OP, vet wrap is not used to “set” a tail. Vet wrap destroys the feathers, a major no no with Saddlebreds, stable bandages are used to keep tail up when horse is working, tailsets are what is used to keep tail in form, and great care is taken with those so horse is comfortable. If anyone is using vet wrap on tail of a show horse, well, all I can say is they don’t know anything at all about the care of horses of this breed. And most don’t have to have a tongue tied either.
The breed is naturally animated, and high headed. Action is high from birth, and the old saying “the good ones go light” is still very true. They wear nothing more than a keg shoe, same as a QH does.
As for these horses not getting ridden in “natural setting”, every year at Queeny Park, several of ours were taken out and ridden on the trails, and not talking about Country Pleasure horses, but the Open horses. Did just fine, and enjoyed themselves immensely too. Many old trainers also worked outside, but as times have changed, and land has been bought up, land has gotten to be a premium, and ring or barn work is usually done.
The chains used range from the extremely lightweight plastic chains used to hang flowerpots, that is sold by the foot, to ones around 5 oz, give or take. And are not worn in shows. They also use bracelets of leather, like a rolled dog collar, or wooden beads. The motion of those encourages higher stepping. They are not weight training devices, but action devices.
And rarely are they left on long either, as trainer will have groom pull them when changing gaits.
The stretchers are a resistance device, and again are not used long. They also break very easily.
Blinker/blinder hoods are to get horse to focus, and pay attention. Some are only 1/2, 1/4, full with pinhole, just depends on what horse needs. Some horses never wear them. Trainer will let horse decide what it needs.
As for barns being dark, in summer much of that has to do with heat from the bulbs, some barns have lights in each stall, some have a row of lights over them.
Some of it is cost of electricity too.
These horses, by and large, stay sound well into their 20’s, and very fit. They are great personalities to work with, and very entertaining as well. One on my string, liked a 10am nap, and a 2pm nap. So he was worked around those. You could hear him snoring throughout the whole barn. Fully stretched out, he also loved Coca Cola Chapstick, Cherry not so much.
They also enjoy a varied work routine, turnout one day, jog to cart one day, jog under saddle, full workout, handwalk, and harder workout to cart. Some variation considering where horse was in training, and how horse was going.
Like anything, things change. And the saddest day for me was when I saw the “speed rackers” buy up Saddlebreds and ruin them. Some of those scumbags have gotten into “saddlebred training”…and I DO use the term loosely, as they are nothing more than racking horse trash which is no better than big lick trash.
And they have brought their cruelty with them.
Too, some will see something done and not understand the why of it, and do it. Witness the morons who see the “oh let’s roundpen for join up” and are still chasing their horses around the pen 3 hours later.
These horses love to perform, nothing more exciting to them than to hear the crowd. And yet these same horses will be led back to barn through crowds of people so thick that horse was literally brushing shoulders with them, and they never blinked an eye, nor turned an ear.
Here, ride along with Melissa and Melissa Moore, along with several others at the WCHS in the 5 Gaited Stakes class, in Louisville KY…set back and let 'er rack!
http://longlist.org/play.php?videoId=JXys9q7y8_c
NOTE: When the riders hands come further apart, they are racking at that point, horse’s neck moves differently too. And the grooms come in and have to strip horses for the judges and horses are judged on conformation, the boots you see are to keep horses from hitting heels of front hooves, at the rack.
Watching this makes me wish I could send one in the ring just one more time.
