A Historical Approach To The Harness Racing
Harness racing is a category of horse-racing in which the horses race each other at a precise pace. They habitually drag two-wheeled carts that are called sulkies.
Harness racing was the most successful sport in the years before the Civil War. From the point the South took control of Thoroughbred racing, the North attempted to gain control, but an unhappy reproduction market, a need for tough jockey clubs to alter the sport and a shortage of followers kept the track at a low point. In 1850 there were more spectators who watched harness racing than all other races.
In almost all jurisdictions the harness races were practiced with Standard bred horses. Cold-blooded horses, so named because of a stable, calm temperament, raced alongside European horses which commonly have either Russian or French descendents. Standardbreds are so called because in the early years of the Standardbred stud book, only horses who could run or pace a mile in standard time, or whose brood could do so, were entered into the book.
The standardbreds have shorter legs than the Thoroughbreds, but benefit because of their much longer bodies. Also, they are of a more obedient spirit. That suits horses whose race takes more strategy and a lot more acceleration than the Thoroughbred races.
The founding sire of today’s Standardbred horse was called Messenger, a gray pure-bred brought to America in 1788 and purchased by Henry Astor, who was John Jacob Astor’s brother. From this particular horse descended a great-grandson, Hambletonian 10. It received extraordinary appreciation for its racing ability. Nevertheless, it is his breed line for which he is most remembered. The ancestry of practically all American Standardbred race horses comes from Hambletonian 10′s descendents.
Races can be conducted in two differing steps: trotting and pacing. The distinction is made by the trotter who moves its legs forward in crossways, striking the ground at the same time, whereas a pacer moves its legs sideways.
In continental Europe races are conducted entirely between trotters, whereas in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States races are also held for pacers.
Pacing races represent 80% to 90% of the Harness racing conducted in North America. The pacing horses are quicker and, very significant for a bettor, they are less likely to have a gait accident. A horse that gallops needs to be slowed down and then taken to the side. One of the possible causes that pacers are less expected to break pace is that they frequently carry hopples or hobbles, belts which secure the legs to the horse’s sides.
There is an opinion that hopples are meant to produce this type of gait. That is wrong, the hopples are merely an accessory to hold up the pace while gaining top speed.
