The first task for Guillaume Macaire every morning is to create the lots. Lots of things are to consider to find the ideal place for every horse.
Next, the work of the team of riders starts. The first thing for them to do is to attach their horse in it's box. The horse is groomed, to remove dirt and make them clean, but also to check that they have had no little knocks or scrapes in the box during the night.
Once saddled, the rider takes their allocated horse to the round trot ring where the horses congregate to go out in the same lot together.
With all of the concern with healthiness in life, the diet of a racehorse, like for any athlete is paramount. Feeding the right balance is our priority in order to achieve the best possible performance and for his wellbeing.
The horse has a digestive system that is complex and fragile, originally a nomadic herbivore, which the requirements of an athletic life demand them to adapt to the world around them.
It is important to have maximum respect for nature. For that, the horses have unlimited hay in their stable to simulate the natural behavior of grazing, relieve boredom, and above all, give them the fibre and nutrients required in order to have good intestinal transit within a well balanced diet.
The buckets of water in the stable are continually replenished with fresh water. They are cleaned every morning by the riders who also check that the horse has drunk a sufficient amount during the night so is hydrated correctly before going out to exercise.
The other feeds including a complete mix along with the oats are given in the morning after the horse has exercised. In the evening, a cooked mixture of barley, cooked oats and bran is given, much like a warm soup.
Even the horses who are away racing are given the mash, as an automatic cooker is taken to provide every horse who stays overnight with his normal nutritious warm meal. A big aid to recovery after a race.