This article will look at how you can profit from handicap racing, plus I will cover the differences between handicap racing and conditions racing, as not everyone will know the difference.

In fact the writing of this article came about from a request from one of my members, and so I thought that maybe you would also benefit from looking at how handicap racing differs from conditional racing, and how not knowing the difference could potentially cost you money.

Confusion Can Lead To Disaster So Don’t Make These Mistakes

As you may know, I am a real advocate of information being power when it comes to betting on horse racing. So with that said, if you want to drastically improve your chances of taking money from the bookmakers with your racing tips, you need to arm yourself with as much quality and relevant information as possible.

And this is where some novice punters fall at the first fence (pardon the pun), because before you place any cash on a horse you need to make sure that you know what kind of race you are betting on. That is to say, is it a handicap race or a conditions race?

And if you’ve been to watch live racing before, then you’ll know what its like. If you haven’t by the way, you really should its a great day out, and this will explain what you can expect when you go for the first time.

You’re looking at the different races and who’s riding on what. You get to the parade ring and there are already whispers going around about this horse and that horse. It’s easy to be influenced by what you hear. And everyone thinks they’re an expert when it comes to horse racing tips don’t they?

And so with all the jargon and gossip that you hear at the racecourse, is it any wonder that punters end up getting thoroughly confused, and betting on a horse simply because they like the name, the way it walks, the colour of the jockey’s silks or because they overheard someone in the pub mention that it had a chance?

I’ve seen it many, many times, but the truth is it doesn’t have to be like that it really doesn’t.

Your Horse Racing Tips Are Useless If You Don’t Know This

So the key is having a bit of background knowledge, even just the basics, which will enable you to get started. This will ensure that you are a bit more savvy than the average punter, and therefore you will have a little advantage that will hopefully give you that edge over the bookmakers.

So having given you that bold statement, what are the most important factors to consider when betting on horses? Of course, there are many, many variables that affect the outcome of a horse race, and there’s no way that I could cover all of them in this article, but let’s start with one of the fundamentals of horse racing. Handicapping.

This could be perhaps the biggest error that punters make, as they have no idea what kind of race they are betting on. In the UK, all races come under one of two categories. The first category is a handicap race, and the second one is called a conditions race.

The reason that distinguishing between these two different classes of race is important, is because the bookies pay different amounts on each-way bets gained in the two different types of race.

So for example, in a handicap race of less than 16 runners, you are paid one-quarter the odds on the first three finishers for an each way bet. You are also paid for the first four places in a handicap with 16 or more runners, so this in itself is worth knowing.

In conditions races however, you are only ever paid one-fifth the odds for finishing in the first three places, so can you see where I am coming from now? It’s crucial to be able to tell what type of race you are betting on.

Handicapping Explained

Essentially the handicap that I’m referring to, is additional weight that is allocated to a horse based upon its ability. The better the horse, then in theory the greater the weight that is carries compared to its fellow horses. This is done so that each horse potentially has an equal chance of winning the race.

The British Horseracing Board meets each week to look at each qualifying horses form and to assess its rating. Not every horse in the UK qualifies for a handicap. At the time of writing this, a flat horse for example must have either won a race, or participated in three races, to enable the handicapper the opportunity to look at the horse’s form.

To the layman, the details of the ratings system may be a bit confusing, but essentially it boils down to the higher the rating, the better the horse. Of course, the reason that we don’t just go and lump our money on the best rated horse is that it will be carrying the most weight, so from our point of view as punters, the key is to loom at the weight as just one factor of a horse’s potential in winning a race.

The Belgian Breed is one of the gentlest, most eager to work and easiest to handle and train breeds. The Belgians in America today, descendants of Belgium’s Brabant, are not as massive as the Brabant but retain proportionate muscular and bone structure and the gentle, hard working disposition of their ancestors. The Belgians were bred mainly for farm work in Belgium and imported to the United States in the 1800′s for the same purpose. Although farming was the main purpose of the breed their gentle disposition, strength, and versatility has made them ideal for all other types of Draft work. The purity of the breed has been carefully guarded over the years. Careful breeding, choosing only purebreds with the most desirable traits, breeders have maintained a very desirable, versatile animal. These traits make them number one with most Draft Horse enthusiasts today. The breeding alone is not fully responsible for the Belgians gentleness and eagerness to work. The training and handling of the animal has a lot to do with what type of temperament it will end up possessing. A gentle, calm, but firm hand and kindness will reap all the benefits the Belgian breed has to offer.

I was raised around the breed most my life. My grandfather, his father and grandfather before him all used Belgians to farm in Northeast Missouri. Grandpa also raised, trained, and sold Belgians for many years. He was the one to go to if you needed a great, not just good, team of Draft horses. Before his death in 2000, he had raised and trained an untold number of horses. Belgians, although they were his favorites and most used, were not the only breed of horse he raised. The other breeds included Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and several pony breeds including Shetlands and Welsh. Grandpa’s second favorite breed was the Mule, which is a cross between male Donkey (a jack) and female horse. Grandpa bred the donkey not only with his lighter weight mares but also with his Belgian mares resulting in the “Mammoth Jack.” The Mules he bred inherited the gentle, hard working traits of the Belgian and the surefootedness and strength of the donkey. They were the gentlest Mules I have ever known.

In 40 years of my life, my grandfather only had two teams that he kept as his own. The very first team that I remember him having were named Queen and Barney. They were a pair of dark brown Belgians, if I remember correctly; they were half brother and sister. The two were raised and trained together from day one by my grandfather. These horses were so well trained they would have harnessed themselves if possible. They did everything else on voice command and some things just because they knew it was what they were supposed to do. Grandpa owned a 300-acre farm on which he usually kept no less than 12 to 15 head of horses but the Belgian teams were always the lead of the herd. Grandpa could step out into the yard and start calling for Queen and Barney who would appear right on cue every time with the rest of the horses following close behind. When he opened the gate, they knew exactly which stall was theirs and never failed to get it right. They would wait patiently for the feed boxes to be filled and to get on with the days work without missing a beat.

They did not need to be tied, they would stay until harnessed and told to “hitch up.” They would then calmly leave the barn in order of closest to the barn door and go to the wagon that was outside; no matter which wagon was waiting they knew to go and back themselves into the tree and wait to be hitched up to the wagon. If it was the trailer or truck they were to be loaded into Grandpa would just have to say “load up” and they would know to go to the truck or trailer and they’d walk in every time. I remember grooming, leading, driving and riding them thinking I was so big and in control of such an enormous animal but it was truly my grandfather who had control of them through his training and voice commands. I say that the training has a lot to do with the type of animal that results because the second team he raised and trained for himself were just as gentle, even-tempered, and easy to control as Queen and Barney. In fact, all the horses and teams he broke, whether for himself or someone else were considered by many in the area to be some of the best. I was taught to have respect and use caution around all animals at all times but of them all, I believe the Belgians were the most trusted.

Do not be totally fooled by the amiable behavior that the Belgian displays the majority of the time. They are also very sensitive animals and can tell if the person handling them is stressed, agitated, or insecure. Those emotions can affect their behavior. Their massive size and strength can make them just as dangerous as they are gentle. They do not realize the brute strength that they possess and when frightened, startled or provoked they still posses the flight or fight instinct of any prey animal and can be just as unpredictable as any other breed in the same instance. As gentle and well trained as they were I can remember times that one or both of the team would startle, begin to bolt, rare or react in an unpredictable manner for whatever reason. A quick firm hand on the reins and a few calming words from Grandpa the situation could usually brought quickly under control.

Even though things went smoothly, most of the time there would be the occasional colt or filly that needed a bit more persuasion than the human hand alone could dole out. When these foals came along Grandpa could rely on the solid temperament and training of his older horses to put the young ones in their place. He would hitch the young one up with one of the older horses and between the two of them and many hours in the harness, the younger one soon learned his purpose and developed the desired disposition of the Belgian. If Grandpa had a real difficult foal, he would do a three hitch, with the foal between the two older horses. Considering guidance from both sides, there was not much the young horse could do but be compliant.

Some general pointers on choosing your first horse

Geldings generally have the most consistent behavior. They are generally the most even tempered and pleasant natured. Not every gelding will be like this, it’s that the odds are greatest that a gelding will be consistently good natured.
Mares, go in and out of “heat”. They have hormone cycles. This may or may not affect a mare’s behavior and temperament. Some mares are even tempered. Some can be Jekyll and Hyde. Be aware of this and ask the owner.
Stallions are not suitable for anyone other than experienced horse people. A beginner should not even consider one. End of story.

On the age of your horse, young horses or inexperienced older horses are not suitable for a beginner. Your ideal steed will be at least 5 and have been well handled and trained. You are after a horse who has maturity, who is familiar with the world of humans. A horse in his late teens or early twenties has plenty of maturity and would be a great first horse.

Of course, you are after a sound, healthy and pleasant natured animal. If the horse has a health issue, consider how this will affect the riding you want to do before deciding yay or nay. If the horse has a cranky temperament, it is not suitable for a beginner. Living in fear of being nipped or kicked by your first horse will destroy your confidence and your horsey dream, as well as being a physically dangerous situation.

Cover the basics

First of all, let’s go through some questions to find out what you’re after and what’s most suitable.

At what level are your horse and riding skills? It is a huge mistake, as a beginner, to purchase a horse that is beyond your current ability. It is far safer and easier to grow out of a horse than into one. You want a horse that you can ride now, based on your current level of skill.

Untrained, lightly trained, lightly handled or ‘green broke’ horses are often cheaper. There’s a reason for that. It’s because they need work, an experienced hand and time. They aren’t as predictable or reliable. The training required can take months or even a few years (think $$) and can lead to a dangerous horse if not done right (by a beginner).

What you pay for with an experienced horse is the training that has gone into the animal and the world experience and familiarity the horse has with human ways. It IS worth it for a first horse.
And please remember that if a horse is to be ridden by more than one person, look for a horse that will be suitable for the lowest skilled person.

Next question, is this a child’s horse or an adult’s? The answer will determine a suitable size for you to be comfortable on and build to carry your weight. A horse for both children and adults will need to be small enough for the kids to be comfortable, while tall and strong enough to carry an adult easily.

Now what sort of riding do you want to do? Is this a work horse? A show horse? A serious or fun competition horse? A jumper, barrel racer or endurance ride? Or a trail & leisure horse? Do you want to do dressage? The reason for answering this question is that it will help you focus the temperament, skills and confirmation you require from your horse. And perhaps a suitable breed.

There is no right or wrong breed of horse for a particular genre of horse sports in terms of suitability. It is dependent on the individual animal. Some types of competition are restricted to a particular breed. ie horse racing is restricted to thoroughbreds. There aren’t many of these, but find out beforehand.

Having said that, some breeds TEND to be particularly suitable for particular sports as they have been bred to excel in these. For instance, warmbloods and dressage, quarter horse and barrel racing, arabian and endurance riding. This does not exclude other breeds from excelling. Confirmation (the shape and way a horse is put together) will determine what horse will be good at what activity. A good endurance horse is built differently to a good dressage horse, for instance. There is no need to purchase a purebred or discount one breed over another. Find out what is important in a horse for your chosen discipline and look for a horse with those qualities. This is where your expert friend will help sort a suitable horse from one that just won’t do. If you don’t have a specialised sport in mind, any sound, healthy, quiet, gentle natured, well trained horse will do.

If you are alive and live on planet earth, you have heard of the Kentucky Derby. You may not know a lot about it, but you have heard about it. It has been called the most exciting two minutes in sports since that is about how long the race lasts.

It is only natural that the great state of Kentucky holds the honor of this auspicious race since thoroughbred horses have been bred and raced in Kentucky since late in the eighteenth century.

For people that are into dates, it was the year nineteen thirty-seven when Churchill Downs acquired that name after John and Henry Churchill who supplied the land where the track is located. It was on May 17th in the year eighteen seventy-five when the first official race was run here featuring a lineup of fifteen three year old horses in front a whopping ten thousand race fans.

The race was financially in bad shape until it was purchased in 1902 by a group of Louisville businessmen and it has flourished ever since that time.

To make things more competitive and fair to the horses, jockeys and fans, the Kentucky Derby limits the participants to three years olds and is officially run the first Sunday in May.

Back in 1931 the Kentucky Derby moved into the number one spot in the running of the Triple Crown then the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

In the fifties the Kentucky Derby really began to come into it’s own. In 1952 on May the third, the public at large could sit in front of the television at home and watch the very first televised running of the Kentucky Derby then a scant two years later in 1954, for the very first time in history, the purse at the Kentucky Derby topped one hundred thousand dollars.

There has been some tarnish marks along the way in the history of the Kentucky Derby with Dancers Image becoming the first horse in history – in fact the ONLY horse in history – to be disqualified from winning the Kentucky Derby in 1968 after traces of an anti-inflammatory analgesic drug known as phenylbutazone was found in the analysis of the horses urine. A few years later the rules at the Kentucky Derby were changed to allow horses to run the race while using phenylbutazone.

In 1973 the horse Secretariat broke the two-minute mark and came in at one minute and fifty-nine point five seconds making it the fasted Kentucky Derby ever.

Famous horse racing tracks host some of the best known horse racing events in the country. Many of these horse track racing venues have hosted the top races in the United States and many of the champion race horses have run on them throughout the years. Some of the top horse racing venues in the United States are:

o Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky hosts the Breeders Cup Championship, and the annual Run for the Roses, better known as the Kentucky Derby.

o The Belmont Stakes is held in Belmont, New York at Belmont Race Park, opened in 1905.

o Pimlico was opened in 1870 in Baltimore, Maryland, and was where the 1938 Preakness Stakes race between champion race horses Seabiscuit and War Admiral was held.

o Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, New York hosts the Travers Stakes, which is the oldest major thoroughbred stakes horseracing in the US.

o Arlington Park, in Arlington Heights, Illinois outside of Chicago is home to the Arlington Million and Secretariat Stakes.

o DelMar, which is north of San Diego, is known as the Saratoga of the West, with many prestigious races, including the 1938 race that one of the most famous race horses, Seabiscuit won.

o Oaklawn Park, which was opened in the early 1900′s for the Arkansas Derby and champion race horses, Smarty Jones and Curlin have won there.

o The Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey opened in 1977 and is a unique horse racing track, because of the night racing events held there.

o Tampa Bay Downs was opened in 1926 in Tampa, Florida, and hosts the Sam F. Davis Stakes which is an official Kentucky Derby qualifier.

o Gulf Stream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida was opened in 1939 and hosts the Donn Handicap, which is another Kentucky Derby qualifier and this park has hosted the Breeders Cup several years.

When it comes to famous horse tracks, the most well-known is probably Churchill Downs in Kentucky, where the Kentucky Derby is run. Even people that aren’t familiar with horse racing have heard of the race and the track.

While there are other famous horse racing tracks in other parts of the world, such as Surrey, England where the Epsom Derby has been run for 220 years, no other country has adopted the sport, as much as the United States.

The famous racetracks in the United States were more popular in the earlier half of the century, when there were few other forms of entertainment, since the television and motion pictures were not widespread. Some of the most famous racehorses rose to fame during the Depression years, and few have gained the popularity since.

Born in 1982, Tim Tetrick has taken the harness racing world by storm. He grew up on the family farm in a harness racing family. He knew what he wanted to do for a living by the time he was five. He began by exercising the horses on the farm. His father, Tom Tetrick, is a longtime trainer and driver, and his brothers are well known drivers in the Midwest.

He started driving as a teenager in the Midwest because it was closer to his home in Illinois. Later, he moved to the East Coast and began working as many tracks as possible. It is not uncommon for him to drive several races at one track, hop in his truck and drive to another track and drive some more horses.

At the age of 25, he was already making a name for himself. At age 26 in 2007, he not only broke the record of the most wins in a single season (1,188), he broke the record for the most money earned in a single season as well. With all the record breaking, he added a few more to his collection… he has become the youngest driver to reach 3,000 lifetime wins, the youngest driver to win a million-dollar race, and the most driving wins in a single calendar month (120 races in June). Tim Tetrick is well on the way to possibly becoming one of the best drivers in harness racing history. He has already earned a .401 UDRS rating, which is similar to a baseball player batting .400. While this rating is not unheard of, it is extremely rare with anyone who has had more than 3,000 starts like Tetrick!

Tim Tetrick has won the Adioo Volo Filly Pace, the American National Stakes Trot, the American National Stakes Pace (twice), the Arden Downs Stakes Colt Pace, the Battle of the Brandywine Open Pace, the Breeders’ Crown Open Pace, and the Champlain Stakes Filly Pace. He has also mastered the Cinderella, the Pacing Classic Final, the Coaching Club Trotting Oaks, the Colonial, the Countess Adios, the Currier & Ives, the Helen Dancer Memorial, the James B. Dancer Memorial, and the Eternal Camnation.

Tim has continued to show his winning strategies in the Fox Stakes, the Ben Franklin Final, the Hanover Colt Stakes Colt Pace, the Hanover Filly Stakes Filly Trot, the Hayes Memorial Stakes Colt Pace, the Oliver Wendell Holmes, the Hoosier Stakes Colt Pace, the Horseman Stakes Open Pace, the Lismore Final and the Lady Catskill Final. He has also proved his mettle in the James Lynch Pace Final, the Matron Stakes Final, the Meadowlands Pace Final, the Nat Ray, the Little Pat, the Review Stakes, the W. N. Reynolds Memorial, the Art Rooney Pace Final, and the Shady Daisy.

Buying the wrong western saddle is a very common occurrence in the western riding world. It’s also a very expensive learning experience. You can skip this painful lesson by avoiding the top seven western saddle buying mistakes.

1. Buying Pretty. While we’d all like a nice looking saddle, letting looks drive your buying decision is asking for trouble. The quality of the saddle materials and the construction are far more important than the look of a saddle. A poorly made saddle can look awfully pretty, especially to the uninitiated. Don’t fall for this one.
2. Buying Image. Have dreams of riding the range and working a cattle drive? Or maybe riding to an NFR championship buckle in barrel racing? While the cowboy and cowgirl dreams and imagery can be strong and enticing, don’t let those images determine your saddle choice. Choose a saddle type that fits the actual type of riding that you’ll be doing.
3. Buying Cheap. Cheap saddles are not a bargain. Poor quality materials and construction will shorten saddle life, and, more importantly, will cause discomfort and impair movement in your horse. If you can’t afford at least a middle-of-the-road new saddle ($500 and up), then buying used is a great solution. Quality saddles last a long time, making buying a “pre-owned” saddle a smart buy.
4. Buying Dumb. You need to educate yourself on some saddle basics before buying. Ride in as many different saddles as you can. Talk to all the horse people you know about their saddles. Pick the brain of knowledgeable saddle folks. And, always, before purchasing a saddle, know the seller’s tryout and return policies.
5. Buying Selfish. You found a saddle that’s high quality, pretty, and fits you well. You’re all set right? Wrong. You’re forgetting one very important partner in this deal – your horse. If the saddle doesn’t fit your horse well, than the rest doesn’t matter. Make sure you understand the basics of horse fit and determine beforehand whether the saddle will be a good fit for your horse.
6. Buying One-Size-Fits-All. While you shouldn’t need a different saddle for every horse you ride, one saddle will not fit every horse you run across. The best approach is to choose a saddle that will fit the basic physical type of horse that you’ll ride. For instance, I ride Quarter Horses that are on the smaller size. I have a saddle that will fit most horses of this type. If you ride more than one type of horse, you’ll need multiple saddles.
7. Buying Brand (or Endorsement). This one is a little trickier. Buying a well-established brand is not a bad idea. You just need to be aware that a number of saddle brands have been around a long time and the quality of their saddles have varied significantly over time. The quality can also vary within a brand’s current product lines. They might have great roping saddles but just average barrel saddles. Never just blindly buy by brand without thoroughly inspecting the quality of the saddle in consideration. Additionally, celebrity endorsement can seem like a stamp of approval, but it really doesn’t mean more than that the celebrity is receiving payment for use of his or her name. Very few celebrities have any input into the design and construction of the saddles bearing their name.