When a racehorse is ready to be tacked up for exercise, they have been fed and groomed and are tied to a chain in the back of the stall. A racehorse’s tack for exercise consists of a bridle, yoke or martingale, saddle towel, saddle pad, exercise saddle and girth, and a set of bandages.
The first step in tacking up the horse is putting the bandages on. The trainer will either assign four bandages or two, and they may go on the front legs or the back legs. The bandages will usually be polo wraps, galloping bandages, or Vetrap (stretchy, self-adhesive bandages).
Next, put the yoke or martingale over the horse’s neck, with the buckle on the left, or near side, of the horse. From the left side of the horse (most tasks completed with racehorses are completed from the left side of the horse), lay the saddle towel flat over the horse’s back, so that there are even amounts of the towel on each side of the spine. The trainer’s insignia, symbol, or initials should be in the corner of the towel that hangs behind the saddle. Place the back hem of the saddle towel just behind where the cantle of the saddle will go. The front hem of the saddle towel should lay flat about halfway up the horse’s neck. Fold it back so that the fold rests just above the horse’s withers. Take the saddle pad (foam or fleece), and lay it over the saddle towel so that they are aligned in the front. Next, place the saddle on top so that the pommel rests just behind the front of the saddle towel and pad. Place your hand under the saddle towel and clear the space beneath it, pushing the saddle towel off of the withers.
Now it’s time for the girth. Starting on the right or far side of the horse, buckle the non-elastic end of the girth (some girths have elastic on both ends–situate the girth so that the ring in the middle faces front) to first or second hole of the billets–the straps that attach the girth to the saddle. Pass the girth through the loop of the martingale or yoke, then carefully buckle the girth to the first or second hole of the billets. The girth should always be raised gradually, hole-by-hole, with especial care to be taken when girthing up racehorses. Thoroughbreds’ skin is thinner and more sensitive than the skin of other breeds, and can be easily bothered by the girth.
Just before the horse’s turn to exercise, bridle the horse. From the left side of the horse, gently put the bit in the horse’s mouth, then pass the crownpiece over the horse’s ears. Buckle the noseband to allow two fingers between the strap and the horse’s jaw. Do the same with the throatlatch, except allow four fingers. Attach the martingale. There are two basic types of martingales. The running martingale (most commonly used for racehorses) is passed through by both reins. The standing martingale attaches to the noseband. Either tie the reins in a knot or slip them behind a stirrup iron to keep them from going over the horse’s head if the horse is going to stand tied.
There are a few things to remember when tacking up a racehorse, or working around them in general. For the most part, racehorses are incredibly fit creatures that are kept in stalls all day except when they are taken out to work, walk, or graze. For this reason, they are easily excited and can make sudden moves. Therefore, you shouldn’t make sudden moves, and you should be quiet and as gentle as possible. Be aware of your body parts as well as the horse’s–and make sure the horse is aware of where you are. A horse’s eyesight is very different from a human’s because of the position of their eyes. They cannot see directly in front of or behind them, so constantly talking to and keeping a hand on the horse lets them always know where you are.
Another point of caution: always watch out for teeth and hooves when working around racehorses! This is something good to remember with any horse, but racehorses are especially sensitive because of their heightened state of fitness. Therefore, never walk behind a racehorse if you can avoid it.
There are three good rules to follow: take it slow, make sure there are no wrinkles of fabric or pinched skin in the equipment, and always be aware of the horse you’re working on. With the right amount of care and caution, tacking up a racehorse can be easy and painless.
