Rubber traffic cones (or a wooden barrier) placed at certain distances out from the inner rail, when the track is wet, muddy, soft, yielding or heavy, to prevent horses during the workout period from churning the footing along the rail. Used in the phrase The dogs are up, or simply, dogs up.
Low wooden portable rails placed, during workouts, at a certain distance out from the rail to prevent horses, when the track is muddy or heavy, from churning up the footing along the rail. Term is also applied mediocre horses.