The Bottom Line
To most racing fans, the backstretch area is a mystery. They only see what happens in the paddock and on the track. Trainer T.A. Landers produced this very comprehensive manual to allow both aspiring horsemen and curious racing fans to understand just how involved racehorse care really is. Readers will be fascinated and surprised at how much work is needed to get a horse to the races. Strong recommendation to anybody intending to spend time around horses as a groom, owner, or trainer.
Pros
- A very comprehensive introduction to horse care for the aspiring groom or trainer
- Reader gains a better appreciation of the hard work put in by these underpaid workers
- Also useful to owners or anybody who spends time around horses
Cons
- Limited readership; would not apply to those who do not intend to work around horses
Description
- Proper Horse Handling and Restraining Methods: Halters, bits, shanks, and twitches
- Grooming, Clipping, and Washing: Pulling and braiding the mane, braiding the tail, proper bathing
- Care of the Feet: Cleaning, packing with mud, types of shoes, common foot ailments
- Feeding: Types of feed and supplements used, feeding schedules, treats, proper feed storage
- Mucking Stalls: How to muck both straw and wood shaving stalls
- Tacking Up, Untacking, and Cooling Out: Tacking for workouts and races, types of blinkers and bits
- Boots and Bandages, General Health Care: Boot and bandage types, early detection of illness
- Detecting and Treating Lameness; Ailments and Treatments: Pin-firing, liniments, internal disorders
- Common Stable Vices: identifying and discouraging bad habits in racehorses
- Miscellaneous Stable Duties: Blanketing, daily laundry, preparing horses for shipping
Guide Review - Professional Care of the Racehorse
Despite what one observes on raceday with the trainer and jockey doing most of the work, racehorse care is more than just exercise gallops, timed works, and races. In fact, the groom plays the major role in the horse's success, although much of this role is invisible to the fan. He or she spends the most time with the horse and thus, is responsible for being the first to recognize trouble (be it lameness or illness) and reporting it to the trainer. The groom must keep the stall clean (mucking), feed the racehorse the correct feed mix at the right time and in the correct amounts, ensure the horse is hydrated, and keeps the horse calm while being shod. Clearly, it is the groom's duty to keep the horse healthy and happy, which all leads to success on the racetrack.In this new revised edition of his 1995 book of the same name, Landers thoroughly describes the many techniques and equipment necessary for the groom's job, and makes extensive use of diagrams and photographs allowing the reader to visualize what needs to be done. Each technique is explained in great detail but also in a clear, concise manner, allowing the reader to eventually put this new knowledge into practice. The contents of the book are listed above, with Landers starting with the basics and gradually moving on to more advanced, but no less necessary, techniques.
A useful appendix is included, with horse anatomy diagrams, a typical groom's daily schedule, and a glossary of racing and grooming terminology.
