Power hours

Mornings are the power hours for athletes because how they start the day can affect their performance.

Most top performers have specific breakfast routines that include a special diet.

Racehorses - athletes created by nature and trained by man - are no different. They have their mornings planned to ensure the highest performances.

Those at The Singapore Turf Club stables start their day at 9am by meeting the farrier to see if they need to get new shoes - horse shoes - fitted for them. And this is not just for good luck.

Farriers specialise in equine hoof care and they see to animals such as horses and donkeys, but mostly horses.

Horses have to get their shoes changed every six to eight weeks as the hooves grow and the shoes wear out with the pressure put on them during races.

Mr Lawrence Khoo, 35, an equestrian care taker, said: "Just like humans, horses have shoes in different sizes, for both the front and hind legs as well. "

The old shoes are removed by cutting the nail clinches, which are nails folded over to hold the shoes to the hooves.

After some trimming and cleaning, the hooves are levelled by rasping, which is something like buffing nails during a manicure.

The shoes are placed against the hooves and a pocket anvil is used to bend the shoes according to the shape of the horse's hooves.When everything is set, the farrier hammers in the nails before bending them over to secure the shoes.

Mr Khoo said: "It is important for the horses to get their horse shoes changed because our race tracks are made of synthetics that simulate a real race track. The shoes have to fit them well so that running will be easier for them."

Mr Khoo, the nephew of horse trainer Leslie Khoo, has been working in this stable for about 10 years now.

The shoe fitting is followed by a shower, which is not unlike a rugby player's cold bath. The horses are hosed down in cold water by the caretakers.

Studies have shown that cold water has athletic advantages for horses, such as boosting the speed of recovery and preventing any future injuries during races.

Fast shower

Ropes are loosely tied to the bit, the mouthpiece that riders use to attach their bridles and reins to. Showers do not usually last more than three minutes.

The horses finish off their morning routine with a special combination of some pre-mix and chaff.

Racehorses need lots of protein to build muscles for the short bursts they run in races, so the pre-mix usually contains a mixture of grains and vitamins that will help the horses develop.

But Mr Khoo said that horses tend to get stomach upsets easily, so they have to constantly munch on something.

"The horses always finish their food quickly, which is why we mix chaff in the meals to slow them down," he said.

Their meals are mixed in buckets before being poured into their specific troughs in the stalls. After that, the champions are ready for another day of practice by 11.30am.

darit@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on August 14, 2014.
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