Most of us learn at an early age that horses wear shoes. Those little plates of metal ensure horses can walk on hard ground and run comfortably when racing. However, horse shoes aren’t fixed into a horse’s hoof quite as firmly as you might think.
When a horse is racing it’s always possible for its shoe to fly off. In fact, it can also happen when they’re cantering up to the start line, trotting around the parade ring, or resting in the stables.
Horse shoes are sometimes referred to as ‘plates’ and they are absolutely crucial for racing. In our latest Demystifying Racing guide, Paddy Power is here to explain what ‘spread a plate’ means in horse racing and how it affects your bets if your horse loses its shoe.
SPREAD A PLATE EXPLAINED
The term ‘spread a plate’ is used in horse racing when a horse has damaged or lost its horseshoe before the race. It can happen at any stage up to the race and is usually fixable, meaning the horse can usually compete as normal.
However, it requires a farrier to work extra-fast to reshod the horse properly and accurately, so that it’s fit for racing.
Spreading a plate is therefore one of the reasons why a race might be delayed. Having this happen to a horse you’ve backed isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, horses lose shoes all the time and they are unlikely to have been hurt by dislodging one before a race.
The only issue that might arise from a spread plate is if the horse is already in some form of distress. If this is the case then the farrier might struggle to replace the plate in time.
Horses run with shoes to prevent damaging their hooves (GETTY)
WHY DO RACEHORSES WEAR SHOES?
Horseshoes are a vital piece of equipment when preparing a horse for a race. Horses wear shoes in order to protect the hoof wall from cracking or splitting when they run. That’s because a racehorse’s hooves can take a real beating when they’re leaping over jumps and running on firm ground.
What’s more, shoes are needed when the horse is walking around the racecourse, from the stable to the parade ring, etc.
Hooves are made from keratin, the same substance found in human toenails and fingernails. The horseshoe helps strengthen the landing of the hoof and provide more stability over distance races. A bit like wearing metal gloves.
Shoeing must be done correctly to avoid causing further damage to a hoof. And racetrack farriers will be on hand to deal with ‘spread a plate’ issues as soon as they arise.
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A horse is re-shod by a farrier (GETTY)
What does a farrier do?
Farriers usually attach aluminium shoes to racehorses as these are light and durable enough to withstand race conditions. However, steel shoes are often seen used for domestic horses.
According to the BHA, “a farrier is to be in attendance at all meetings and readily available (at the direction of the racecourse) to deal with emergencies, such as spread plates. Any removal of plate at the start [of the race] is to be carried out by the farrier or racecourse veterinary surgeon. Farriers are to be made aware of their duties and provided with a suitable radio.”
So long as the horse spreads its plate early enough and the farrier has time to re-shod, then the horse will compete. However, sometimes it’s not possible to fix a new plate in time.
DOES SPREAD A PLATE AFFECT HORSE RACING ODDS?
In reality if a horse is re-shod before a race then their racing betting odds are unlikely to change. Indeed, most punters won’t even realise that a runner is getting their horseshoe fixed before heading out onto the course.
More often than not a horse is re-shod long before the race, when they are in the stable or have just been transported to the racecourse.
Horse racing betting markets fluctuate before the start of the race for a wide number of reasons—the biggest of which is when a flurry of bets suddenly go on a specific name. If a horse is known to have gone to the farrier to fix a shoe then this won’t in reality affect the odds.
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