Horse racing is not only about galloping on a straight or circular track to reach the finish line. Hurdles and marathons also come into the fray. There are, essentially, four types of horse racing – Flat racing, Jump racing, Harness racing, and Endurance racing. Let us take a look at each of these formats.
This is the most commonly found type of horse race. Tracks are generally oval, but the shapes may vary depending upon the region where the race is taking place. For instance, there is the ‘figure of eight’ track in Windsor. In other instances, not only the shape varies but also the level. The distance of the tracks ranges from 400 yards to about two-and-a-half miles.
The shorter races are called sprints, whereas the longer ones are known as routes. Sprints test the speed and acceleration of the horses while routes rank them based on their stamina.
As the name suggests, jump races require a horse to jump over obstacles as fast as it can to pocket the win. There are two types within this category – hurdling and steeplechasing. Hurdling consists of obstacles smaller than those at a steeplechase. Under normal circumstances, a particular horse has to pass through a flat race before progressing to jump racing. Many colts are bred specially for the purpose for jump racing, nonetheless.
This type simply asks the horse to trot along the route, pulling the rider in a sulky. Harness racing is less common, mostly found in the Scandinavian and Finnish regions. Cold blood trotter and Finnhorses are generally used for the purpose.
An endurance race is quite a like a marathon. It may last for several hours, and in some instances, for quite a few days. The length of the race ranges from a minimum of 10 miles to over 100 miles. The relatively short races are called trail rides whereas the longer ones are known as endurance rides. The longest endurance ride, of close to 250 miles, lasts for quite a number of days. Natural routes are chosen for endurance racing instead of crafted ones like those in flat racing.