What is Harness Racing?
Harness racing is a type of horse racing where Standardbred horses’ race in a specific gait either Pacing or Trotting and pull a Sulky with a “driver” in the sulky. The Sulky is also commonly referred to as a (Gig, Cart, Bike or Spider), it has two wheels and is aerodynamic in shape for maximum speed, and is attached to the horses saddle and pulled behind the horse, with the driver steering the horse. In harness racing, the horses do not gallop with a rider on their back, but are tethered to a light cart, which a jockey guides around an oval racetrack. They are supposed to trot around the track without breaking stride, although doing so does not disqualify them. Early records of the antecedents of harness racing are ancient. Assyrian kings of 1500 BC maintained elaborate stables, and professional trainers for horses used to draw chariots, originally used in war but soon also used in the sport of hunting. Homer’s account of the chariot race in the Iliad is later.
Standardbred horses are the breed of horses that engage in these races. The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing. There are two gaits in which a Standardbred races, either a trot or pace. Horses used for this type of racing are called S-breds or Standardbreds. This means they are "pure-blooded" thoroughbreds, specially bred for the demands of the sport and descended from other horses like themselves. Harness-racing horses are sometimes called "trotters" or "pacers." The horse had to be able to trot a mile in under 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Today’s Standardbreds are considerably faster, boasting under 2-minute mile times, with trotters being a few seconds slower than pacers. All Standardbred bloodlines can be traced back to one specific stallion, Hambletonian 10.
History of Harness Racing
Harness racing is an offshoot of traditionally horseracing. In harness racing, the horses do not gallop with a rider on their back, but are tethered to a light cart, which a jockey guides around an oval racetrack. The first harness racing tracks were opened in the mid-1800s, but harness racing events could be found as early as 1825 at county fairs all around the country. And by the mid-20th century, harness racing was the fastest-growing sport in America. As early as 1554 the fastest of 3,000 horses at a horse fair in Valkenburg in Holland competed in trotting matches. The Golden Whip, Holland’s most famous trotting event, was first run in 1777 at Soestdijk. Trotting horses are well trained, hard workers. They spend their days training and racing. Therefore their behavior towards farriers is mostly gentle. They like the moment of rest that a hoof treatment gives. Their owners are professionals or amateurs on an almost professional level. The sport had professional racing officials, starting chutes, disputes at law, accusations of doping horses, widespread gambling, and riots. Today, harness 스포츠토토사이트 racing can still be found at county fairs and numerous racetracks across the U.S. The sport is also popular in other countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France and Sweden.
