Description

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Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009

Where did thoroughbreds come from?

Why do they call it a steeplechase?

What's the difference between trotting and pacing?

Did you know that winning jockeys are weighed before and after a race?

Experienced horsewoman Nikki Tate takes the reader behind the scenes to examine the world of the racetrack.

Sections include:

• The history of horse racing from chariots to chuckwagons; An examination of the racing breeds from thoroughbreds to quarter horses; The role of the trainers, grooms, farriers, track vets, pony riders, outriders, and paddock judges; Care of a horse at the racetrack; Horse equipment; The jockey's training; What goes on in the racing office; How to read the program; How the starting gates work; Drug use and cheating; and A horse's life after the racetrack.

An examination of horse racing from a history of the breeds developed for the sport, through training and caring for horses at the track, to the day of the race and beyond.

About the Author

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Nikki Tate is the award-winning author of many novels for young people. Her work includes the fantasy series Estorian Chronicles, the popular StableMates horse novels, and the historical novel, Jo's Triumph (set in Pony Express territory in the early 1860s). Born in Birmingham, England, Nikki lives in the countryside of Vancouver Island, where she enjoys riding with her daughter, Danielle. Her household also includes four birds and two black standard poodles called Basil and Elliot.