What is a Horse Race?

A horse race is an organized competition of horses running at a specific distance on a track. It typically includes three or more legs, and is held on a public track with open entry. The rules are governed by a racing commission or board. The winner receives a prize money, usually an amount of money set by the commission or board.

A race can be won by a single horse or by multiple horses over a series of races. The prize money is based on the number of winnings earned, but may also be based on the total time or distance a horse has run.

Horses are not born to be racehorses and their skeletal systems are still developing, so they are often unprepared for high-speed racing. They are prone to injuries and breakdowns, and they must be prepared for long, hard workouts before they can even begin to compete at their peak.

There are many different types of horse races, ranging in distance from a few hundred meters to more than a mile and a half. There are also specialized races for horses of a certain age, gender, or race history, and some races have specific rules about how many horses can enter.

GOOD FOR ALL BUT…”

A horse that has turned in a solid performance but failed to win for a variety of reasons, including traffic problems, dueling for command throughout, or being forced to race wide throughout the entire race while finishing well.

The term can also be used for a horse that has overcome poor racing luck, which could be the result of bad weather conditions, or of the presence of other horses that were unable to race as well.

CHECKED

A term that is most common at the start of a race and should be accompanied by another explanatory work such as bumped rival, steadied rival or bobbled rival. This is when a horse gets away from the starting gate a bit late, unseats his rider or takes too much time to get up to speed.

ERRATIC

A horse that is erratic is not at all steady in his stride, he may even be bucking or jerking. A jerking or bucking horse is not good for the horse, the horse is unbalanced and will tire faster than normal and can be dangerous to his rider.

HARD RIDDEN

A horse which has been ridden hard in some stage of the race, generally to keep up with another horse while duling for the lead. A horse that is hard ridden will often tire in the late stages of the race, and it can be difficult for the jockey to control the animal.

BROKE SHARPLY

A race is broken very sharply, with the breaking times being significantly quicker than the rest of the field. This is most commonly found in the starting stages of a race, but can also be seen later on during a horse’s running.

This can be a very misleading comment, especially in the start line. The horse is a good horse but broke too sharply, which may compromise his position and cause him to lose out on his potential prize money.