How do race horse trainers train the horse to run?
Itu2019s a gradual process, and I am only speaking for standardbred (harness) horses, because that is the breed I trained. But basically, horses are so incredibly well-bred for what they do, that they almost do it entirely by themselves. You wait until they are comfortable with each step at a time, then you move on to the next one. By the time a horse is comfortable enough to be hooked up to a cart (remember, these are harness horses, so theyu2019re pulling carts), you let them go and they just go. They can be a little funny about steering, jumping over puddles, and other silly things, but thereu2019s no coercion necessary, just patience.They start out jogging a few miles a day for about three months. Then they start u201ctraining downu201d- going a mile at a set speed. This usually starts at about 3 minutes for a mile, and they generally drop down about five seconds each week. So if all goes right, theyu2019re ready to race around three or four months after they start training down. If they show soreness, or if they start to plateau at a speed that wonu2019t make them competitive right away, theyu2019re usually given three or four months in the field, the process is repeated and theyu2019re generally good to go the following year.