SINGAPORE: Horses galloped past, riders perched high on their backs as the sun rose over Singapore Turf Club’s Kranji racetrack.Jockeys and stable hands here start their day before the sun is up, getting ready to exercise the horses before the tracks open at 6am.Apprentice jockey Jerlyn Seow’s horse strained at her reins as it cantered round the track, eager to go.
It takes strength and skill to guide the spirited and well-muscled thoroughbreds.On a typical day, Seow takes six to 10 horses around the track.If horses don't get enough exercise, they get stressed and may develop colic, which can lead to death in severe cases.
They might also get “too fresh”, says the 29-year-old.“When horses are too fresh, they have the tendency to injure themselves, like outside on the road, or inside the box.
They could jump around, buck around, kick the walls and they might hurt themselves,” she said.Track work ends at 10am, and horses are led back to the stables where they are washed and brushed.