Trotting

Trotting, or otherwise known as harness racing, is a type of horse racing which focuses on the gait of the horse and unlike mounted racing, the horses are required to pull a cart (sulky) behind them from which the driver controls the horse.

Although harness racing consists of two different gait methods, trotting and pacing, trotting is by far the more popular method, used exclusively in Europe and also in North America, New Zealand and Australia. When trotting, the horse’s front left leg will move forward in sync with the rear right leg. Then the front right leg will move forward with the rear left leg. This type of gait is body-centred and can be performed either in a straight line, where the hind legs move forward directly behind the front legs or in a passing gait where the hind legs are placed further out than the front legs. Despite its popularity, trotting has one disadvantage in that the horse is able to advance into a canter if they are not controlled properly by the driver. To ensure this doesn’t occur during a race, the driver controls the horse with two aids, reigns and a long light whip.

Unlike standard racing, harness races do not use Thoroughbreds as they are considered to “hot headed”, instead Standardbreds are used as they are more docile and stockier with more muscle so that they can pull the sulkies. The Standardbred gets its name from when the racing industry decided that any Thoroughbred who could trot a mile in under 2 minutes 30 seconds was considered to be a Standardbred.

The use of sulkies dates back to the Roman Empire when chariots were used for transport and racing. Afterwards, they were used by doctors and solo travellers so that rather than having to ride the horses, they could relax more for longer distances. The design of the sulky has also changed dramatically over the past century. Many modifications to the wheel size, seat height and axle to have been made to increase the racing speeds by making a lighter and more dynamic sulky. By the 1920s the standard sulky was invented which had 28 inch wheels and weighed between 33 and 40 pounds. The sulkies are connected to the horse via straps which go under the horse along its girth and sit just behind the horse’s wither on the top.

There is a lot of skill and tactic involved with trotting as the right position of the track can improve the driver’s chances of winning dramatically. The worst positions on the track are often the most dangerous. To be stuck in the middle of a three horse train is difficult to get out of as you are boxed in by surrounding drivers and cannot gain clear passage to advance on the track. Also, the further out the driver and horse are, the more distance they must cover in order to maintain their position and it is also a challenge to become the leader as they are also often dealing with oncoming wind, making it harder for the horse to keep up with the others. A good position on the track is one behind the leader on the inside as the horse is able to advance if a passage opens up or another horse tires and the driver can steer the horse into their position.

Prior to a race, several horses are given a handicap, which means that they are required to start further behind the starting line in order to equal the chances of each horse winning. For more competitive horses, another a larger handicap may be added on to their existing one. This method of balancing the game also affects the odds of the race for bettors. If their winning horse has been handicapped, the odds are usually increased, which is more risky for the bettors however if they are confident in the horse’s performance, this can often be more rewarding with a larger payout.

Trotting races are held throughout Australia and several races are often held over one day at a club. These race days are called meetings, and there are often up to nine races in one meeting. Horses can either win one race and receive prize money for the one race or they may be entered into an event titled a Series, in which the horse competes in several races and each horse receives points depending on what position they finished in for each race. The total scores are then added together the overall winner is the horse with the maximum points.