23 Dec 09 Different Types of Horse Races
For as long as humans and horses have had a relationship, there have been horse races. Looking back in history, one sees records of both individual and chariot races. In some periods, there were formalized rules, as in the chariot races of Rome and Byzantium, but it took a century or so for the same thing to happen in the early United States. Now you can read various horse racing news sources to see just how organized this sport has become. Several types of races have been developed, each with their accepted breed and specific rules.
Racing with thoroughbreds is a subset of a type of race known as flat racing. This is where, as the name suggests, the horse races are run on a flat surface, usually made either of dirt or turf, and in turn the turf can either be natural or is sometimes synthetic. The flatness of the tracks, though, doesn’t mean that they are automatically straight as well. Most are in fact designed to be oval in shape, and have no banking on the corners.
On the other hand, harness races, while also taking place on an oval track, are not raced flat. In this type of race, the horse pulls a lightweight sulky behind it, in which a driver is seated, and the horse is required to use certain prescribed gaits as it runs. If it’s a trotter, that means the horse’s diagonal legs step forward together, whereas if it’s a pacer, then both legs on the same side of the body move forward at the same time. In these types of horse races, the turns on the track are banked to help the horses get more traction.
While the steeplechase, which is a race requiring the horse to jump several obstacles, is favored in Britain, the horse races most popular in the United States are those on flat tracks. However, all three of the main types, the flat track race, the harness race, or the steeplechase, can be found anywhere in international racing. And the racing of Arabian horses is seeing a steady gain in popularity as well. The sport of horse racing, as it has always been, remains an important element of the relationship between humans and horses.
Beth Kaminski is the co-author of Curing Your Anxiety And Panic Attacks which detailed panic attacks help as well as tips on the various anxiety disorder medications available at anxietydisordercure.com.
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