The Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winds its way through Oaklawn Park this Saturday, for the $1 million, Grade 2 Rebel Stakes. A competitive field is set to line up for this 1 1/16-mile event, with 50 qualifying Derby points going to the winner.
Month: March 2021
Q&A with Todd Roberts of Racetrack Television Network
Racetrack Television Network is the industry leader in providing high-definition video broadcasts of live horse racing from around the world to consumers in their homes and on their mobile devices. It has been an innovator in this field since launching as an offshoot of Roberts Communications Network, which introduced simulcast signal racing to the sport in the 1980s.
Favorite Casino Games
We all know that we like to go online to play our favorite casino games, but the question is what games are we drawn to and why? There are many options for us to choose from anytime we open up an Internet connection but it seems like most of us all like to play the same general sets of games, there must be a reason for this.
For starters lets look at the most popular online casino games. There’s Poker, Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette that seem to be among the most popular. These are of course the very definition of classic casino games so there must be a logical reason why they’ve enjoyed so much exposure over the hundreds of years that they’ve been in existence.
What I’ve been able to figure, thus far, is that people are looking for the most bang for their buck, duh. They are looking for relatively simple, simple as in easy to learn, and they are looking for a good return on their money. Of course the excitement factor is also a huge consideration when looking for a good game to pass the time. There are more complicated, non-traditional casino games that are available for the player wanting to try something different, or who just doesn’t like the more traditional fare. But any player can tell logging into any run of the mill online casino that most of their resources are allocated to the ones that most people are drawn to.
Poker, for example, has been around for a very long time and its appeal is easy to understand. Once a player understands the basic rules they can cash in on a world with almost literally a never ending amount of possibilities. This simplicity, coupled with its potentially large payouts, contributes to its mass appeal. This same reasoning, at least in my mind, holds true for all of the classic games including Blackjack and Roulette. Any game that is easy to understand and offers a chance for players to win large sums of money is a winning combination. Just look at the way that people flock to the old fashioned three reel slot machines. There is absolutely no skill involved in these games, so it isn’t for the challenge, but there is the possibility of substantial winnings. It is for these reasons that there will always be a large fan base of these games.
I’m not trying to say in the least, actually to the contrary, that games like Poker and Blackjack are so very simple that anyone can play and win. What I am saying is that Poker and Blackjack appear deceptively simple and offer a large enough incentive for people to jump right in and try their luck.
While there are as many reasons that people play their favorite games as there are people that play them we are all attracted for one reason or another to the classics, and hopefully that always stays the same.
Webinar: Tips For How To Train When Riding Isn’t An Option
Winter weather often limits training for horses of all kinds, and although much of the country is now experiencing warmer temperatures, spring rains could continue to create headaches for equestrians.
With this challenge in mind, the Retired Racehorse Project recently hosted a webinar titled, 'How To Train When You Can't Ride' to offer tips for riders of all sports to keep horses physically and mentally engaged when the ground is icy, rain-soaked or snow-covered.
A few key takeaways:
- Dr. Shannon Reed, associate professor of equine surgery at The Ohio State University and off-track Thoroughbred advocate, said that even for a horse in rehabilitation from an injury, there are ways to keep things from being monotonous. If a horse is limited to hand walking, check with your veterinarian to see if it's ok to hand walk outside rather than in the barn aisle, whether tack walking or trailer loading practice are acceptable forms of exercise. Stall-bound horses may still be able to work on vocal cues and lateral work (“Move over”) in the stall. Walking over ground poles or under saddle may also be an option for some horses.
“You should come out of six months of rehab with a better horse than what you went in with,” said Reed. “There are a whole lot of things that you can do with your horse that have nothing to do with being under saddle, which is someplace we sometimes put ourselves under pressure.”
- Always check with the veterinarian when brainstorming things that could fit within the guidelines – don't ask the Facebook peanut gallery.
- Hand walking, especially a brisk walk, can be a surprisingly good way to get a horse (and rider) fit. Reed recommends hand walking in whatever environment you safely can. While walking the roads of her neighborhood, Reed was able to introduce her OTTB to ditches, mailboxes, driveways, trash cans, and other items. The horse learned to stop and wait for people to pass, and to turn on the forehand when required.
- Reward curiosity in your horse. It's better for a horse to encounter something new in a low-pressure, non-time sensitive situation than at a competition.
- Hand walking is a safe way to begin teaching herd bound horses that they will return to their friends eventually, and that it's ok to trust and focus on the human handler despite separation anxiety. That trust will likely translate to under saddle work.
- Lateral work can be done in hand with the help of a dressage whip to help direct a horse's haunches. Lateral movement from the walk is a good way to help a horse stretch and stay limber without putting stress on joints and soft tissues.
- Walking through puddles is another easy lesson that doesn't require a perfect surface. Water can reflect light and movement in unexpected ways, and even if you don't plan to run your horse cross country and encounter water on a routine basis, odds are that he will encounter a puddle at some stage that must be crossed safely.
- Standing and ground tying are underestimated skills. Horses, especially young or high-energy horses, need to become comfortable with some degree of boredom waiting for their class at a horse show, or waiting by a trailer. Standing by the mounting block is also a challenge for many horses, since they don't realize the significance of the block and may be used to being mounted while in motion.
- Ask your local farm supply shop for old sale banners that you can add to your arena so your horse has experience with something bright that may flap in the wind.
- Trailer rides don't always have to be about going somewhere for competition. Those who have a truck and trailer have the opportunity to not only haul horses to schooling shows as non-competitors to stand and watch the proceedings. They also have the chance to take horses on short errands, like running to the grocery store for 10 minutes and taking the horse back home. This will make traveling less of an “event” and keep horses relaxed about the process – especially if they have a hay net to munch on.
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