Horses have served humans for millennia in various roles as a source of food, transport, sport and companionship. But even though watching a sleek, muscled thoroughbred race down the track is exciting, it is a cruelty-driven industry that has yet to achieve widespread reform.
All races take place on flat tracks and are started either from stalls or a gate (with stewards permission). Horses enter a race with different weights which are designed to give all horses an equal chance of winning.
Speed
Horse racing speed is an important factor in determining who wins a race. Swift horses triumph over sluggish ones, and handicappers rely on precise data to identify the fastest runners. This data is compiled into a horse’s Beyer Speed Figure, which standardizes finish times across different track conditions, distances, and surface types.
This study also examined the speed of horses on gradients using radio tracking systems. Results show that horses slow down on inclines, which is consistent with data for human runners who are power limited. This means that each 1% of uphill gradient requires the horse to expend more energy to overcome the cost of height gain than it would running horizontally.
It is important to take into account factors such as wind when evaluating a horse’s speed index. A high or low reading can be misleading if it is not related to track conditions and the direction of the wind. This is especially true for races with a long finishing stretch.
Endurance
Endurance racing is a sport requiring the horse to compete over long distances across challenging terrain. It requires the athlete to train the horse well and to monitor his performance. The animal is subject to periodic mandatory veterinary checks throughout the competition to determine whether it is healthy and fit for competition.
The lungs and heart are key to a horse’s endurance. During exercise, oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the lungs and the heart pumps this fresh oxygen to the muscles. The horse must also be able to cool itself during the competition by sweating.
A recent study found that horses that are trained well are able to cope with the physiological demands of an endurance race. In this experiment, which was based on two actual races, horses with more experience in the sport showed less muscle damage. This finding correlates with a decrease in CK and AST levels. Also, the average speed of the horses was correlated with their haematology parameters.
Jumping
The sport of horse racing – often referred to as the ‘Sport of Kings’ – is steeped in centuries of culture and tradition. The equestrian competition requires exceptional physical prowess and mental agility. Horses are trained to perfection and raced on a variety of surfaces and over obstacles.
Jumping involves racing around a course containing hurdles or fences. Horses are conditioned to take fences in stride, adjusting their distance to the obstacle depending on its type (ie triple bars ride differently from an oxer). The order of the jumps is also important – a liverpool may be followed by a vertical, which can spook the horses.
Fences are normally built to a national standard – but traditional natural fences such as packed pine, and live hedges are still used on some courses. The horse is taught to “bounce” over the Liverpool and oxer combination in show jumping, which helps to teach it good balance and to fold its front end under well.
Quarter Horse Racing
Quarter Horse racing involves sprinting short distances, usually a quarter of a mile. The races are run on straight courses, often village streets or other suitable sized clearings. The racers must be judges of pace, masters of horse traffic and able to finesse their mount into having the most power left for the final part of the race.
Quarter horse racing is very different than Thoroughbred horse racing, but there are still many factors to consider when handicapping a race. The most important factor in a Quarter Horse race is class. The best horses are assigned heavier weights to equalize the field and increase their winning chances.
It is also important to look at the horses’ past performances and current form. Pay attention to any medication the horse may be taking and how well it has performed when on that drug. For example, a horse that is on Lasix for the first time might perform better than usual and is a good wagering choice.