Loose Horse

[GTs]

I am just watching The Grand National and it seems like a lot of horses loose their riders some continue some don't - is there any effort to collect the horses, or do they just let them be and collect them afterwards?

 

[severnmiles]

I'm sure they let them be and then try to collect them, I guess once out of steam the horses won't be a danger to catch (could cause a fresh horse to bolt by trying to head it off) even though they are a risk to the jockeys/horses left running whilst still running loose.

 

[Patches]

I hate seeing loose horses....legs in reins and all that.

As far as I am aware they let them be as long as they are running with the main group. Occasionally seen the odd horse run to the rails and stop and been held by a steward, but very rarely. I assume they pull up when the others do at the end and stewards can get hold of them.

What happens in America, to loose horses, if a rider is un-seated?

 

[GTs]

Our races are pretty much a mile, mile and a quarter - with it being flat it rarely happens, and we do not regularly go around the track more than once. The outriders normally will collect the horse at an appropiate time whether that be immediately if the horse has stopped, after the race if it continues, etc.

 

[evsj]

I think some of the rails are designed to encourage loose horses to peel off from the main body of the race when they have realised they no-longer need to keep up.