Expert: Stephanie Frost - 11/6/2009

Question
hello madam. i'm rohit. my home is opposite to the racetrack. i have got a better view. today there was a gate practice session for the 2 year old horses. a 2 year old was restless in the schooling gate stalls. then, the handler introduced blindfolds. he was more frightened and reared. the jockey jumped off safely.then, i felt that he has to be given more gate practice. they broke the horse out of the stalls.as the start was effected, the remaining jumped off and ran. this horse was so frightened, was noy putting a stride forth.keeping on moving sidewards with the head long and low. now, i felt that this horse has faced the grass for the first time.because, he approached the gates in the sand track lying adjacent to grass track.within few minutes, 3 other baby horses were trotting in sand track, this horse joined them and finished in sand track.this horse has done well in hand in the sand yesterday. sir, do the horse need more gallops in the grass or more gate practice?

Answer
It does sound as though the youngster needs more gate schooling, and more relaxed handlers in order to convince him that the gates are not a bad place.  A young horse should be able to stand quietly and break alertly by himself before being introduced to other horses in the gate, and when they are introduced to others it should ideally be a few at a time. A young horse who requires a blindfold shouldn't be breaking with other horses at all, and really shouldn't be in the gate at all.  A horse who needs a blindfold to load is unsafe.
That said, the horse probably wasn't afraid of the grass.  Horses are herd animals, and if the rest of the horses broke well and left him behind, he likely just found the next closest group of horses to join, and those were the ones trotting on the nearby dirt track.