Some Little-Known Facts about Horse Tracks

We all know the horse tracks as we see them now, and many believe that this sport is a recent development; a game that the modern man invented. However, nothing can be further from truth. Horse races as well as horse tracks are as old as any old sport can be. 

How Old are Old Horse Tracks?

There is enough proof available to show that horse tracks existed in Rome. The amphitheaters whose ruins we all admire and enjoy watching, are standing silent witnesses to the glory of the yesterday’s era proving that horse tracks existed back in time, since approximately 200 BC. This proves that the close association between horse and man is indeed a very old phenomenon.

Horses were always a great fascination with humans, particularly because these animals, besides being exceptionally beautiful, were also incredibly faithful.  In return, humans are on the “hot favorite” list of these animals and that of another one, dogs. These two types of animals always loved humans even better they loved their own self. History is full of such stories where horses risked and gave their lives to see their riders safe; so also dogs.

Today dogs are actually trained in human-rescue methods, where authorities cannot reach, such as submerged areas covered by an avalanche; buried people under the rubble following earthquakes, building collapses, victims of bombings, etc.

Coming back to horse tracks, did you know that these were used not only to race horses (in ancient Rome in particular, but later on in history as well) but also to race horse chariots.  The Roman amphitheaters were built to accommodate more than 200,000 people watching over an extraordinary 2000 yards long horse tracks. 

These ancient horse tracks are so impressive that can be comparable only to the famous Kentucky Derby inaugurated in 1875. These horse tracks are standing impressively even today. To give you an idea, the making of these tracks cost $150 million back then; it could seat 140,000 spectators and took more than three years to construct and deliver.

Today there are plenty of horse tracks available all over the world, all modern works of art, each outranking the other in its opulence and majesty. However, the knowledge that some thousands of years ago, man could built such imposing horse tracks without the help of any modern implements, machines, computers, etc. is humbling, to say the least.