resting a horse the day after the race

Question
hello sir, lets suppose a horse ran a hard race and finished close second, should i give rest for the horse the next day?

sir, would you instruct a jockey to trot the horse the next day after giving it rest?

Answer
This all depends on the horse and what the trainer feels is needed. I would trot the horse the next day after race and then give the second day of walking. This will help with flushing the lactic acid out of the body in hopes to reduce muscle soreness in the days that follow. This may not be the right move for all horses. Some should be walked briskly for 30 minutes or more on the day after. Some should be left to free exercise in a turn out paddock. There is no right answer other than the experienced trainer should use his own good judgement in what a particular horse needs. You must also take into consideration the age of the horse, his fitness, his next scheduled race, and other factors unique to the horse.

Christopher Crocker

http://CrockerRacingStable.com