What is the difference between thoroughbred racing and harness racing? Thoroughbred horse racing is quite well known and popular, but harness racing certainly has its own set of fans as well. If you are more familiar with one type of racing than the other, make sure you understand both forms in order to enjoy the fun and challenge that both types of racing provide.
Harness horse racing is also sometimes referred to as standardbred racing. This type of racing dates back quite some time and was once quite popular during county fairs. Just as thoroughbreds are used exclusively in other types of racing, harness racing utilizes a specific breed of horse known as the standardbred. At one time, in order for horses to be able to qualify for registration within that breed, the horse had to be able to trot for one mile. As a result, a mile remains the typical length that is covered in most harness races.
One of the primary differences between standardbred and thoroughbred racing is the harness that is used in harness racing. In thoroughbred racing, the horse is ridden by a jockey. That is not the case in harness racing. Instead, a driver follows behind the horse in a conveyance called a sulky. The sulky is a type of two-wheeled cart that is fairly lightweight and is connected to the horse via a harness.
Another notable difference between thoroughbred racing and harness racing is the fact that in harness racing there is no galloping. Instead, the horse will either trot or pace. When following harness racing, it is important to keep in mind that pacing is actually the faster of the two different types of gaits. Trotting horses and pacing horses are raced in different races. If the horse should begin to gallop at any point during the race, the horse must be slowed and must return to the correct gait or he will be disqualified. The horse that crosses the finish line first in harness racing will win the race.
Like thoroughbred races, harness races are held all over the country at various times of the year. There are also licensing regulations and rules regarding the administration of harness races just as with thoroughbred racing. Each type of harness racing, trotting and pacing, has its own championship. Trotters race in the Yonkers Raceway, the Hambletonian and the Kentucky Futurity. Pacers race in the Cane Pace, the Little Brown Jug and the Messenger Stakes.
Simon Skinner has worked in the online gambling industry since 2000. He has worked for some of the top online sportsbooks and now runs internet marketing for BetAmerica - the top online US horse racing website.
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