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Harness Racing: by Thomas Grossman

Harness Racing differs from other horse races in that horses must trot or pace while pulling a cart, requiring both speed and skill. There are differences between trotting, where the horse's legs move diagonally, and pacing, where legs on one side move together followed by the other side. In the United States, only Standardbred horses, a breed specifically developed through selective breeding to meet time standards for trotting or pacing a mile, participate in harness races.

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Thomas R. Grossman
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39 views1 page

Harness Racing: by Thomas Grossman

Harness Racing differs from other horse races in that horses must trot or pace while pulling a cart, requiring both speed and skill. There are differences between trotting, where the horse's legs move diagonally, and pacing, where legs on one side move together followed by the other side. In the United States, only Standardbred horses, a breed specifically developed through selective breeding to meet time standards for trotting or pacing a mile, participate in harness races.

Uploaded by

Thomas R. Grossman
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Harness Racing

By Thomas Grossman
Harness Racing differs from more common horse races in that racers are required to move either at a trot or at a pace, rather than a gallop, while pulling a cart. By restricting the gait and attaching a carriage, the race requires great skill along with speed. There is significant difference between trot and pace races as well, determined by the gait. Trotting requires the horse to move its legs in a diagonal unison, pairing one front leg with the rear leg on the opposite side, while pacing pairs leg movements to the right and rear of one side, then the other. While different breeds are typically used in harness races around the world, in the United States, only Standardbred horses take part in harness races. A relatively new breed, these horses are longer and more muscular than their thoroughbred ancestors. The name of the breed stems from the standard time requirements for trotting or pacing a mile, a difficult task. The stud book, registering acceptable breeding stallions, only allowed horses capable of performing the standard mile or horses who regularly produced offspring with such abilities. About the Author: Thomas Grossman, former managing partner of Aeneas Capital Management, is also the principal owner of Blue Chip Farms, responsible for breeding and training five world champion Standardbred horses along with over 1,000 stake winners.

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