It's Pony Time
Some members of pony crew - photo by Nick Costa
Atop their horses they sit, equipped with riding vests/helmets, mingling in the tunnel area that connects the walking ring to the racetrack. A few racegoers (obviously novices) are overheard asking, are those the jockeys and horses for the next race? The answer is simply, no. However, they will be leading the horses and riders for the next race out onto the racetrack and will keep them company all the way to the starting gate. A ritual that is repeated prior to every race. Who are they? In racetrack parlance, they are called the pony crew, an integral part of the whole picture that helps put on the racing show. Just as lifeguards ensure the safety of all swimmers by enforcing the rules of the swimming pool and surrounding area, the pony crew ensures the safety of the horses and riders by making sure the rules and regulations of the racetrack are being followed. It is not just an afternoon job, that's where it ends. It begins in the morning during training hours and entails a quite a bit.
"I have alot of various jobs with the horses in the morning" says Laurie Langley, who is part of the pony crew at Fort Erie Racetrack. She is considered a freelancer, she works for multiple trainers as opposed to being employed by a single outfit. On average, Langley ponys between 7-10 horses a morning, although during the really busy days of summer, the number can rise up to 12-14. Since the track is open only so many hours for training, it requires co-operation from the people she works for to be ready on time. "I'm here early and very busy. I have a bunch of horses that I get out for trainers. Horses that for various reasons don't like to train with a rider aboard or with tack on necessarily. Some of them are older horses and just need to be kept fit, they don't need alot of heavy training, while others are just to nervous to train otherwise." Langley also adds, "a big part of ponying in the morning is to take race horses to the pole to break them off".
In backstretch terminology, that means the pony person will gallop along with the racehorse and rider, turning them loose at a breakoff point where the trainer has directed. For example: the quarter pole or the five-eighths pole. An additional duty for Langley as she explains is to "go out with babies (2 year olds) to introduce them to the racetrack and to get them used to going with other horses". Be aware that the term pony does not mean a "pint-sized" horse. Good ponies at the track are predominately geldings and have to be strong and durable. "It's a really tough thing to find" says Langley. "The ponies have to be athletic enough to be able to keep up with a racehorse. Have to be brave enough to not be scared, no matter what the racehorse does, the pony cannot bail out. The pony cannot retaliate, if he is getting bit, if he is getting kicked, he has to keep doing his job. They can't bolt out of the way, they have to remain calm. The good ponies get really good at it to the point where they are actually a calming influence". Between the daily morning work and afternoon work, the ponies gallop alot of miles, so Langley employs four ponies to distribute her work load, while others use up to six different ponies. "You have to keep things fair for the horses and fair for the people" says Langley. In addition to ponying horses to the post for the afternoon races, Langley and the rest of the pony crew are sometimes called upon to assist should something go amiss. "If a horse is vet scratched on post parade, we're responsible for bringing the horse back and looking after the horse once the rider is off. If there is any sort of race delay, riders get off the horses and we have to take the horses back in the chute and try to keep them calm and tractable until the race starts". This racing fan has seen horses go out without a pony and asked Langley about it, "there are horses who won't need a pony because they are really well-behaved and even tempered, so one isn't required. Although most trainers still prefer to have a one for safety sake and peace of mind". Langley added one other scenario, "I have also seen the odd ones that are just terrified of other horses and WILL NOT go with a pony....those are few and far between though". It appears that the pony crew is having alot fun out there, so I asked Langley to explain the banter that goes on between pony person and jockey. Langley says "alot of times we will be talking about the horses. If it's a horse that I pony in the morning, I'll be telling the jockey how good the horse has been feeling this week. Alot of times though, we are just joking with the riders. Some of the riders are quiet on post parade, they've got their game face on, while others like to talk, and I'm sure for them, it's therapeutic. Overall, there is alot of laughing and joking. We have a great crew of pony people here and a great crew of jockeys also. We all get along. Alot of time on post parade, it's a happy time". Pony people are paid by the trainers they work for. Langley reports that it costs a little less to pony in the mornings than for the races ($15 in the morning and $20 in the afternoon). For unpredictable or fractious horses, the cost seems like a good bargain. When asked the requirements of acquiring a ponying job at the racetrack, Langley offers this advice, "you need to be a very good rider, you have be able to ride your horse and be a competent enough rider to control another horse, that's the key. The pony has to be really well adapted to being able to operate independently while your dealing with the race horse too. It's not easy to do in traffic, alot of times your steering around other horses, other riders". If an individual feels that he or she is up to the task, they would be required to obtain a license to exercise or gallop horses at the racetrack and then can hook up with one of the pony operations to work the races. "That is why we have multiple ponies", adds Langley, "when there is a twelve horse field, we need twelve ponies obviously, so they can get a job with one of us. Basically, you start on someone else's pony and work the races for other pony people". That's how Langley got started before making one of her former race horses into a pony horse. At most tracks, usually one or two pony people co-ordinate most of the work, however, Fort Erie's pony work is handled by several people. In addition to Langley, the other sizable operations are taken care of by Lori McMahon, Louise Fraser and Sally Sprague. Langley was born into and grew up in the racing business, her dad was a trainer and her mom was an excercise rider. "I freelance galloped both for my family and freelancing for several years before I started ponying". Some of the past and current pony people in the crew have come from various other riding backgrounds (such as showing, either English or Western). I asked Langley how a person may bolster their skills if they were serious enough about getting a job ponying horses at the racetrack. "A person could likely make progress through a college or a university program, or even other equestrian endeavors, but I really believe "on track" experience is vital. There is nothing to compare to or simulate having to handle a race-ready horse, whether it be galloping or ponying". To sum up the job of pony person, Langley ends with "like any other racetrack job, it is not for the faint of heart".
