How did our friendship with horses begin?
The domestication of the horse took place around 3,500 BC and was a real revolution, as horses began to serve as draft animals. They helped both in agriculture and in warfare, because warriors on horseback were not only mobile, but also very dangerous (when charging the enemy). Moreover, the domestication of the horse made this animal the most popular means of transport, which lost its dominant position only after the invention of internal combustion engines and cars, that is over the last 100 years. When it comes to horse racing, it is very difficult to determine when the first such race really took place, as the ancient Romans, Egyptians and Greeks alike used horses as draft animals and also as a means of transport. In ancient Rome, horse races were organised in specially prepared stadiums, which were called the hippodromes.
What is horse racing like today?
Contemporary horse racing is spectacular to watch and also closely related to sports betting. These competitions are held at race tracks and the horses are ridden by professional jockeys, who are usually short and light, allowing the horse to reach its maximum speed. Moreover, in order for the races to be fair, each rider is weighed together with the horse before the start – when one is lighter than the rest, a special load is added to him to make the competition as fair as possible. Sports betting and betting on specific horses is a centuries-old tradition. These bets involve both amateurs who pick horses at random, and professionals who closely follow the careers of individual horses and riders to select the winner as accurately as possible. Today it is also possible to bet on horses online. Moreover, on this horseracing results site, it is possible to check the results of specific races.