Читать книгу Beyond the Track - Anna Morgan Ford - Страница 15

If a youngster is not sold as a weanling, or if he shows promise of earning a higher price as a yearling, the owner may opt to hold on to him for a longer stretch of time. Pedigree characteristics aside, yearlings tend to bring higher prices than weanlings because they are closer to racing age, and buyers have a better idea of how the horse’s body type and conformation will develop.

Prepping yearlings takes anywhere from 60 to 90 days, during which a strict routine conditions them physically and mentally for the sale. Appearance is of utmost importance, so yearlings are kept inside during the hottest part of the day. This helps keep their coats glossy and prevents heat-related stress, which might cause weight loss. Most are groomed daily and participate in a light exercise program that generally includes hand-walking or slow work on an exercise machine, four or five days a week.

A lot of groundwork is done to teach the yearlings to have good manners and to be comfortable with being led, touched, and having their feet picked up. Their feet are routinely trimmed and painted with hoof conditioner, and some yearlings are even shod for the sale if their feet start to chip or crack.

Over the course of a sale, yearlings are put on display again and again for potential buyers to look them over. (Sales can last days or weeks; however, individual horses are generally only at the sale for two to three days as they are rotated in and out.) They must stand still while their conformation is examined, then willingly and correctly walk, and sometimes trot, along a straight line to show off their movement.

While this sounds simple, there are many distractions for the youngster to contend with. Sales barns are full of activity, and the final—and most intimidating—situation is when the youngster has to stand in the fishbowl-like environment of the sales ring in front of hundreds of people in the audience and a noisy auctioneer. Time is well spent preparing the horse for such a situation with plenty of groundwork and an opportunity to learn to trust his handler.

After the sales, some yearlings go straight into training in their new facilities, while others are given several months of turnout before they are prepared to begin their racing careers.