Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association

Horses & Drivers Weather Tough Winter

January 8, 2010

The bitter winter weather has arrived, a challenge for horses and trainers, and especially the drivers aboard the sulkies while racing five nights a week at Northfield Park.

"Winter weather in Cleveland can sometimes be brutal for the horsemen, but the cold doesn't seem to bother the horses at all," said young driving star Ryan Stahl, 30, of Republic, Ohio. "It can be a challenge for a driver. What helps to keep me warm is the proper clothing and the adrenaline that is pumping during a race."

Stahl is coming off a tremendous season, winning 338 races at Northfield and 412 overall for 2009, ranking 14th in North America. He won $1.3 million in purses and, while garnering national attention, plans on primarily racing at Northfield this year.

Stahl relies on a new generation of insulated underwear under his one-piece winter racing jumpsuit, the jacket portion sporting his familiar red, gold and white colors.

"I'd like the shake the hand of the man who developed Under Armour," Stahl said with a laugh. "It's a lot warmer than the old long johns we used to wear. I also wear a face mask made of the same material under my helmet."

Stahl admits his hands and feet still get cold while he's on the track this time of year.

"Northfield Park management does a really good job of not keeping us out there on the track too long," Stahl said. "After only a couple of minutes, they call us to the starting gate and we're racing."

Wind chill is a factor, but not a major issue. While a horse is traveling about 30 mph, the driver is perched behind the horse's rear end, which helps block the wind. More bothersome are evenings such as Tuesday, when reinsmen were splattered with sleet and mud, coating their goggles and gear.

The rugged standardbred horses seem to enjoy the winter weather, he said. "At the farm, the horses will be out in the pasture fields on even the nastiest of winter days," Stahl said. "It might be blowing and snowing, but they'll stand outside instead of heading to a barn that is only 20 yards away. The colder the air, the more they seem to play out in the pasture."

A critical need for horses in winter is ample water, said Greg Meyer, extension educator for large animals at Ohio State University. Meyer told Blood-Horse magazine that while most think of keeping horses cool with lots of water, ample drinking water and additional hay is required in winter to provide horses the energy needed to keep warm.

Racing schedule: Northfield Park has live racing Monday through Wednesday, and Friday and Saturday each week through February, and simulcast racing Sunday and Thursday. The post time for live racing is 7 p.m. There is an early start on the simulcast action on Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday.

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Horses & Drivers Weather Tough Winter