Harness racing

Harness racing is a historic form of equine competition, and today's enormously popular sport. The Standardbred is the harness racing horse, trained to pace or trot at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, or more.

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. The "standard" refers to a 2:30 minute mark under which a horse had to trot or pace one mile.

Pacers and trotters

Pacers move their legs laterally, right front and right hind, then left front and left hind touching the ground at the same time. Trotters do it diagonally, right front and left hind, then left front and right hind touching the ground at the same time.

The Starting Gate

A harness race is a mile of strategy and speed from the time the mobile starting gate opens, to the moment that the winning horse crosses the finish line. A gate mounted on the back of a car allows all the horses to start at speed and on stride. Once it passes the starting line, the car moves out of the way.

Sulkies

With a forty pounds weight approximate, to reduce wind resistance and increasing speed, more stable and lighter bicycle-type sulkies replaced ones with higher wheels.

Drivers

Good skills are needed to guide the sulky and horse in the tight quarters of a harness race. Factors as size, age and weight are not relevant for drivers. Some drivers are completely involved in all aspects of harness racing competition they are also trainers and some are even owners, .

The Breed

Standardbreds are known for their willing temperaments and docile personalities. Colors of the breed are varied, but black, brown and bay are predominant. Weights are between 800 and 1,000 pounds.

Standardbred shares a lot with Thoroughbred but bodies are often more muscled and longer, the head is bigger and may even sport a Roman nose, and are not tall, with an average between 15 and 16 hands.