Each year in North America, over 30 million people attend harness racing events. The Standard Bred is by far the fastest horse in harness, and the most popular trotting/pacing breed.

Harness racing is contested on two gaits, the trot and the pace. Trotters move with a diagonal gait; the left front and right rear legs move in unison, as do the right front and left rear.

Pacers, on the other hand, move their legs on one side of their body in tandem: left front and rear, and right front and rear. This action shows why pacers are often called "sidewheelers." Pacers account for about 80% of the participants in harness racing, and are aided in maintaining their gait by plastic loops called hobbles, which keep their legs moving in synchronization. Trotters are more popular in Europe while pacers are more popular the North America.

Today, there is a large concentration of harness racing tracks in the Northeast and Midwest United States. Virtually every major population center in these areas boasts one or more harness tracks. The sport is also popular in Florida, California, and throughout Canada.

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