What Are Horses Like?

New York Times - Sean Clancy - "Horse Sense"

In an article entitled "Horse Sense," published in the New York Times, Saturday, June 6, 2009, by Sean Clancy, the question was asked 'what are horses like?' His reply was so true and to the point.

"People ask me, 'What are horses like?' It's taken me a lifetime of riding, training, writing and betting to finally home in on an answer.

Horses are just like people; there are smart ones, dumb ones, miserable ones, honest ones, simple ones, cheats, freaks, leaders and laggards. They have good days, bad days and plenty of average days. They can be brilliant one minute, horrible the next. They can remember something that happened a year ago and forget what they learned yesterday. They'll walk placidly into a metal starting gate that clangs and rings when the doors open, and then be scared of a bucket that wasn't there yesterday.

And we think we know what's going to happen this afternoon..."

This question was posed on the day of the Belmont Stakes before the race was run.

Belmont Stakes 2009