A Dictionary Of Horse Racing Terms - P
May 16th, 2008 |
PADDOCK
This is an area where the horses can be displayed by punters and other onlookers for all areas of temperament, fitness, looks, how lively or disinterested they are on the day etc.
It is usually best to wait until the rugs come off to see how fit a horse is.
If the horse has done plenty of work then the coat will have a bloom on it, the quarters will have good lines, the eyes will look bright, with ears pricked up.
A good horse will appear alert and be light on its feet.
Sweating in the paddock is a bad sign, as is frothing on the face and neck that the horse is getting nervous and worked up.
Around September, horses start to go
