Harness racing in New Zealand

Harness racing in New Zealand is primarily a professional sport which involves pacing and trotting competitions for Standardbred racehorses. The difference is the horse's gait or running style:

• pacing is where the two legs on the same side of the horse move forward at the same time, and
• trotting is where the horse moves its two diagonally opposite legs forward at the same time.

In New Zealand the majority of standardbred races are for pacers and the most lucrative races are in that gait. Pacers are generally faster than trotters. However, harness racing is still often called trotting as that was the sport's traditional name.