The other horses at the track

Question
I was just wondering what you call the horses that accompany/pony with the actual race horses on the track.
Is their job to make the running horse feel safe, calm or comfortable?
What are the requirements for the horses & riders for that job?

Thanks.

Answer
hi  well we call them pony boys or girls and their job is to take the horse to the gate, warm them up, keep them quiet and just relax the horse before the race. . most pony boys or girls are backside help. some are trainers. and  some just do this job for a living. as long as you are a good rider and have had experience around race horses, then you can probably get this job on the race track. most of these people own their own ponies. hope this helps you. thanks ED HESS