Different Types of Horse Races
Although the public probably thinks of events like the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness when they think of horse races, those belong just to one type of race. But when you consider that human beings have been racing horses for as long as humans and horses have had any relationship, it isn’t surprising that people have developed many different ways of racing, and many different breeds of horses as well. While the Kentucky Derby and other such events belong to a category known as thoroughbred racing, there are many other equally organized and popular types of races.
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.
Quarter horse racing is another type of race run on a flat track. This track, though, as the name of the horse breed would suggest, is only a quarter mile long, and the race involves the horses running at full speed over the entire track. Meanwhile, a second type of racing, the harness race, is conducted on an oval track with banked curves. These types of horse races feature a sturdier breed of horse, the standard-bred, either trotting or pacing with a cart and driver pulled behind them.
A third type of racing is the steeplechase. This involves a course that has obstacles such as small pools or other jumps. Sometimes these races are run as cross-country races, while others take place on planned, prepared tracks. Even though these horse races are also found in North America, they occur much more often in Britain. The US, on the other hand, leans more toward harness racing and other forms of the flat race, while horse racing in France is divided equally among all three types. Even though the races most recognized by the general public are those run on flat tracks, many other types exist, and thrive all over the world.
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