Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association

Serving the Washington Thoroughbred Industry for over 65 years

Horse Sense

    Among other things, the staff of the WTBA is here to answer questions. It is one of the ways in which we serve our members, as well as helping to educate and ease the way for those who may be new to the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing or the Thoroughbred breeding industry. So here’s an opportunity for you to put us to work, test our mettle and/or to find out the answer to something you may have pondered.
    We invite your questions, of all kinds, related to the Thoroughbred industry, either locally or nationally. Depending on the nature of the question, we will select an appropriate and knowledgeable person (or persons) to respond. You may sign your name, preferably including your city and state of residence, or you may submit anonymously, though we reserve the right to decline for publication any question that we deem inappropriate for our audience.
    Send questions to WTBA, Attn: Horse Sense, P.O. Box 1499, Auburn, WA 98071-1499 or editor@washingtonthoroughbred.com.

I have a question about lead ponies that I’m having no luck answering myself by searching online or looking in books – namely, are lead ponies typically geldings, or do mares ever fill this job? I’m guessing it’s geldings, as mares might unnerve ungelded Thoroughbreds, and since my child’s riding school uses nothing but steady geldings as mounts, but I wanted to doublecheck with people who really know, as I’m working on a book for kids that involves racing. Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.
    Christina Wilsdon
    Seattle
    PS. I know for a fact that girls watching horse races pay as much attention to the lead ponies and notice their colors, their braided manes, or anything else about them, just as much as they notice the racehorses themselves – and in a way the ponies are far more accessible to the average person than the racers, being more like the horses we encounter at stables, so they definitely draw horselovers’ attention, too!

With respect to your question regarding ponies and their gender, you assumed right that they are typically geldings. There are a number of reasons why geldings are more suitable. I was told by one old-time racetracker that sometimes an older mare is used, but generally they use the “tough old geldings.” Being herd animals, the gelding tends to be the take-charge and calming type. Also, some mares just tend to be tempermental and don’t get along well with other fillies and mares.
    But, in all cases, a good, seasoned and experienced lead pony is worth his, or maybe occasionally her, weight in gold and can be hard to find. They must be durable, tolerant, sturdy, sound, dependable and, at the same time, quick to respond to their rider’s commands. Additionally, they must be able to run or gallop at a swift pace. They must have good “horse sense,” not unlike a good cutting horse with “cow sense.”
    I don’t know if you will be able to find any research that documents, for your book, “only geldings are used for lead ponies.” But I am sure that if you should have the opportunity to interview anyone who uses a lead pony at a racetrack, they would tell you just how important a good lead pony is.
    Ralph Vacca
    WTBA General Manager

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