Metal gates in which the horses are placed for the start of flat races; when all the horses are in the stalls, all the gates open at the same time when the starting signal is given.

Official who makes sure races are run in accordance with the rules of the race. They can open an inquiry at the end of a race to review how the race unfolded and question all the drivers or jockeys they wish and take action if necessary on one or more events of the race. The […]

An official record of the pedigree of purebred horses. All current French and Belgian trotters are registered in their respective Stud-Book, together with their forebears spanning several generations. The Stud-Book rules are set out in the registration procedures.

A light two-wheel carriage or cart, the sulky is composed of an upper section on which the driver sits, and two shafts attached alongside the trotter’s flank to a harness, a sort of belt which encircles the thorax.

There are two main surface types used for trotting and gallop races:  sand (pozzolana, quarry sand, etc. for trotting, and fibre sand for galloping races) or grass.

A summary of past performance as it appears on the race card.  A “fine track record” refers to fine performances that attest to the form of the horse.

A person who trains racehorses and prepares them for racing. The trainer must hold a licence issued by the Fédération Belge des Courses Hippiques [Belgian Horse Racing Federation]. The trainer manages the career of a horse placed under his responsibility in agreement with the owner of that horse.

A diagonal two-beat movement where the horse moves its legs in diagonal pairs. On the first beat, the left foreleg hits the ground at the same time as the right hind leg. On the second beat, the right foreleg and left hindleg are in contact with the ground.

The entourage of a trotter may decide to run the horse without shoes, either in front, or behind, or barefoot on all four.  The decision must be announced when the trotter is declared to run (usually 48 hours before the event) in order to guarantee total transparency for all racegoers.

This kind of start is the one of the most frequently used for trotting in France (a little less so in Belgium).  Paying attention to the starter’s orders, the runners gather in an adjacent starting area, then enter the track in an orderly fashion.  They line up over the entire width of the track and […]

Place where the jocks are weighed before and after a mounted trotting or galloping grace. By extension, the scales designate the surrounding area and the place where the horses are taken when they finish a race.