A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PONY PERSON

The Unsung Heroes of the Backside

Pony people are a big part of the backstage help that put on the racing show. For newcomers to the business, it is important to know how the ponies can assist you in the training process of your horse.

The first few times that you are transitioning your horse from the farm to the track, it is advisable to arrange to have a pony accompany the horse to the track. He is like the "Dutch uncle" who can steady him and be a big brother to help keep him calm in the new environment. The pony person will put a leather strap through the ring of the bit and therefore control the horse's head if he gets fractious. The pony can gallop with the racehorse on the track until he is going good and then "break off" at the designated d istance. Then he'll go to the other side of the track and wait for the horse to come around and "pick him up." Bad tempered horses can be somewhat contained with a good pony at their side. Be aware that the term pony does not mean a "pint-sized" horse. Good ponies at the track are usually large steady geldings so that they can withstand the leaping and carrying on of the most nervous animals. They not only take horses to the track in the morning- ponying horses that just need light exercise with no riders - but work in the afternoon at race time. Many of the race horses are SO NERVOUS when going on the track to race, that they need the calming effect of the pony. A trainer will give instructions to the pony person as to how he wants the horse warmed up before the race. Some horses that don't have ponies in the post parade may bolt with the rider and run full speed around the track! The Stewards will scratch a horse under these conditions if they feel he exerted too much of his energy before the race. If your horse is very high strung, send him with a reliable pony.

In the morning it usually costs anywhere from five to eight dollars to have your rider accompanied with a pony or to have you horse "ponied" without a rider. In the afternoon the charge to take over and accompany in the post parade is around ten to fifteen dollars. For the unpredictable, fractious horses that's a real bargain! The following is a typical day in the life of Pony Girl Linda Poulos.

Life On the Backside From the Pony's Back!

By Linda Poulos

I arrive at the track before dawn to feed and clean my stall, that's right... stall. I only have one 16 hand, ugly but lovable appaloosa - 19 years old - who does the work of three ponies. Most pony people have at least four or five horses, I could not afford such a luxur y. As a freelancer (an Independent Contractor) on the Race Track, one must acquire as many stables as possible as it costs the same to feed and shoe a pony horse as it does a thoroughbred who is winning money. I would pony or "break off" on an average of eight each morning. Ponying over eight horses in the morning with only one pony would be asking too much. I usually had a full "card" for the races, which meant I would pony at least nine to ten horses that afternoon.

At 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. the race track closes for the break so it can be harrowed. The pony people typically congregate in the track kitchen to see who needs help covering their horses for the afternoon races. It never failed that I would have 4-5 horses in one race, and of course, I can only take ONE horse to the post. I would need 3-4 pony people to cover my other horses. If I was "light" for the afternoon races I could go to the receiving barn, where horses ship-in to race from different tracks, or farms, and pick up a few extra horses.

If I knew the trainer, I was sure to get paid and the horse went with a pony. However, one day I got the pony persons "nightmare." The trainer said to me "This colt is broke and easy to work with. My groom will meet you at his stall and walk over with you." Well... O.K. I arrived to pick-up the horse as his race was being called, and there was NO ONE TO BE FOUND! I double-checked the "Ship-Ins" list to make sure I'd gotten the right stall. Yes, it was stall #6. This was the horse. There was a bridle, tongue tie* and girth channel* hanging on the side of the stall. But still no one around. I got off my horse, put the bridle on the colt and all was going well. BUT WAIT!! I had a BIG problem! This colt would not go anywhere NEAR my horse, and I couldn't get on my horse! Great!! I started to look around for help. The loudspeaker on the backside just made the last call for all horses competing in race #6 to go to the paddock. TRUST ME when I tell you this is NOT supposed to be happening! "Don't panic" I keep telling myself. I need two more hands! I spotted a poor unsuspecting old man reading the Racing Form. I hollered out "Can you help me?" And he came running (anything for money!). I asked him to hold the colt while I got on the pony and to just hand him over to me. Sure was easier said, than done! It was quite obvious by now that this colt had NEVER been with a pony. I told the man I'd pay him $5.00 to walk the horse over for me. He said he had to have $8.00!! [Sigh!!] "O.K. YOU WIN. LETS GO!!" I paid him and we hurried to the track. We arrived at the paddock just in time, after much spinning and rearing. This poor old man had EARNED his $8.00, and the sad thing was I could not help him. We heard a voice screaming at us - it was the trainer and owner shouting "Where in the he-- have you been?!" I knew this was not the time or place to have a confrontation with that so-called "trainer." I knew I'd have plenty of time after the races. I told the outrider* I might need some help with this colt as he'd never been with a pony. "O.K. we have you covered," he said. I watched the colt being saddled. He was very fractious so they had to saddle him on the walk*. I watched how he was acting and knew what I had to do. I told the outrider (who has a radio phone) to call the Stewards* and the Paddock Judge* and ask permission to leave the paddock and the post parade* so we could keep him from getting too excited and have everyone be safe. The Stewards gave their permission and I thought to myself "Thank you. This must be my lucky day!"

I rode into the paddock, with an outrider behind me, and put a lead shank* over his nose for more control. Then I proceeded onto the track. "We made it!" I thought. Then, the colt reared up and the jockey fell off! The gate crew* gave the rider a leg up* and we proceeded on our way past the grandstand. Then we made our turn clockwise for the warm up. After a few minutes I realized this was a nice colt with some talent. It's too bad the trainer didn't take the time to work with him. Had he taken his time at the farm, all of this could have been avoided. The jockey (through tight lips) said "Please don't let him go." This is where a pony is very helpful. Why should a jockey use up his strength trying to keep a horse from running off* with him in the post parade . If this happens, odds are the horse has expended too much energy before the race - HE'S RUN HIS RACE! - and the rider looks bad.

The colt started to enjoy the company of the pony. He relaxed and warmed up like an old pro. He loaded in the gates well, broke on top* and got beat by a nose in a $25,000 allowance*. I took him to the test barn* with no problem. He was now "broke to pony."

If you are training at the farm, you should do alot of ponying. If you are having problems keeping him under control use a sircingle * with a headstall* and a snaffle bit* with side reins*. This way a horse goes straight and doesn't side step*. Some will grab a quarter*. You don't want to cock a horse's head into your chest and expect him to travel straight. That makes it physically impossible. There are all kinds of tricks a good pony person knows to help straighten a horse out.

Lets get back to that trainer in the receiving barn. The trainer is responsible for getting his horse to the paddock on time. He should have had a groom at the stall to bridle his horse. This is definitely not the pony persons job. If I had to do it all over again, I would have called the Stewards and they would have paged the trainer and handled it from there. They more then likely would have scratched the horse, and fined the trainer. For the most part the trainers treat you well and even stake* you. I must say that most of the trainers I have worked for have been super! By the way, I never got paid by that trainer, so I was out the $8.00 plus my $12.00 pony fee. I did this trainer a favor and the least he could have done was pay me for keeping him from getting fined and scratched and his horse safe!

There are people out there that refuse to pay for a pony. When that happens, all you can do is watch the poor jockey hanging on as the horse two minute licks down the backside until he is stopped by the outrider. The horse is a bundle of nerves washing ou t before the race and you can't expect him to run a good race. On the other hand, there are horses who don't need a pony and are very secure on the track. They warm up in a workman-like fashion and do their job. There are also many horses who don't need a rider in the morning to stay fit. These horses will go to the track with the pony for 4 to 5 days before entering another race. Ponying is the only training they need. Some horses can run back as soon as 6 days; some in 12 days. At a typical race track, on Tuesday the overnights* are out for the Wednesday races. I circle all my horses that are in the races. The day of the race I go to the racing office for scratches* and I look to see if any of my clients drew into the body of the race from the AE list* (also- eligible list). When the programs come out, about 1 hour before post time, I transfer the information to the program. This goes to the track with me during the races so I know what races and horses I have. I save all my programs so at the end of the month I can use them for billing. With good outfits and nice stakes for the big races, a pony person can make a decent living. The major drawback might be having to move from track to track. The days are long- from sun up to sundown seven days a week - but most of us have that "Fatal Attraction"...we love the horses!

Glossary

*TEST BARN - A place where horses who win or run 2nd or 3rd are taken for urine or blood samples, which are sent off to a lab to be checked for illegal substances. The stewards may also
"spot check" horses that don't finish in the money.

*FULL CARD - Most racing programs consist of 10 races

*BREAK OFF - Pony, horse and rider go to the track. They gallop along with the racehorse and turn him loose at a breakoff point where the trainer has directed. For example... the quarter pole or the five-eighths pole.

*SADDLE ON THE WALK - Keep horse walking in the paddock while being saddled

*LEAVE POST PARADE - After permission from the Stewards and the Paddock Judge, pony and racehorses "leave the post parade" but must first pass the grandstand and then "go clockwise" to warm up.

*SIRCINGLE - A wide leather strap with cinch and "D" rings.

*HEAD STALL - Goes on the head and behind the ears. A bit is attached.

*SNAFFLE BIT - Used in racing, it is very gentle on the mouth.

*SIDE REINS - Clip on to each side of bit to "D" rings on sircingle.

*SIDE STEP - Left front crosses behind or in front of right leg. Back leg does the same.

*GRAB A QUARTER - Grab the heel of the front foot with the toe of the back foot

*WASHING OUT - Sweating profusely with white lather, usually indicating that the horse is very nervous

*BROKE ON TOP - Left starting gate very cleanly - a jump ahead of other horses

*OVERNIGHTS - A list of horses and trainers who have entered the following days races. This information is what goes into the next day's racing program

*SCRATCH - The act of withdrawing an entered horse from a race after the closing of overnight entries. A scratch will allow a horse to be excused from racing on that day. This can only be done with a signed scratch card from the veterinarian or from the Stewards

*DRAW IN - Excluding the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Breeder's Cup and other stakes races, most races have a field of 12 horses. If 15 horses enter however, after the draw 3 horses will go on the AE list (also-eligle list). If one of the 12 horses scratches out of the race, the number 13 horse "draws into" the body of the race, and so on.

*DRAW - All entries are schuffled. They are put into a "shaker" box in the form of "pills" with a number 1 through 12 printed on them. If there are only 10 horses in the race, only 10 pills are put into the shaker. One racing official pulls out an entry and one person shakes the box and dumps out a single pill designating the post position for that horse.

*LEAD SHANK - Long leather strap with a metal chain and snap

*PADDOCK JUDGE - In charge of the paddock. A racing official that oversees and insures that horses equpment and saddle cloth numbers are correct. He also calls the jockeys from the jockey's room and on his verbal command he will call "Riders up!" whereupon all riders are to be given a leg up onto their horses.

*STEWARD - Racetrack official who presides over the race meeting

*OUTRIDER - The track employee who leads the post parade and who, along with his/her fellow outriders, keeps all horses and jockeys in lineand gets them to the starting gate on time. Outriders also catch any loose or runaway horses. In the morning they are the :"traffic cops" of the backstretch. They make everybody follow the correct traffic patterns on the track

*RUNNING OFF - Jockey unable to control or slow horse down on the track

*LEG UP - Helping jockey to mount a horse by holding left leg and lifting him onto the saddle

*GATE CREW - They work on the starting gate. Their job is to load the horses into the starting gate stalls for the races. They also help school the horses in the mornings. Other than the riders this is one of the most dangerous jobs on the racetrack. They must see to it that all the riders are safe. Even if it means getting hurt themselves. They also look out for the safety of the horses

*STAKE - Some trainers will give you extra money for ponying if the horse wins

*TONGUE TIE STRAP - Or gauze strip used to tie down a horses tongue so he can't get his tongue over the bit or choke on it while running

*GIRTH CHANNEL - Used under the girth to keep from slipping and protects the horse's skin from chafing

I hope you have enjoyed my article and that I have helped some of you to better understand what a pony and pony person does on the race track. Good luck in your training. Don't miss the next news letter.

Linda Poulos

Linda Poulos knows the backside and racing like the back of her hand. Her father is the trainer of Black Tie Affair, winner of the $3,000,000 Breeders Cup Classic, and she grew up with horses and racing. She has held various positions as a racing offical at many tracks and will be happy to answer any questions about the racing office and the backside. She is a real asset to the editorial staff!