Racehorses get water workouts to protect joints, beat the heat at farm

REISTERSTOWN, Maryland — A private farm in Reisterstown has a unique approach to exercising steeplechase racehorses.

Two horses took a gallop Friday morning on the turf on their way to see some friends for an unexpected form of exercise. But no saddle was necessary because the horses went for a swim in the farm's pond.

"We currently have five horses here that are regularly swimming, maybe not every day, but at least two or three times a week, and it offsets having to gallop every day," trainer Cyrill Murphy told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Murphy said McTigue and Gold Charm are fresh off two big wins — McTigue at Saratoga and Gold Charm at Colonial Downs. Part of the recipe that helped them win those races is their unconventional swimming routine.

"I don't know if it's the secret recipe, but it certainly helps us, and the horses enjoy it," Murphy said.

Murphy said the pond exercise also helps combat drought conditions, which can cause the ground to become too hard and put extra stress on the horses' joints.

"It's good for his cardio, gets his airway working, good for all his muscles without putting any stress on any bones or joints," Murphy said. "We do not have an artificial track. We literally train on the natural turf every day of the week."

Murphy said the water workouts also help cool the horses down.

"You cannot make a horse fit purely by swimming them, but you can help maintain their fitness once they reach a certain level," he said.

Murphy said the results speak for themselves.

"It's a big advantage to us. Is it an overall advantage compared to everyone else? I don't know, but our results say it's working for us at the moment," he said.

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