Each
year in North America, over 30 million people attend harness
racing events. The Standard Bred is by far the fastest
horse in harness, and the most popular trotting/pacing
breed.
Harness
racing is contested on two gaits, the trot and the pace.
Trotters move with a diagonal gait; the left front and
right rear legs move in unison, as do the right front and
left rear.
Pacers,
on the other hand, move their legs on one side of their
body in tandem: left front and rear, and right front and
rear. This action shows why pacers are often called "sidewheelers." Pacers
account for about 80% of the participants in harness racing,
and are aided in maintaining their gait by plastic loops
called hobbles, which keep their legs moving in synchronization.
Trotters are more popular in Europe while pacers are more
popular the North America.
 Today,
there is a large concentration of harness racing tracks
in the Northeast and Midwest United States. Virtually every
major population center in these areas boasts one or more
harness tracks. The sport is also popular in Florida, California,
and throughout Canada.
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