Racing American Quarter Horses are born to run.

Race workouts are a fun spectator sport.

Before an American Quarter Horse is allowed to race, it must be registered with AQHA and must be given a permanent identifying tattoo on its upper lip.

The tattoo is a combination of numbers and letters unique to that horse and is applied prior to the horse’s first race.

Before each race, the number on the lip is checked with the official record to be sure they match.

Learn the personal stories of some of the best race horses in the business. Richard Chamberlain takes you on a trip down memory lane in Quarter Paths: Anecdotes of the Fastest Horse on Earth. Download your copy today!

Race Horse Practice

Horses train in the mornings to get in shape for races. Sometimes they are just jogged or galloped around the track. Other times they are worked, which is when the horse is exercised at racing speed for a certain distance. The workouts are recorded for you to read and use in making wagering decisions

Each race pits horses against each other for a set amount of purse money. Most horses live on the backside, or barns located near the track. Sometimes they ship in from other places, such as farms or other racetracks. At a scheduled time before their race, horses are walked to the paddock. This is the area where they are saddled in preparation for the race. Once they are saddled, the jockeys mount and the horses are led out onto the track. Once there, they are paraded before the stands and given a chance to warm up.  This is called the “post parade”. Horses are then led to post, or the starting gate. At post time, the horses are loaded, the gates open and the horses run the race.  The winner takes a trip to the winner’s circle for a photo.  After the official results are posted on the tote board, bettors can collect their winnings and horses are returned to the barns where they are cooled and bathed.

Immediately after a race, horses from placings designated by the racing commission (such as first through third) are taken to a test barn, where veterinarians collect urine and blood samples to test for prohibited medications.

Get  your downloadable copy of Quarter Paths: Anecdotes of the Fastest Horse on Earth today, and relive some of the amazing stories of the race horses who started it all.