Body language of horses must be examined but it is not the easiest thing to do. With the proliferation of horseracing being simulcast daily on a number of television stations, the important job of watching the body language of horses on the racetrack is kind of a lost art.
To be frank, even those players that just are watching feeds on TV, can glean the body language of horses from video and that can be helpful in making money.
First off, in order to have the time to devote to paying attention to a post parade on TV, the player has to do all the preliminary work before hand.
That means the pace ratings have to be analyzed, the speed figures have to be differentiated and contenders have to be weaned.
Then it’s time to watch and try to learn about the body language of horses.
Anybody who has been at the track and has watched the body language of horses come onto the track has said, or their buddy has said, ‘that horse looks sharp’.
But what does that really mean?
When watching a post parade of runners on TV, pay extra attention to the body language of horses that are literally prancing on the track, ears up, eyes alert, taking in everything about the surroundings.
A horse that is feeling good about himself will sometimes just arch its neck, bring it in close to his chest in a tucked position and also present a super shiny coat, which indicates good nourishment and good soundness.
As the runners break out and break away from each other to warm up on the track, look for a runner that seems eager to get out and stretch out without showing any obvious signs of having a hard time to extend their legs.
At this point, try to see how the horse responds in the warm up and pay attention if he is getting washy or seems to be straining to show energy.
This can quickly turn into a negative sign and brings to the fore the need to take notes for future reference when that runner comes back to compete.
To decipher a keyed up sharp horse that is ready to roll or a keyed up horse that is expending so much energy that it is unlikely to give its best effort is not a simple chore.
Think of it a bit like the way humans react to games as a pro. Some football players, like Ray Lewis back in the day, would be pumped up to the nth degree before games. Other guys, like maybe the commercial star Peyton Manning, will be able to laugh on the sidelines before a game and still play great.
Being relaxed is good; being too relaxed could be a sign of a dull horse. A horse that is just not right, one that is off his feed or has an ailment that has not yet been fully identified by the trainer, will tend to sweat and even look sort of scared.
A solid example of how money can be saved by watching the body language of horses was reinforced this past weekend when Heart to Heart raced in the $150,000 Artie Schiller at Aqueduct. This veteran broke through the gate in the Makers Mile at Keeneland this spring and could not carry his natural speed to the wire. When he broke with his field in the Knickerbocker Stakes last month, Heart to Heart took his rivals all way for this tenth career victory.
Last weekend Heart to Heart did not act up and break through the gate but he was pushed every step of the way and tired when the money was on the line.
Nothing comes easy in this life. Not a steady relationship, not a happy marriage, not a steady job. It all takes work and compromise and those that work scrutinizing how horses look at the track will be much more successful in the long run.
Obviously, watching the body language of horses is a subjective thing but with hard work, experience and attention to detail, players can get an edge if they are on the look out even before the race begins.
Body Language of Horses Must Be Examined
