Do you think horses have any idea what all the fuss is about? “Man, they open this gate thing, then I run as fast as I can, then they tell me to stop, put wierd stuff over my neck and kiss me...”
It’s animal abuse.
They absolutely do! The best ones understand the whole process and revel in it. Training technique is very important so as not to dishearten a good one by it losing, especially in a head-to-head. Some of them will run their own race regardless of what the jockey does.
A nod is as good as a wink to a DEAD horse......
Yeah, they know. Seabiscuit definitely knew. He used to intimidate his rivals by giving them the eye before he sped past them.