How did a horse without a rider nearly win the Grand National?

[Fushia123]

I put the tv on this afternoon and the final stages of the Grand National was on. I don’t follow racing and can’t remember who won but a riderless horse nearly did. If jockeys are so necessary to make the horses run fast, how could this happen?

Because it's about eight stone lighter, and panicking, as soon as the jockey falls off?

If jockeys are so necessary to make the horses run fast

Who told you that?

jockeys aren’t necessary to make a
horse run fast.

👆

They just run forwards. No jockey = faster.

A riderless horse usually “wins”. I also run faster when I am not giving grown men and women piggy backs.

They can't win though, They just gallop
along with the rest of them - they are herd animals!

You aren't being serious are you?

They also can't win without a jockey on it. It would be a non finisher.

The horse would be panicking and running with the herd. They are anxious, skittish animals who survive by flight not fight.

It's also been trained to do that course so I suppose it might have been following its training. Yes it's faster as it's much lighter!

I'm not sure why you say they are panicking- a panicking horse really bolts - that wasn't bolting it was bowling along quite happy.

But do they just follow the pack to get to the finish? Doesn’t a jockey help them to get over fences - best stride pattern etc?

LOL.

I stand corrected @Objectrelations , my own riding never extended beyond the school, , and occasional hack! I was thinking of antelopes, zebra etc. Also I want to wave at @LamonicBibber1 ooh another Mr Gum fan :)

Weight advantage. It's all about weight - hence there are weighing rooms at race courses and the result of a race isn't final until the 'weighed in' announcement.

A jockey keeps the horse straight over a fence. A riderless one can still jump over, but on the diagonal so it can be dangerous to others by jumping in another's path

You're right in that the horse is 8 stone but not necessarily panic it's the most natural thing for a horse to stay with a galloping pack of horses. It would panic more most likely to be left behind.

Have you never actually watched a horse race on TV before? There are riderless horses in the Grand National every year! Sometimes they stop running or they are directed safely off the course but it’s certainly not unusual for one to finish the race, it’s just particularly obvious this year because it was so close to the front runners.

Because they're a strong independent horse who don't need no mans.

@WombatCowgirl Yess 😁👋🏻 Gum for life!

Horses are herd animals. They enjoy running together as a pack. A riderless will keep running with the group by instinct, as to not be part of the protective herd is to put themselves at risk.

Excellent fact:
In the Palio, the horse race in Siena, a riderless horse CAN win, as long as it is still wearing the plume on its bridle!

Horses are pack animals. A riderless horse will instinctively stay in the pack with the other horses.

Sometimes they run back to the stables as that is a safe place for them. You sometimes see loose horses leave the race as they pass the exit back to the stables.

They're trying to stay ahead of the Kitekat van.

I've ridden plenty of experienced horses that just carried me around like a passenger over jumps. They knew what they were doing - it was best for me to just interfere as little as possible and let them get on with it!