A Quick Insight into the Sport of Horse racing
New to the thrilling sport of Horse racing? Do you want to know what more there is than professional horses being ridden by accomplished jockeys to the finish line? Well, you have surfed into the right place. Dive in to find out
the diverse variety of horse races that are prevalent in the world today and the reason behind their popularity.
Horse racing traces its origins back to ancient times in Central Asia, when nomadic tribesmen started domesticating wild horses for personal use. Gradually, the horses found their way into royalty, becoming the symbol of nobility.
In the 12th century, the English Knights helped produce the first thoroughbreds when they brought Arabian horses back from the crusades and mixed them with English horses. The advent of these horses gave rise to modern day horse racing.
Presently, horse racing has evolved into many different types, each having its separate rules and regulations. In this article, we are going to discuss the major types of horse races so that you are well acquainted with the sports
of horse racing.
Harness horse racing
This type of horse racing dates back to the times when people used to race chariots driven by horses. This sport was popular with the Romans and the Greeks. Chariot racing gradually developed to become present day harness racing.
In it, the jockey who sits on a two-wheeled cart is driven by a race horse. As opposed to most horse races that are based on the speed of the horse, harness racing focuses on strategy instead. Therefore, tactics are required to win a harness race. Because
of this reason, harness racing has been divided into two further subdivisions based on gait. These are Trotting and Pacing.
Trotting involves moving the legs in a diagonal fashion i.e. the right front leg and the left back leg should hit the ground at the same time. In Pacing, the horses take fast but short steps. It has to be taken care that the horses
do not start to gallop because that would be against the rules of the game. Of these two types, trotting is the more popular sort because it involves more excitement and thrill.
Thoroughbred horse racing
This is the form of racing with which horse racing is most commonly associated. As the name suggests, thoroughbred horses are made to compete against each other in these contests. Thoroughbred racing can also be divided into two
categories, namely flat racing and jump racing. Jump racing is further branched into two more types. They are hurdling and steeple chasing. The gambling industry is largely associated with this form of horse racing. In contrast to harness racing, thoroughbred
horse racing focuses on speed rather than strategy. Therefore, the faster the horse, the more it will be valued by the bettors.
Quarter horse racing
Quarter horse racing is a relatively recent addition to the world of horse racing industry. It was legitimized in the 1940s. The race got its name from the fact that it was run for a distance of a quarter mile initially. Presently,
the standard distance for the quarter horse race is 440 yards. However, this distance is variable. The racetracks for this type of race are straight as it facilitates sprinting. Because the distance is short, the contesting horses should be able to run at
a greater speed as compared to other races. Therefore, stamina of the horse is not important but the speed is. Quarter race horses run at a faster pace than the thoroughbreds.
These three major types of horse racing forms are currently prevalent in the present day horse racing world.
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