There are basically three major categories in which horse tracks are divided into; the Turf tracks, Sand tracks and the Synthetic tracks. Of course all three of these categories have various kinds of subcategories and we’ll be analyzing each one of them in detail and highlighting their key characteristics.

The Turf tracks are pretty straightforward. They’re basically categorized by the hardness of the surface. The Turf tracks with the hardest surface are referred to as Firm tracks and they’re usually the most sought after because they allow horses to move as quick as they can. Most races on these tracks have a tendency to end really quickly simple because the horses are able to run at their top speed since the surface isn’t holding them back.

Then there are the Turf tracks with the deepest and most wet surfaces. These are referred to as Heavy tracks. Races on Heavy tracks last much longer than usual because the horses are held back a lot by the surface and therefore cannot move as fast. Horses are often fairly exhausted after participating in races on Heavy tracks because it takes a lot more energy out of them.

Sand tracks are actually a lot more in-depth category. There are multiple different kinds of them and they all have their unique characteristics. Cushion tracks are the most popular ones in this category. These tracks have synthetic fibers, granulated rubber coated with wax and a geotextile membrane to round everything off.

Then there’s Fibresand which is basically a combination of sand particles and propylene fibres. Fibresand is the most standard and straightforward track in the Sand category as it’s the one with the least additional substances included in it.

The other highly popular track in this category is Tapeta which is a combination of sand, fibre, rubber and wax. The Tapeta track is applied on top of a geotextile membrane or on top of porous asphalt depending on the requirements of the race.

Perhaps the most popular Synthetic track of them all is the Pro-Ride track which consists of Nylon Fibres and Spandex Fibres coated in a polymeric binder. This combination is then applied on top of a relatively thin layer of IMC layer which is then laid on top of a drainage system.

The Rashit Track is the other popular Synthetic track. This track has a mixture of recycled synthetic fibres and chopped geotextile that’s covered completely in wax.

That’s about it. All the aforementioned tracks and track types are those that are utilized in horse races. They all have their individual merits and demerits, different places around the world have different preferences about the tracks they use but the basic purpose of them all is the same which is to allow horses to engage in intense races for people across the planet to watch.