The Paddock

The pre-parade ring is situated close to the stables, and the horses will be led around this area by their handlers prior to the race in order to keep them relaxed and warm.
As their race approaches, the horse will be saddled and have any additional equipment applied, before being led to the parade ring, also known as the paddock.

The horses are then paraded around the paddock, which is usually a small oval track, with grass in the centre and rails around the outside. Racegoers can stand on the other side of the rails to get a good look at the horses before they take to the track.

Watching horses in the paddock is a hugely enjoyable experience for many punters, and can provide invaluable information that cannot be gained simply by watching from home.

Horses attitudes, well-being, fitness, excitement and nervousness can all be assessed from the paddock, provided you know what you are looking for.

A horse sweating profusely in the paddock, for example, may put you off backing him, something that you may not see were you just watching on TV.

For the experts among us, this will provide plenty of insight into how the race may pan out, but to a lot of racegoers, this is just a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with these impressive animals, something that is not so easy to do in other sports.

As the horses are parading, trainers, owners, and jockeys often gather in the centre of the parade ring and discuss tactics. This is also often interesting to watch. The jockeys will then usually board their mounts in the paddock before riding them onto the track and, hopefully, to victory.