At a young age, I became shall we say 'obsessed' with things.  Meaning, I would find a topic of interest and soak up every possible bit of information ever published on the topic and before long, I was a verifiable expert.  Part of third grade was dinosaurs and thankfully, that phase was over quickly.  I soon moved on to dog breeds...and I can still point out and name what breed the dog is.  Even the weirdo ones that you'd swear are mutts.  Something to brag about I'm sure.  Also during the dog breed phase came the horse phase.  This one lasted years.  I started taking riding lessons and soon our house was filled to the brim with books on horse breeds, the health of the horse, horse racing (and the different types).  You name it, I'd read it.  I rode horses competitively and eventually became a horse owner myself during high school.  Eventually my obsession with all things 'horse' waned but I still love horses.  Even the ones who get a little too frisky for their own good and let off a good kick, sending me flying into a fence post.


Trying to figure out something to do to thwart the growing boredom here in Pennsylvania, I suggested we hit up the racetrack at the casino an hour away.  Now I'm sure when you think of horse racing, you think Kentucky Derby and galloping.  This was going to be harness racing; a whole different game altogether.  I know a fair bit of information about it but have never actually seen a race live.  This track wasn't particularly busy and allowed you to basically sit on the track with just a chain link fence between you...for free!  Perfect for snapping some pics of the ponies.

Here's a quick little lesson for you on harness racing.  The jockey or driver sits in what is called a 'sulky' and controls the horse from the sulky.  The breed of horse used in harness racing is the Standardbred.  Regular races, like the Kentucky Derby, is strictly the Thoroughbred.  These races are done at a gallop while harness races are done at one of 2 gaits: trot or pace.  Standardbreds are known as gaited horses: they have all the same gaits as say, a Thoroughbred (walk, trot, canter, gallop) but they've got an extra gear if you will: the pace.  Trotting is where the legs move forward in diagonal pairs; right front and left hind together, then vice versa and so on.  (The horse above is trotting.)  Pacing is where the legs move laterally; right front and right hind together and vice versa.  Pacing horses are faster than the trotters and boy can these horses move.  They average about 35mph in speed.  The Thoroughbred can go up to about 40mph...at a gallop.  Moving on!  Here are some images from the track.












Horses wear the blinkers usually because they get spooked by what is going on around them.  The blinkers help them to keep from looking around them and getting distracted or spooked.




Grey horses are my favorite.


This horse is pacing.

This guy is all tricked out in "don't freak out" gear: foam in the ears so the noise doesn't bother him, a full blinker on the left eye and poor guy, his tongue is banded out of the way so he doesn't chomp or choke on it while racing.