A horse race is a competition of speed and endurance between two or more horses, with the winner being determined by the first to cross the finish line. It has evolved from a primitive contest to a spectacle involving large fields of runners, sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment and enormous sums of money, but the basic concept remains the same. It is one of the oldest sports and has survived many changes in society and technology, but its popularity has been declining in recent decades.

There are several different types of races, including flat, hurdle, steeplechase, and jump races. All of them have certain rules that must be followed in order to ensure a fair and safe competition. For example, all flat races must be started from a starting gate or starting stall. In some cases, a flag may be used to start the race if the starter and/or the stewards approve of this.

Flat races take place on tracks that are oval in shape and can vary widely in their surface, with turf common in Europe and dirt more popular in North America and Asia. In addition, some tracks have more severe gradients and changes in camber.

Depending on the type of race, the participants are assigned weights designed to equalize their chances of winning. Better-quality horses are given heavier weights than those with lesser records. These are known as handicap races. A horse’s performance in these races can be influenced by its position relative to the inside barrier, its age, sex, and the training of its jockey.

A racetrack is the venue for most horse races, but other venues such as public parks and fields can also host them. In the United States, the most important racing events are held at major track facilities such as Belmont Park.

The sport of horse racing is a multibillion-dollar industry that attracts millions of spectators each year. The sport has a long and complex history, beginning with the chariot and mounted games of ancient Greece in 700-400 B.C., and later developing into a highly organized form of public entertainment in medieval Europe.

The success of a horse race depends on the skill and insight of its jockey, which includes a great deal of physical effort. A good jockey must be able to read his or her mount’s behavior, determine the best strategy for the race, and ride it in a manner that maximizes the horse’s potential. In a long distance race, such as the Grand National, this requires a huge amount of tactical knowledge and a massive physical effort from the animal.