racehorse preperation

Question
hi chris..  i have been getting my horse ready to race for nearly three months
and he is to start in 3 weeks .. i am 100kg in weight and with my clothes,
chaps ,boots , saddle, bridle, i must be close to 120kg i guess..

after a very bad season he was turned out for 2 months, then i took him on.
I have been working him up slowly and gradully now for near on 3 months
but i am a little worried because he has gone so big with muscle and  local
trainners are asking me if he has been on steriods.. he has never been this
big  in his life and its noticeable muscle.  so i am guessing all the work with
me has made him fill out.. BODYBUILDER style.. time will tell in three
weeks,,,,, but do
you think this will slow him down.. or improve his speed.. i am hoping with a
cliaming jockey on at 50 odd kg he will gallop the house down..  but i guess
this is not always the case

Answer
There are many factors that may play out here. If this horse is a sprinter, then the muscle is great. I am not sure is this muscle is from galloping or trotting. If it is from trotting then that would not be as beneficial as galloping muscle. If this horse is a distance horse then he may be on the heavy side as far as muscle goes. Depending on the body style of this horse, as a whole, is a huge factor. I would have to have my hands on this horse to tell you what is desirable for racing. What may be muscled up to you, may be normal to me or other trainers. A horse can be too lean which can cause him to "tie up". Make sure you have a balanced diet with at least 6-10% fat. Too much muscle in the wrong places may just add too much weight or create a muscle bound situation which is common in horses that are jogged too much. I hope this helps and good luck!

Christopher Crocker

http://CrockerRacingStable.com

Crocker Racing Stable and Thoroughbred Horse Racing Partnerships