Introduction

Harness racing is a horse sport where horses either trot or pace at speed while pulling a one seat, light two-wheel vehicle, known as a sulky, over an oval-shaped track normally half a mile in circumference.

 

 

Typical racing sulky. 

Courtesy of Farrugia Works, equine vehicles manufacturers. 

For details of this and other types of horse vehicles click here.

 

The harness racing horse is the Standardbred of which there are two kinds. They are differentiated by their Gait. The trotter moves forward by alternately using its diagonally opposite legs together and the pacer strides forward both legs on one side of its body at a time. A horse which goes off-stride (breaks) must return to its proper gait or be disqualified. The entries start a race from either a standing start or from a mobile start. In the latter they trot or pace at near racing speed behind a moving vehicle which has gates fitted at the rear. The gate vehicle pulls away from the horses after one lap at near racing speed and the drivers race their horses to the line at speeds of up to 30mph with a stride of 25 to 27 feet.

 

Mobile start at Amman Valley hard track, West Wales.

 

Mobile start at Allensmore grass track.

 

Lining up behind the Mobile start at WBRCA, Brecon