A historic form of equine competition, harness racing is an enormously popular sport today. The harness racing horse is the Standardbred, trained to trot or pace at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, or faster.
In the United States, horses and buggies squared off in
impromptu races along city streets and country roads. Later,
harness races became a popular attraction at many county fairs.
The "standard" referred to a 2:30 minute mark under which a horse had to trot or pace one mile. Thoroughbred, Morgan, and Narragansett Pacer blood were combined to achieve the Standardbred. Messenger, a grey Thoroughbred imported in 1788 from England, was the Standardbred's foundation sire.
Dan Patch
Foaled in 1896, Dan Patch was unbeaten in three racing
seasons. The pacer's 1:55 ¼ mile record, set in 1906 as
a nine year old, lasted for 32 years.
A trotter moves its legs diagonally, right front and left hind, then left front and right hind striking the ground simutaneously. A pacer moves its legs laterally, right front and right hind, then left front and left hind striking the ground simultaneously.
Training Cart
The first vehicle is a training cart, heavier than the
sulky which the Standardbred will ultimately pull.
Morning Workout
Whether at a farm or at a track, horses are regularly
exercised to develop and maintain speed and condition.
Equipment
A check rein and head pole keep a trotter's head in
position, while blinkers focus attention straight ahead.
Although most pacer's wear leg hopples to keep them on
gait, some race "free-legged."
Weighing approximately forty pounds, lighter but more stable bicycle-type sulkies replaced ones with higher wheels, reducing wind resistance and increasing speed.
Size, weight, and age are not restrictive factors for drivers. Great skill is needed to guide tbe horse and sulky in the tight quarters of a high speed race. Some drivers are also trainers and some are even owners, a unique "across the board" involvement in all aspects of harness racing competition.
From the time the mobile starting gate accelerates away to the moment that the winning horse crosses the finish line, a harness race is a mile of speed and strategy. A gate mounted on the back of a car allows all the horses to start at speed and on stride. Once it crosses the starting line, the car accelerates out of the way.
Under Saddle
Riders, not drivers, handle the reins in an unusual
format of Standardbred racing in France.
On Turf
Harness horses race on grass surfaces in many countries
of the world.
On Sand
Pounding along a beach in Spain, Standardbreds race
effectively on a sandy course.
Held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, this race for three-year-old trotters is one of America's classic harness races.
The introduction of klieg lights in 1940 to harness tracks
permitted night racing and popularized the sport in metropolitan
areas.
For more information, visit the US Trotting Association's site.