Horse Racing Vs Greyhound Racing

Some sports have close ties to sports betting, like horse racing and keirin cycling. Sports betting has become even more popular lately, especially sports betting in Ghana, due to the internet making this process easier. Even some states in the US legalized sports betting!

Sports like horse racing have been legal betting sports in the US, for example. However, there are other types of racing events, such as greyhound racing, which is different to horse racing. Let us look at the two racing sports and see the differences between them.

Horse Racing – A Long History

Horse racing has been around for a long time. From the middle ages to today, horse racing has been present in some shape or form. Today, horse racing is typically done on oval racetracks where jockeys have to race a certain distance, which is shorter or longer depending on the track. 

Horse racing has been a legal sport for a while, in most countries of the world. It is also one of the most popular sports betting sports, at least in the UK and the US. The very design of horse racing is for the attendees to bet in person. There have been movies and shows on the topic, as it played a large part in British and American culture.

Greyhound Racing – A Different Type of Racing

Compared to the horses, greyhounds are much smaller, and often more aerodynamic and even faster. Greyhounds typically race in two types of races, on an oval racetrack, or chasing a mechanical rabbit, where the goal is to have the fastest time. Greyhound racing is primarily a British sport. It was legal in the United States, however, most states have closed their racetracks, with only two remaining active, both in West Virginia.

Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Mexico have also legalized greyhound racing. Its status in the world is a lot less popular than that of horse racing, mostly due to how the dogs are treated and how much more severe and brutal their lifestyle is.

Which One is Better?

This is always the question which people will have to answer on their own. Sports are highly personal and viewers choose one or another sport and change their opinions all the time. That being said, horse racing apparently has much more coverage compared to greyhound racing. It is legal in most parts of the world and is a traditional sport. 

Greyhound racing, on the other hand, while popular in some parts of the world, is definitely a less popular sport. Does that make it worse? It is up to the individual viewer to decide.

Which One Should You Follow?

The odds are that greyhound racing will be illegal in your country, as it is in most of the world, unless you live in the above-mentioned countries. Horse racing is a different story. It is legal almost anywhere and if you like the adrenaline rush of watching a race, then it is the easy solution for those who want to follow a racing sport that does not involve bicycles or motorized vehicles.

Horse racing and greyhound racing are their own respective racing sports. Horse racing tends to be more popular, but in the end, it is always up to the individual to decide which is better.