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In horse racing, you can follow the leader board, track position, and odds and conditions. A race chart is a graph that shows each horse’s position at designated points of call. The chart can also show the weight carried by each horse, its owner, trainer, and other pertinent data. During the race, you can check out the race results to see which horse was the best bet. A race track stretches across the backstretch and homestretch to allow the horse to have a straightaway run from the start.
Horses compete against each other for prize money. They are classified according to their gender and age. A horse can be in the starting gate or paddock. The jockey urges the horse to run faster. Some horses also wear calks on their shoes to help them traction on soft or muddy tracks. Horse racing rules also define terms like cut-back and dead-heat. A dead-heat is an exact tie, while a strut refers to the distance covered after each foot hits the ground.
Races are run over a variety of distances, including short and long distances. Shorter distances are more exciting for the casual fan, while longer ones require a high level of athleticism. While most horse races are short, longer distances require more skill and endurance on the part of the jockey. Hybrids are also available. Among the more popular types of horses in the sport are Arabians, and a variety of other breeds. The rules for these races may vary by national organization.
A race may be divided into three categories based on the distance. For example, a mare may be shorter than a filly, but mares carry up to five pounds less weight. Mares and fillies, in contrast, are allowed to carry up to ten pounds less weight when racing against males. A mare’s weight, or shanked, can’t improve its position after losing the shaved limb.
While the history of horse racing dates back thousands of years, the first documented race took place in France in 1651. This was a result of a wager between two noblemen. Louis XIV (1643-1715) made gambling the basis of racing. Louis XVI, in particular, organized a jockey club and imposed racing rules by royal decree. The racing calendar required that horses have certificates of origin, and foreign horses were given extra weight.
Early horse racing is not dated, but can be dated to approximately 1000 B.C.E. Greeks may have been the first to organize horse racing, and it spread across North Africa and the Middle East. Arabian, Barb, and Turkish horses were among the first species of horse used in European racing. As the popularity of horse racing spread, horse races spread throughout the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Middle East. Once these countries became part of the Roman Empire, the sport gained a worldwide following.