Horse races are popular competitions between horses ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies. Bettors wager on the outcome of contests between two or more rivals, often betting on them to meet head on in contests called races. There are many types of horse races; each type possesses its own set of rules. A popular example is handicapped racing in which weights are assigned by racing secretary to even out chances for all entrants; other popular variants include condition claiming races where horses that have never before race before meeting head to head against each other, while allowance races where class relief based on past performance and/sex are granted by racing secretary according to established class relief formula.
Horses are prey animals, so their instinctive response to situations that provoke fear is to flee as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this option is unavailable when they find themselves forced to stand around in a paddock area before a race or at a starting gate, where other horses force them into standing still for too long. Once in this environment, horses may face verbal abuse from spectators and owners as well as physical assault; some horses even show signs of stress with twitchy tails or heads, sweaty foreheads, unsteady gaits, fast heart rates, quickened pulses.
Twitchy tail and rapid pulse can be caused by an overload of adrenaline released when horses feel fear. Sweating can then follow as dehydration and exhaustion set in, meaning it becomes harder for these horses to focus on their task at hand and may become disoriented and unpredictable as it runs its race course route; its handler must therefore stay vigilant to stay in control of it all.
Early years of organized racing in America emphasized stamina as a hallmark of excellence; after the Civil War, however, speed became more influential when determining a winner of a race; by the late 19th century the American Thoroughbred had evolved into a pure speed animal.
There is an expansive array of horse races held worldwide, from local events to races held abroad. Each has its own set of regulations regarding age, sexes and birthplace of eligible horses that compete. This ensures a level playing field while helping prevent fraud.
Not only can race conditions radically influence its outcome, but so too do trainers and jockeys involved in it. Every horse requires different training regimens, and trainers possessing skill and judgment are indispensable in producing winning performances from horses. Not only are trainers responsible for physical training their horses; they also analyze past performances to devise effective race strategies.