Horse racing with pit stops is held in Japan (8 photos)

Where are the slowest horse races where you can still stand and rest in the middle? In Japan, of course. There are many unique festivals there, including a pig rodeo. But these races are one of the most interesting, because here the competition is not on the speed of the horses, but on their strength and endurance.





Jumps like this make more sense



The track is deliberately uneven and covered with deep sand.

Where did horse racing come from? Previously, the horse was considered the fastest and most convenient means of transportation. If you have a fast horse, you have an advantage over everyone. Hence the races to show the advantages of horses.

But now no one delivers news on horses. Horses are still used on farms in some regions, so workers who are hardy and strong are needed.





Walking horses with extra weight before racing to warm up their muscles

And this competition is just for such people, to show their real power!

In Hokkaido there are horses of the Banei breed, these are such strong “workhorses” that can weigh up to 1200 kilograms. Such a little elephant. They are twice the size of a regular Hokkaido horse.

Sometime in the 19th century, they were brought from France and Belgium to work in farmers' fields, and since then the Japanese have carefully bred and selected them. But now they are also used more for such competitions, but rarely on the fields.



They look powerful, but is it more powerful?

These horses can lift up to a ton! So what's the point of them competing in speed? This one, like real wrestlers, will compete with the guys who participate in the fitness bikini category.

What are the slowest horse races in the world?

Powerful banei horses pull sleds that are loaded with weights ranging from 450 kilograms to a ton, depending on the category of the race. Moreover, this is not a flat road, but a sandy track with different ramps to simulate complex realistic terrain.



These are the sand sleds, they are heavy, and the metal cubes are used to add or remove weight

Since the horses are taken care of, you can even stop on the track and make a pit stop. The driver himself decides how to shape the race; the result depends on how trained the horse is, how hardy he is, and how the driver understands its needs.

Hence the name “slow races”, because you can stop and rest on them. And before the next obstacle, it’s normal to stop, give the horse a rest and pat its mane - nice.



It really seems to me that the heavy truck is more powerful. I saw this one live, it seems like he could kill an elephant!

The winner is not the horse whose muzzle crosses the finish line first, but the one that drags its heavy sled completely across it. And this is not always the same horse, that’s where the hot excitement of such races lies.



Come on, horse, mile, come on, come on...

This race reminds me of the Indonesian mud bull and plow races. Farmers compete in the skill of their bulls and their talent for balancing while plowing, but it looks very spectacular. In general, I liked it a hundred times more than ordinary races, where the horse is driven for no clear reason.



These are very cool races, fun!