Shelby Knowledge · Racing guide

Understand the sport behind the speed.

A practical English–Swedish guide for owners, new racing followers and anyone who wants to follow the horse from daily training to race day.

Sources checked 22 August 2026

This guide summarises official information but does not replace current rules, race conditions, veterinary advice or an authority's decision. Always follow the responsible organisation's link before acting.

Inside the guide

Four routes into racing.

A practical English–Swedish guide for owners, new racing followers and anyone who wants to follow the horse from daily training to race day.

Arabian racing in Sweden

Breeds, surfaces, distances, handicaps and race conditions.

From horse to the start

The roles and practical order from registration to declaration.

Race-day checklist

A clear orientation before travel, at the course and after the race.

Racing dictionary EN–SV

Training, racing, horse and professional terms side by side.

01 · Arabian racing in Sweden

The same track. A distinct tradition.

Both Thoroughbreds and Purebred Arabians compete in Swedish racing. Races are run on dirt or turf, and the conditions for each race are set out in its proposition.

The breed

ARAB is responsible for the registration and control of Purebred Arabians in Sweden. Approved registration and ancestry are central to Purebred Arabian status.

The courses

Sweden has three permanent racecourses: Jägersro Galopp, Bro Park and Göteborg Galopp. Their surfaces and course profiles differ.

The distances

Common Swedish distances include sprints around 1,200–1,400 metres, middle distances around 1,600 metres and longer staying distances above about 2,000 metres.

The handicap

The handicap rating is a performance-based assessment. In handicap races, different weights are used to theoretically equalise the horses' chances.

The proposition

The race proposition sets matters including eligibility, distance, race type and prize money. The current proposition always takes precedence over a general guide.

Official facts · Svensk Galopp See our guide to Sweden's racecourses

02 · From horse to the start

The right horse. The right race. The right records.

The trainer plans the racing programme and handles entries. The owner should understand the flow and ensure that ownership, authorisations and documents are in order.

Identity and registration

Confirm the horse's identity, registration certificate and passport. For Purebred Arabians, ARAB handles registration and control in Sweden.

Owner, company and trainer

The ownership and licensed trainer must be correctly registered. A company may need an authorised company representative in Galoppappen.

Choose the proposition

The trainer selects a race whose conditions fit the horse's age, sex, record, handicap, distance and programme. Always check the current proposition.

Entry

The trainer enters the horse before the entry deadline. Stakes races may have earlier deadlines and several payment stages.

Declaration

After weights are published, the intended start is confirmed. The jockey, correct weight, priority and any declared special equipment are stated.

Vaccination and travel

The trainer is responsible for recording vaccinations in Galoppappen. Passports, establishment details and any travel documents must meet current requirements.

03 · Race-day checklist

The race is short. Preparation is not.

This is a practical orientation, not a replacement for the trainer's own race-day routine or the course's official instructions.

Before departure

Check the meeting, start list, proposition and latest notices.
Confirm transport, expected arrival and who is responsible for each task.
Check the horse passport and documents required for the specific journey.
Pack approved equipment, owner silks, water, feed and stable supplies according to the trainer's list.
Make a final welfare check; do not race a horse that is not ready.

At the racecourse

Follow the course instructions for arrival, stabling and identification.
The trainer or team delivers the owner silks to the jockey and keeps track of the timetable.
Prepare the horse calmly for the parade ring, mounting, canter down and start.
Give the jockey a simple, clear plan suited to the horse and race conditions.

After the race

Receive the horse and follow the racecourse instructions.
Walk the horse, check it and manage recovery according to the trainer's and, when needed, veterinarian's assessment.
Record the performance, recovery and any concern before deciding the next step.
Confirm the horse is ready to travel and plan quiet follow-up after returning home.

Svensk Galopp · Open source Jordbruksverket · Open source

04 · Racing dictionary EN–SV

The words heard in the stable and on the track.

English expressions are frequently used in Swedish racing stables. The correct word is canter. Counter-canter is a separate schooling movement; center is not a racing term in this meaning.

Canter ≠ counter-canter

Primary sources: Svensk Galopp's A–Z glossary and practical owners' guide. Counter-canter checked against FEI educational material.

English	Svenska	Explanation
Training
Canter	Canter / lugn galopp	A controlled, slower gallop used in routine training to build fitness and rhythm. Svensk Galopp also uses the term for cantering down to the start.
Easy canter	Lugn canter	An easier canter session. Its exact pace and length are set by the trainer for the individual horse, its condition and programme.
Strong canter	Frisk canter / stark canter	A more forward canter than an easy conditioning session, but normally not the same as fast work at racing pace.
Fast work / fast job	Snabbjobb	A planned faster exercise in which the horse works at, or closer to, racing pace. The trainer decides the effort, distance and company.
Breeze	Breeze / snabbare arbete	An international term for fast but controlled work. Its meaning and whether it is timed vary by country; in Sweden, snabbjobb is the clearer term.
Work / gallop	Arbete / jobb	A planned exercise on the track. The word alone does not state the horse's exact speed.
Lead horse	Draghäst / ledhäst	A horse that travels in front of, or sets the pace for, another horse during a shared exercise.
Upsides	Sida vid sida	Two horses work alongside one another, often to practise rhythm, focus or finishing effort under control.
Gallop out	Galoppera ut efter linjen	To continue beyond the intended finish line or end point before the horse is gradually eased down.
On the bridle	På bettet	The horse travels with contact and energy without the rider yet asking for maximum effort.
Pulling	Pulla / ligga på	The horse takes a strong hold of the bit and tries to travel faster than the rider intends.
Counter-canter	Förvänd galopp	A schooling movement in which the horse deliberately canters on the outside lead for the direction of travel. It is not another word for an ordinary canter or fast work.
Racing
Dirt track (DT)	Dirttrack (DT)	A racing surface based on sand and gravel. In Sweden, dirt tracks are used at Jägersro and Bro Park.
Turf	Gräsbana (GR)	A course where the race is run on grass. Going is influenced by factors including weather and course maintenance.
Start box / starting gate	Startbox	The stalls in which horses stand side by side before the gates open together to start the race.
Draw / stall	Startspår / boxnummer	The allocated number identifying the starting stall the horse enters.
Paddock / parade ring	Ledvolt	The area where horses are presented before the race and jockeys mount before cantering down to the start.
Canter down	Nedstartsgalopp	The canter from the parade or warm-up area down to the starting point.
Race conditions / proposition	Proposition / propp	The conditions defining which horses may run and details including distance, race type and prize money.
Entry	Anmälan	The trainer's entry of a horse for a race before the stated entry deadline.
Declaration	Startanmälan	The later stage confirming the intended start and details including jockey, weight and any declared special equipment.
Withdrawal / scratching	Strykning	Removing an entered or declared horse from the race under the applicable process and deadlines.
Handicap rating	Handicaptal	A performance-based assessment set by the handicapper and adjusted after the horse races. A higher number represents a higher assessed level.
Handicap race	Handicaplöpning	A race in which weights are allocated using the horses' handicap ratings to theoretically equalise their chances.
Weight	Vikt	The weight the horse must carry in the race, including the jockey with racing equipment and saddle plus any added weight.
Weight allowance	Viktlättnad	A permitted reduction in carried weight, for example for an eligible less-experienced rider under the race rules.
Overweight	Övervikt	When the combination weighs out above the weight the horse is scheduled to carry. It must be handled under the applicable rules.
Maiden	Maiden / segerlös häst	A horse that has not yet won a race.
Sprinter	Sprinter	A horse best suited to shorter distances; Svensk Galopp describes races up to about 1,400 metres as sprints.
Miler	Miler	A horse whose best distance is around one English mile, approximately 1,600 metres.
Stayer	Stayer	A horse best suited to longer distances, commonly above about 2,000 metres.
Photo finish	Målfoto	The finish-line image used to separate horses when the placing cannot be decided reliably by the naked eye.
Horse & breeding
Purebred Arabian	Arabiskt fullblod	A horse registered in an approved Purebred Arabian studbook or register. In Sweden, ARAB is responsible for registration and control.
Pedigree	Stamtavla	The documented ancestry showing the horse's parents and earlier generations.
Studbook	Stambok	The official register in which eligible horses and their ancestry are recorded under the studbook rules.
Sire	Far	The horse's father.
Dam	Mor	The horse's mother.
Damsire	Morfar	The sire of the horse's dam.
Colt	Hingstföl / unghingst	A young uncastrated male horse; the exact age convention can differ between countries and contexts.
Filly	Stoföl / ungt sto	A young female horse; the exact age convention can differ between countries and contexts.
Mare	Sto	An adult female horse.
Stallion	Hingst	An adult uncastrated male horse.
Gelding	Valack	A castrated male horse.
Suffix	Landsuffix	The letters in brackets after a horse's name showing its country of birth, for example (FR), (GB) or (SWE).
Roles
Trainer	Tränare	The licensed person responsible for the horse's training and racing programme, including entries and declarations.
Jockey	Jockey	A professional rider who rides the horse in a race.
Amateur rider	Amatörryttare	A licensed rider competing at amateur level under the rules applying to the licence and race.
Work rider	Arbetsryttare	A rider who rides racehorses in their daily training.
Handler / paddock handler	Träckare	The person who leads and helps care for the horse on race day, including in the parade ring and after the race.

Sources & further reading

Always go to the original.

We link to the organisation responsible for the rule, registration or racing information. Check the publication date and latest version.

Svensk Galopp

A serious question about Arabian racing?

Contact Thomas and Tanja Shelby about our horses, race training, breeding or a possible partnership. For official decisions, we always refer to the responsible organisation.

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