Horse Racing Picture:
See the Action

I wanted to share a horse racing picture or two on this page and give a brief introduction to the different types of horse racing.


The three main types are:

  1. Flat
  2. Steeplechase
  3. Harness


Flat

Flat racing like in the picture below is the most popular type of horse racing. The horses race on an oval track in distances measured in furlongs.

  • One furlong is equal to 1/8 mile


To see more pictures and learn more about races on the flat click here.


Steeplechase

Steeplechase is similar to the flat race except there are jumps typically covered in brush along the course.

This sport gets its name from the first participants going long distance from church steeple to church steeple, thus "chasing" the steeples.

  • The course is about 2-3 miles long
  • In the USA this sport takes place all along the East Coast
  • The horses are trained in the country
  • Steeplechase horses are generally a bit older than flat racing counterparts.
  • Exclusively participated in by Thoroughbreds

I couldn't find a picture to share of this sport, but if you have one of your own or know someone that does steeplechase that would let me use a picture with permission please contact me.

Harness

In the picture above you can see harness racing.

  • In North America the Standardbred breed is exclusive to this type of race.
  • The Standardbred is named so because in the early days only horses or offspring that could trot or pace a mile in "standard" time were allowed into the registry.
  • Races are done for trotting and pacing although in the USA they are almost entirely pacing. To learn the difference in those gaits, you can visit this page.
  • In these races the horses pull a driver in a light two wheeled cart called a "sulky."

Leave the horse racing picture page and go back to the home page where there is a lot more to learn about horses