- Joined
- Sep 4, 2004
- Messages
- 15,885
- Reaction score
- 1,179
@BluntTrauma21
Using our buddy Creator again as an example, here's another way you can judge a horse by it's ears in the races themselves. Watch Creator's ears in the short piece of video that's shown after the race was done, and just before the TVG advertisement came up;
Ears pricked straight up and down if not slightly forward. That's a horse that's signalling to his rider that there's still more in the tazHC93B0OBpgnk and he'd be willing to do more running if the rider asked it of him. The horse is just waiting for the command to do so. If you watch a horse after a race that, while he may have his ears up a little, if they're leaning backwards then that's a horse who's pretty much saying "I did enough today, thanks" and really doesn't want to do any more. If watching video of these Derby runners' prep races before the Derby itself, that's one of the signs you can use that'll help you decide who can handle the 10F distance.
Here's an example of this from a couple of this year's Arkansas Derby runners. Watch the gallop out between Malagacy and Sonneteer between the 3:05 and 3:20 mark;
Malagacy's ears, which are trying to lay down to the side after the race and then start leaning back, are that of a horse saying "Oh, dear lord. Please tell this jerk on my back not to ask me to do any more today. I've done enough".
Sonneteer's ears, which are perked straight up during that portion of the gallop out, are that of a horse saying "What, that's it? Why are we slowing down? Come on dude. I still got some run in me so lets get going again and have some fun".
Last edited: