also an important factor: a good distinct looking muscle tone around the horse's rear as well as behind its ribcage area means that the horse is strong and healthy; ultimately suitable for racing.

Healthy Eyes

Horses with bright, gleaming eyes are considered healthy horses. However, a horse showing the whites of its eyes may mean that they extremely are nervous or scared. While it is alright for a horse to show the whites of its eyes when it is racing for the first time, it may be a bad sign if the horse does not stop doing it. These are the small signs you should look for which can give you that extra bit of edge.

Calm and Collected

It is ideal for a horse to be calm, collected, and well-mannered to be eligible for racing. Any negative behavior may mean otherwise. Sometimes in a race, an overwhelming favorite odds can slide all the way down just because they do not look comfortable with their surroundings. This will be very hard for the team to turn this around so quickly.

Signs of a Horse to Avoid

It is just as important to know when to not bet on a horse as it to know when to bet on a horse.

Following are signals that a horse is not suitable for racing and should otherwise be well cared for.

Sick Composure

A horse showing little to no interest in its surroundings could either be sick, injured, or just tired -  in contrast to a confident, active, and healthy horse. A lethargic horse may also either be depressed or subject to heavy medication. Such conditions are unlikely to result in a horse competing in a race.

Visible Injury

If an injury on a horse is not visible enough, the animal showing qualities of sick composure such as lethargy and resting hooves may also mean that it is injured or sick. Some horses compete frequently so may pick up little injuries along the way that will greatly affect their performance.

Irritable

A horse constantly swishing its tail, stomping its hooves, or tossing its head without any reason may be irritable. Other signs of aggression include unwillingness to load, bucking and rearing, and pinning ears. Such horses may display generally bad behavior in the ring and could be difficult for the racers to handle.

Profusely Sweating

If a horse is not sweating profusely, it could mean that it has warmed up and is ready to race. Some horses tend to sweat more than others, too. Too much sweating may mean that the horse is nervous and anxious about what is to take place.

Hoof Stomping

Hoof stomping without any reason (like for flies), similar to tail swishing, is a sign of anger and frustration. This behavior in moderation may be also attributed to a healthy horse that is ready to race. When paired together with other unfavorable behaviors, however, this may mean that the horse is irritable or aggressive.

Whether positive or negative, all these traits observed during a horse race parade ring can help a bettor know which horse is most suitable to bet on. This method may seem overly complex at the beginning, but with enough practice, it becomes easier to choose which horse is more suitable to bet on. Talking to experts and reading up on the subject is a must if you want to master such an art.