RaceHorseHeroes

jackane24 · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 893 Location: Windsor

Codes is the term given to the different types of National Hunt racing - hurdling and chasing.

If a horse is a hurdler and finishes 3rd, you may hear someone say that he'll do better over a different code, ie. He'll be a better chaser than hurdler.

Hurdles are roughly 3 foot in height, and they place the emphasis on speed rather than jumping. Very often you'll see hurdlers hit the hurdles with the front and/or hind legs, and this is exactly what you want to see. It doesn't hurt the horses, don't worry. It just ensures that as little time is spent in the air as possible. Even losing a tenth of a second can be vital in horse racing. Momentum can be lost, not to mention the ground lost while in the air.

Hurdles are where horses will start their proper careers - they may race in 'bumpers' before they go over hurdles. Bumpers are flat races, over a minimum of 1 mile 4 furlongs. There are no obstacles to jump.

Hurdles are used as the introduction because of the little emphasis placed on jumping. They can teach a horse how to perform a basic jump. Very often within a year of hurdling, a horse will switch codes and become a chaser. It's not particularly rare to see a horse be a hurdler for 3 or 4 years before switching to chasing.

Chasing places all the emphasis on jumping. If you can't jump, you won't get around the course. There are 2 different ways for horses to jump fences. Either they can give them lots of air and really fly over, continuing the momentum from the air. Or you can 'pop' them, which basically means you drop over them. Get in the air just enough to get over and then drop immediately, meaning less time is spent in the air and more time galloping on the turf.

All the prestige and quality in National Hunt racing lies predominantly with chasers. The majority of the season's biggest races - Grand National, Gold Cup, King George, Queen Mother Champion Chase - are all over fences (fences is the name given to the obstacles jumped in a chase).