# Thoroughbred Geldings′ Career: Influence of Age at the Start of Training and Racing

## TL;DR

This study found that starting training and racing at a young age does not shorten the career of Thoroughbred geldings and may even improve their performance.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence that early racing does not negatively impact the career length or performance of geldings.

## Key findings

- Geldings that started racing at two years old had higher performance ratings than those starting later.
- Early racing did not shorten the career length of geldings.
- No negative effects of early training or racing were detected in the analyzed racing characteristics.

## Abstract

This report describes the length and success of the racing career of German Thoroughbred racehorses with different ages at the start of training and racing, including a special focus on geldings, as their career is not influenced by a breeding perspective. Data from 600 Thoroughbreds were analyzed retrospectively. Horses were classified into three groups concerning their start of training and racing, and variables such as the length of their racing career, performance ratings, their total number of races and lifetime earnings were compared between different groups. The results showed that the horses investigated that started racing early (two years old) had higher performance ratings and a similar length of career than those that raced for the first time when they were older than two years. Especially in geldings, early raced horses achieved higher maximum ratings than those with a later race debut. No negative effect of early training or early racing at two years old on the racing characteristics analyzed was detected. Nevertheless, future prospective studies should include veterinary and management data to evaluate the effect of the individual’s physical and mental state at training and in housing in racing stables, with a final aim of improving the welfare of racehorses.

This retrospective report investigated whether starting racehorses’ training and racing early is associated with a less successful and a shorter racing career. The data of 600 Thoroughbred racehorses from the German Racehorse Association’s archiving programme were evaluated. The horses were classified into three groups regarding their different ages when starting training and racing: early training (16–24 months old)/early racing (two years old); early training/late racing (>two years old); and late training (25–30 months). Statistical models investigated effects on the horses’ length of career. The results showed that the length of their racing career was influenced by sex; geldings showed the longest career as they do not enter breeding programmes, and were analyzed separately. Geldings entering training early, with their first race at two years old, showed higher ratings and a similar length of racing career than those with their first race at three years old or more. Thus, early racing appeared to have had no negative effect on the length of the racing career or perseverance in racing in the geldings investigated. Further studies researching training effects and physiological resilience should consider alternative explanations for racing selection criteria (e.g., early maturation advantage and prior unsoundness) and the reason for ending a racing career.