Editing Horse racing (section)

==Types of horse racing==
There are many types of horse racing, including:

*'''[[Flat racing]]''', where horses [[Canter|gallop]] directly between two points around a straight or oval track.
*'''[[Jump racing]]''', or '''Jumps racing''', also known as '''[[Steeplechase (horse racing)|Steeplechasing]]''' or, in Great Britain and Ireland, '''[[National Hunt racing]]''', where horses race over obstacles. 
*'''[[Harness racing]]''', where horses [[horse gait|trot or pace]] while pulling a driver in a [[sulky]].{{sfn|Edwards|1994|pp=332–337}}
*Saddle Trotting, where horses must trot from a starting point to a finishing point under saddle
*'''[[Endurance riding|Endurance racing]]''', where horses travel across the country over extreme distances, generally ranging from {{convert|25|to|100|mi}}. Anything less than 25 miles qualifies as a limited distance ride or LD.

Different [[list of horse breeds|breeds of horses]] have been bred to excel in each of these disciplines. Breeds that are used for flat racing include the [[Thoroughbred]], [[American Quarter Horse|Quarter Horse]], [[Arabian horse|Arabian]], [[American Paint Horse|Paint]], and [[Appaloosa]].<ref name=USHorse/> Jump racing breeds include the [[Thoroughbred]] and [[AQPS]]. In harness racing, [[Standardbred]]s are used in Australia, New Zealand and North America. In Europe, [[Russian Trotter|Russian]] and [[French Trotter]]s are used with Standardbreds. Light cold blood horses, such as [[Finnhorse]]s and [[Scandinavian coldblood trotter|Scandinavian Coldblood Trotters]] are also used in harness racing within their respective geographical areas.

There are also races for ponies: both flat and jump<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ponyracingauthority.co.uk/|title=The Pony Racing Authority – Inspiring the next generation of champions|access-date=2016-09-18|archive-date=2016-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918081649/http://www.ponyracingauthority.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> and harness racing.<ref>[http://www.hippos.fi/raviurheilu/raviurheilu_lajina/raviurheilu_suomessa Racing in Finland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006114524/http://www.hippos.fi/raviurheilu/raviurheilu_lajina/raviurheilu_suomessa |date=2018-10-06 }}(in Finnish)</ref>

===Flat racing===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2023}}
Flat racing is the most common form of horse racing seen worldwide. Flat racing tracks are typically oval in shape and are generally level, although in Great Britain and Ireland there is much greater variation, including figure-of-eight tracks like [[Windsor Racecourse|Windsor]] and tracks with often severe gradients and changes of camber, such as [[Epsom Racecourse]]. Track surfaces vary, with turf most common in Europe and dirt more common in North America and Asia. Newly designed synthetic surfaces, such as [[Track surface#Polytrack|Polytrack]] or [[Track surface#Tapeta|Tapeta]], are seen at some tracks.

Individual flat races are run over distances ranging from {{convert|440|yards}} to more than {{Convert | 4 | mi | spell = in}}, although races longer than {{Convert | 2 | mi | spell = in}} are quite rare, and distances between {{Convert | 5 | and | 12 | furlong | km | spell = in}} are the most common. Short races are generally referred to as "sprints", while longer races are known as "routes" in the United States or "staying races" in Europe. Although fast acceleration ("a turn of foot") is usually required to win either type of race, in general sprints are seen as a test of speed, while long-distance races are seen as a test of stamina. The most prestigious flat races in the world, such as the [[Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe]], [[Melbourne Cup]], [[Japan Cup]], [[Epsom Derby]], [[Kentucky Derby]] and [[Dubai World Cup]], are run over distances in the middle of this range and are seen as tests of both speed and stamina to some extent.

In the most prestigious races, horses are generally allocated the same weight to carry for fairness, with allowances given to younger horses and female horses running against males. These races are called [[conditions races]] and offer the biggest [[purse (horseracing)|purses]]. There is another category of races called [[handicap (horse racing)|handicap race]]s where each horse is assigned a different weight to carry based on its ability.<ref name=HRChannel/> Besides the weight they carry, horses' performance can also be influenced by position relative to the inside barrier, sex, jockey, and training.

===Jump racing===
[[File:Horses jump over hurdle.jpg|thumb|Race horses hurdling at [[Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse|Bangor]]]]
{{main|National Hunt racing|Steeplechase (horse racing)|Hurdling (horse race)}}
Jump (or jumps) racing in Great Britain and Ireland is known as [[National Hunt racing]] (although, confusingly, National Hunt racing also includes flat races taking place at jumps meetings; these are known as [[National Hunt flat]] races). Jump racing can be subdivided into [[Steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechasing]] and [[Hurdling (horse race)|hurdling]], according to the type and size of obstacles being jumped. The word "steeplechasing" can also refer collectively to any type of jump race in certain racing jurisdictions, particularly in the United States.

Typically, horses progress to bigger obstacles and longer distances as they get older, so that a European jumps horse will tend to start in National Hunt flat races as a juvenile, move on to hurdling after a year or so, and then, if thought capable, move on to steeplechasing.

=== Harness racing ===
{{Main|Harness racing}}
A type of racing where horses go around a track while pulling a sulky and a driver behind them. In this sport, Standardbreds are used. These horses are separated into two categories, trotters and pacers. Pacers move the legs on each side of their body in tandem, while trotters move their diagonal legs together. The latter are typically faster than the former due to the gaits used.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://animals.mom.me/difference-between-trotter-pacer-3026.html|title=What Is the Difference Between a Trotter & a Pacer?|website=animals.mom.me|access-date=2019-04-05|archive-date=2018-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704000857/http://animals.mom.me/difference-between-trotter-pacer-3026.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Occasionally a horse will break their gait into an actual canter or gallop. This could cause the loss of a race or even a disqualification.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.harnesslink.com/News/GOING-OFF-STRIDE-ON-HAMBO-DAY-54681|title=Going Off Stride on Hambo Day |website=Harnesslink |date=6 Aug 2007 |first1=Joshua |last1=Potts |access-date=2019-04-05|archive-date=2020-08-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801191440/http://www.harnesslink.com/News/GOING-OFF-STRIDE-ON-HAMBO-DAY-54681|url-status=dead }}</ref> Notable races include the Hambletonian and the Breeder's Crown series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hambletonian.com/about-us.html|title=About Us|website=The Hambletonian Society|access-date=2019-04-05|archive-date=2017-09-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910165218/http://www.hambletonian.com/about-us.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Saddle trot racing ===
Ridden trot races are more common in places such as Europe and New Zealand. These horses are trotters who race on the flat under saddle with a jockey on their backs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrnz.co.nz/news-and-events/latest-news/5448-the-birth-of-saddle-trot-racing-in-nz|title=The birth of saddle trot racing in NZ? |website=Harness Racing New Zealand |first1=Duane |last1=Ranger |date= 18 May 2017 |access-date=2019-04-05|archive-date=2018-02-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210101659/https://www.hrnz.co.nz/news-and-events/latest-news/5448-the-birth-of-saddle-trot-racing-in-nz|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Endurance racing===
{{Main|Endurance riding}}
[[File:Suffolk Downs horse racing.JPG|thumb|Suffolk Downs starting gate, East Boston, Massachusetts]]

The length of an endurance race varies greatly. Some are very short, only ten miles, while other races can be up to one hundred miles. There are a few races that are even longer than one hundred miles and last multiple days.<ref name=":1">[http://www.equiworld.net/uk/sports/endurance/index.htm "Endurance Riding"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408004314/http://www.equiworld.net/uk/sports/endurance/index.htm |date=2009-04-08 }} Equiworld.net. 8 April 2009</ref> These different lengths of races are divided into five categories: pleasure rides (10–20 miles), non-competitive trail rides (21–27 miles), competitive trail rides (20–45 miles), progressive trail rides (25–60 miles), and endurance rides (40–100 miles in one day, up to {{convert|250|mi|km}} in multiple days).<ref name=":1" /> Because each race is very long, trails of natural terrain are generally used.

Contemporary organized [[endurance riding|endurance racing]] began in California around 1955, and the first race marked the beginning of the [[Tevis Cup]]<ref>[http://www.horseracing.com/types-of-horse-racing/endurance/ "Endurance Horse Racing".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905164811/http://www.horseracing.com/types-of-horse-racing/endurance/ |date=2008-09-05 }} HorseRacing.com. The Horse Racing Channel. 8 April 2009</ref> This race was a one-hundred-mile, one-day-long ride starting in [[Squaw Valley, Placer County, California|Squaw Valley]], [[Placer County]], and ending in [[Auburn, California|Auburn]]. Founded in 1972, the American Endurance Ride Conference was the United States' first national endurance riding association.<ref name=types>[http://www.equiworld.net/uk/sports/endurance/index.htm "Endurance Riding".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408004314/http://www.equiworld.net/uk/sports/endurance/index.htm |date=2009-04-08 }} Equiworld.net. 8 April 2009.</ref> The longest endurance race in the world is the [[Mongol Derby]], which is {{convert|1000|km|abbr=on}} long.<ref>{{cite web | title =Longest multi-horse race | publisher =Guinness World Records | url =http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/7000/longest-multi-horse-race | access-date =September 16, 2013 | archive-date =October 23, 2013 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131023061735/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/7000/longest-multi-horse-race | url-status =live }}</ref>