The Top 16 Gear Changes For Your Horse And Why They are Used
Do You KNOW WHAT ALL THE GEAR CHANGES MEAN- The Top 16 Gear Changes
Racehorses often wear various types of gear during training and races to enhance their performance, safety, and comfort. Each piece of gear serves a specific purpose, and the combination used can vary depending on the horse's needs, behavior, and the preferences of the trainer or jockey. Here's an explanation of some of the most common gear changes for racehorses:
1. Blinkers
- Purpose: Blinkers are hood-like devices with eye covers that limit a horse's peripheral vision. They help keep the horse focused on the race by preventing distractions from other horses, the crowd, or objects in the environment.
- Common Use: Used for horses that are easily distracted or have a tendency to veer off course.
2. Cheek Pieces
- Purpose: These are strips of sheepskin attached to the bridle on either side of the horse’s face. They serve a similar purpose to blinkers but are less restrictive, helping the horse to stay focused without completely blocking its side vision.
- Common Use: For horses that need some guidance in staying on track but do not require full blinkers.
3. Noseband or Shadow Roll
- Purpose: A shadow roll is a padded band placed across the horse’s nose. It helps lower the horse’s head and encourages it to focus on the ground ahead rather than looking up and around.
- Common Use: Used for horses that tend to lift their heads too high, which can affect their balance and speed.
4. Tongue Tie
- Purpose: A tongue tie is a piece of cloth or elastic that ties the horse's tongue to the lower jaw. It prevents the tongue from moving too much, which can obstruct breathing or cause the horse to choke on its tongue during a race.
- Common Use: For horses that have breathing issues or tend to get their tongues over the bit.
5. Muzzle
- Purpose: A muzzle may be used to prevent a horse from biting or eating inappropriately before or during a race.
- Common Use: For horses with behavioral issues or those that are prone to biting or eating non-food items.
6. Bits
- Purpose: A bit is a piece of metal or synthetic material that goes in the horse’s mouth, connected to the bridle and reins. Different types of bits can be used to control the horse’s speed, direction, and head carriage.
- Common Use: Depending on the horse's behavior and the jockey's preference, different bits (e.g., snaffle, curb, or gag) are used to achieve better control.
7. Martingale
- Purpose: A martingale is a piece of equipment that prevents the horse from raising its head too high, helping to maintain proper head carriage and control.
- Common Use: Used for horses that tend to throw their heads up, which can cause the rider to lose control.
8. Breastplate
- Purpose: A breastplate is a strap that goes across the horse's chest and attaches to the saddle. It prevents the saddle from sliding back during a race.
- Common Use: For horses with a tendency to shift the saddle back, which can affect balance and performance.
9. Bandages and Boots
- Purpose: These protect the horse’s legs from injury during the race. Bandages provide support to the tendons, while boots protect against impact injuries.
- Common Use: For all horses, particularly those with a history of leg injuries or those running on hard or rough surfaces.
10. Hood
- Purpose: A hood is a cover for the horse's ears and head, often used to muffle noise and keep the horse calm.
- Common Use: For nervous or easily spooked horses that are sensitive to loud sounds.
11. Visor
- Purpose: Similar to blinkers, but with a slit that allows a limited amount of side vision.
- Common Use: For horses that need some focus but benefit from seeing a bit of what's happening around them.
12. Pacifiers
- Purpose: A pacifier is a mesh covering over the horse’s face that helps calm nervous horses by reducing visual stimuli and preventing them from seeing too much.
- Common Use: For anxious or easily stressed horses.
13. Tongue Clip
- Purpose: A tongue clip is a metal device that holds the horse’s tongue down, similar to a tongue tie, to prevent it from obstructing the airway.
- Common Use: For horses with breathing problems or that tend to move their tongues excessively.
14. Ear Plugs
- Purpose: Ear plugs are used to reduce the noise heard by the horse, helping to calm them and prevent them from getting spooked by loud sounds.
- Common Use: For horses that are particularly sensitive to noise.
15. Cross Noseband
- Purpose: A cross noseband, also known as a figure-eight or grackle noseband, is used to keep the horse's mouth closed and prevent it from evading the bit by opening its mouth.
- Common Use: For horses that are prone to resisting the bit or that have strong jaws.
16. Crupper
- Purpose: A crupper is a strap that runs from the back of the saddle under the horse's tail to prevent the saddle from sliding forward.
- Common Use: For horses with low withers or those prone to the saddle moving forward.
Each piece of gear has its specific role in managing a horse's behavior, improving its performance, or ensuring its safety. The combination of gear used on a racehorse is tailored to its individual needs and can be adjusted based on experience and observation by the trainer and jockey.
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Luke Murrell
August 16, 2024
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Australian Bloodstock have a knack of buying high-class European imports and they look to have another brilliant one on their hands in the shape of the Joseph O’Brien-trained Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett), who advertised his Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) potential with an ultra-dominant performance in the Irish St Leger (Gr 1, 1m 6f) at the Curragh on Sunday. Australian Bloodstock purchased the dual Group 1-winning son of Coolmore’s star shuttler Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) at the end of last month with the Flemington showpiece on the first Tuesday in November in mind and he more than justified their faith with an imperious display in the final Classic of the European season. Winning rider Dylan Browne McMonagle was recording his first Classic win with this success, and his mount moved powerfully through the pack from off the pace before sprinting four lengths clear of King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) winner Amiloc (Postponed) to end the three-year-old’s unbeaten run. Al Qareem (Awtaad) was third, another four and a quarter lengths off the pace. Bookmakers in Europe responded by slashing Al Riffa’s price for the Melbourne Cup to 6-1 favourite ($7) from 12-1 ($13). O’Brien said: “We knew the guys that were guaranteed stayers were going to try to expose the stamina of those that weren’t, and the pace was really strong. “Dylan was cool on the horse and confident. He’s been a great horse for us, he always turns up and runs his race and I’m delighted for the ownership group. “It was a gruelling race, but we’ll freshen him up and hopefully get him to the Melbourne Cup. “He’s two for two now since he’s gone up in trip and he has the right attributes. He settles well, he has a turn of foot, and he stays. Hopefully we have a smooth preparation.” Lovett added: “He was perfectly prepared by Joseph and his team, and we’re delighted to be a part of it. “He wasn’t a hard horse to identify when he went out to 2800 metres last time. That convinced us that he might be the horse to try to win the Melbourne Cup. “He’ll need to carry weight because they won’t miss him, but I feel sure he’s the right horse to do that. “Joseph knows how to win the race, and we have four Melbourne Cups between us.” Australian Bloodstock have a proven track record with northern hemisphere imports, highlighted by their 2022 Melbourne Cup triumph with fellow French-bred Gold Trip (Outstrip), while they tasted success in the Flemington showpiece for the first time in 2014 with Protectionist (Monsun), who was bred in Germany. This year Australian Bloodstock will likely also be represented in the race by last year’s favourite Vauban (Galiway), who they purchased last year and relocated him from Willie Mullins to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. Jamie Lovett, director of Australian Bloodstock, confirmed to ANZ News last month that the horse will stay in training with O’Brien and, while the Melbourne Cup is the entire’s main aim, he could also venture on an international campaign which could include both Dubai and Hong Kong. Before Sunday, Al Riffa had tasted elite-level success on two previous occasions, his first coming in the National Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) as a two-year-old, while he also took out last year’s Grosser Preis von Berlin (Gr 1, 2400m) in Germany. Bred by Sarl De Chambure Haras D’Etreham Et Al in France, Al Riffa is the third foal out of the unraced Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mare Love On My Mind, herself a sister to Group 3 winner and Ascot Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m 4f) second Mizzou. Like the owners, O’Brien will be aiming to win the Melbourne Cup for a third time, having won it first with Rekindling (High Chaparral) in 2017, before Twilight Payment (Teofilo) handed the trainer a second victory in the Group 1 in 2020. Al Riffa is still entire so could follow in the footsteps of Gold Trip who now stands at Lovatsville in Victoria for a fee of $8,800 (inc GST).
European stayer Al Riffa will attempt to give Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien a third win in the Melbourne Cup having been purchased by Australian Bloodstock. But Al Riffa will not remain in Australia post the Melbourne Cup and will chase lucrative prize money targets on the world stage. Al Riffa has been purchased by Australian Bloodstock with the express view of winning this year’s Melbourne Cup after which he will travel to Hong Kong for the International meeting in December and to the Dubai World Cup meeting in March. Jamie Lovett of Australian Bloodstock said Al Riffa would remain in the care of O’Brien who has previously won the Melbourne Cup with Rekindling in 2017 and Twilight Payment in 2020. Lovett said Al Riffa would run in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on September 14 and form part of the second shipment of horses into Melbourne for the Spring Carnival . Al Riffa attracted the attention of Australian Bloodstock after his victory in the Group 2 Curragh Cup on July 19. “He’s the obvious horse, for the want of a better term,” Lovett told SEN. “We weren’t the only ones that would have identified him and like a lot of these horses, it’s a process. “He’s been a horse with a good profile and after his last win, his first time over a mile-and-a-half, he had a flashing light, and the two miles should be no problem for him. “Talking to Joseph O’Brien, he will have one more run in the traditional path in the Irish St Leger on the weekend of September 14 and with the Ballydoyle arrangement he can quarantine in Ireland.” Lovett said the new ownership group of Al Riffa is worldwide, adding they not only wanted a horse to run in the Melbourne Cup, but to win the race. “The majority of the horse is actually owned by some expats in Europe and Dubai,” Lovett said. “It’s good knowing you can go in boots and all knowing you have that support, and some Australian-based owners that have come into the horse as well. “From our point of view, it gives the owners the opportunity to travel abroad with him. There is the opportunity to go onto Hong Kong and then hopefully onto the Dubai World Cup meeting. “We’ll make arrangements for him to stay in Melbourne post the Melbourne Cup Carnival and then make his way up to Hong Kong in December.”
Melbourne Cup (G1)-winning syndicators Australian Bloodstock have purchased dual group 1 winner Al Riffa . The talented son of Wootton Bassett , who dominantly scored a five-length romp in the Curragh Cup (G2) July 19, will remain in training in Ireland with Joseph O'Brien and be aimed at the Melbourne Cup, a race the trainer has won twice before with Twilight Payment in 2020 and Rekindling in 2017. While Australian Bloodstock director Jamie Lovett stressed the group 1 on the first Tuesday in November is the main target for the 5-year-old, the horse could also venture on an international campaign, which could include both Dubai and Hong Kong. "We wanted a horse that could come down and not just be competitive, but be good enough to win a Melbourne Cup," Lovett told ANZ News. "So the fact that (his last start win) was his first time beyond a mile and a half at the Curragh last start, so he has clearly ticked that box, he couldn't have been more impressive. He's staying with Joseph and will likely head to Hong Kong and hopefully on to World Cup night in Dubai. That was a big tick for our owners because that was the brief—to find us a horse that we could travel abroad with." Lovett confirmed Al Riffa—whose two group 1 wins have come in the 2022 National Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old and the 2024 Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1)—will be given one final European run before his journey south for the Cup Nov. 4. "It's my understanding talking to Joseph, he'll run in the Irish St Leger mid-September, and that'll be his last run and then he'll quarantine at Ballydoyle before coming down into Victoria." Australian Bloodstock has a proven track record with Northern Hemisphere imports, highlighted by their 2022 Melbourne Cup triumph with French-bred Gold Trip , while they tasted success in the Flemington showpiece for the first time in 2014 with Protectionist, another bred in Europe. This year, they will also be represented in the race by last year's favorite Vauban , who they purchased last year, and Lovett believes Al Riffa fits their criteria. "There's obviously plenty of filters, and historically buying horses at the top of the weights for a big handicap can be flawed. But I think Gold Trip taught me that class carries you a long way and this horse is obviously a very, very good horse. "He is a group 1 winner in Germany, but more importantly, he has form behind Rebel's Romance. In my mind, I don't think we've found the ceiling with this horse. I think Joseph made a similar comment that he's still a horse on the up; he's not heavily taxed. "He's only had 14 starts, and I just feel he was the right horse for the brief that we had to go and purchase. There's a few local owners coming into the horse, but the majority of the horse was purchased by European clients and some clients in Dubai." Al Riffa is the third foal out of the unraced Galileo mare Love On My Mind, herself a sister to group 3 winner and 2016 Ascot Gold Cup (G1) second Mizzou.
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