What is the Marathon
The Marathon is a test of a horses speed and stamina over the traditional Olympic Marathon distance of 42km and is run over a flat to gently undulating course. Horses must be 6yrs old or over and carry a minimum of 70kg. Riders must be 16years or over.
The Marathon is a race and horses must be trained with this in mind. A 30 mile endurance ride at 8-16kph is insufficient training for the Marathon. Fast work along with distance training must be part of the preparation as the horse needs to be anaerobically fit. The average speed of the winner of the 2006 British Marathon was 29kph and the winning time was 1hr 26.39 minutes. This includes the time spent in the vetgate preparation prior to presentation to the veterinarians .
The race is conducted over two 21km loops. At the end of the fist loop there is a compulsory halt for veterinary inspection. This area is usually referred to as a vetgate. Each horse, which is thoroughly examined before it is allowed to start the race, must be presented for inspection within a set time of reaching the vetgate. Horses are checked for heart rate, respiration, fatigue etc, and any sign of lameness. The aim of the check is to determine whether the horse is fit to continue the race. If the veterinarians are satisfied that the horse is fit to continue the horse is then held for a set time when it can be fed and watered before being allowed to continue. If the horse does not pass the veterinary inspection then it is retired from the race.
A final
veterinary inspection occurs at the end of the race to ensure that horses completing the race are not overly fatigued or lame. Veterinarians will be out on the course during the race to watch for signs of fatigue, lameness and any other indications of problems. If a veterinarian considers that a horse is not fit to continue the race the horse is immediately pulled up and retired from the event.
The winner is the horse completing the course in the fastest time and passing the final veterinarian inspection.
A vital part of the Marathon is the support crew. Riders are assisted by a team of helpers who meet them at the half way point bringing bottles of water to pour over the horse to cool it down, as well as a drink for the rider. Crews also have spare equipment, in case something breaks or needs replacing.
How the Vetgate Works
.
Competitors arrive at the vetgate from a marked walking section prior to arriving at the Vetgate and, after a Recovery Period they are presented to the veterinarians by which time they must have a heartbeat of 64 beats per minute or less. The maximum heartbeat can vary according to the conditions of entry. The recovery period can be minimised in length by appropriate riding before and during the walking section. After being passed by the Veterinarian there is a compulsory Hold Period time before
competitors are allowed to continue the race
.
Preparation Area
The Preparation area is approached from the marked walking section. Arrival Time at the Vetgate is marked by timekeepers on a Vetgate card which is given to the competitior who then passes to the Preparation Area where support crews work on the horses to prepare them for presentation to the veterinarians.
Vetgate Presentation Area
The Vetgate Presentation Area itself comprises inspection points and four trotting lanes 30m long. Another official timekeeper will mark the competitor's Presentation Time to the veterinarian, which is also the start of the Hold Time (assuming the horse passes the veterinary inspection). Horses must be presented within 30 minutes of their Arrival Time at the Vetgate. If a horse does not pass the pulse parameter it will be sent back to the Preparation Area and may re-present once more, but still within the 30 minutes of the original Arrival Time. The seond presentation Time (and therefore the new start of Hold Time) is entered on the card. Once a horse and rider/groom are ready to present they are directed to a veterinarian who carries out the examination.
The veterinarian will either pass the horse, in which case the horse/rider are directed to the Hold Area or Fail the horse on pulse parameters, in which case if they have time they go back to the Preparation Area through a signed exit or Fail the horse where the time has run out, in which case the card is cancelled. The horse is sent to the Treatment Area to await veterinary clearance.
Hold Area
The Hold Area is where the horse and rider rest out the remainder of the Hold Time. The Time Out is entered on the card and also sent forward to a timekeeper at the exit, who will collect and check the individual cards and also start each horse back on the race course.
