Horse racing is one of the oldest sports on earth and its basic concept hasn’t changed over the centuries. While it has evolved into a sport of enormous spectacle with complex electronic monitoring equipment and huge sums betted, the fundamentals remain unchanged: the winner is the first horse across the finish line. The earliest known horse races were match contests between two horses, but pressure by the public eventually produced events that were open to larger fields of runners. Eligibility rules were created based on age, sex, birthplace and previous performance, as well as a system of fixed weights to be carried by each horse in the race.
The sport of horse racing has been popular in a variety of cultures throughout history. It is depicted in art and literature, including Homer’s Iliad, which dates from the 9th or 8th century bc. In 664 bc it became a formal sport at the thirty-third Olympic Games, where both chariot and bareback racing were held.
But even as horse racing has flourished, it’s become clear that this industry doesn’t have the best interests of its horses at heart. This has been fueled by investigations by PETA and other groups, which have exposed the abuse and neglect of young horses in training, drug use and shipping to slaughterhouses. The industry is also reeling from a decline in fan bases, revenue and race days.
Horses are not only highly prized for their speed and stamina, but they are a symbol of power and wealth. They have been used for war, transportation and a wide range of other purposes. The earliest known horse races were match-contests between two horses, but the pressure of the public led to open events with larger fields of runners and rules based on age, sex, race track surface, birthplace and past performance. In addition, a system of fixed weights was developed, with each horse carrying a specific amount of weight in the race, with horses requiring two heats to win a race.
A ‘bad trip’ refers to the way a horse is ridden during the running of a race, with a horse having a bad trip having encountered unusual difficulty. This may include racing wide, being boxed in by other horses or even getting washed out. A ‘good trip’ on the other hand, would mean that the horse did not encounter any trouble during the race and was ridden to the best of its ability. In a grass course, this can be particularly difficult for a horse as it is often hard to see the ground when there are long stretches of uncut grass.