How long is a Furlong asked the Horse?
By Inlemay
@Inlemay (17712)
South Africa
October 27, 2016 6:31am CST
I was rebuttal'ing with a few followers here this morning, and what a glorious morning it has been - everyone seems awake and mylotting!!
How long is a furlong, is what I would like to know?
I remember the days when my father, a keen Horse Race Gambler, would sit every Friday evening with the newspaper in front of him, deciding on horses previous wins, the pedigree, the odd's, the Jockey's abilities and accolades, the expert's Tips and plenty more, before he would make his choice on a good bet!
These endless hours of considering the correct horse for the race proved to be "lucky" for my dad because he built my mom a beautiful house on the Hill in the upper-class neighborhood on the winnings of One such Horse.
He would say - 'she won by a furlong' . . . . we should have called our home FURLONG!
Do you have any luck betting on the horse races, or dog races, or car races or whatever races??
So let me set your mind at ease - A furlong is an eighth of a mile, 220 yards.
10 people like this
11 responses
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
27 Oct 16
A furlong is, indeed, 220 yards or an eighth of a mile. It represents the standard length of a furrow in the old open field system, hence the name - 'a furrow long'. It was made to be 1/8 of a mile to corresond with the Roman 'stadium' which was 1/8 of a Roman mile (1000 paces or 'mille passum') and, in turn, the stadium was the standard length of the oval track in a Roman stadium.
The furlong was supposed to be the approximate length which a team of oxen could plough without resting (though, of course, that would vary in practice depending on the heaviness of the soil and the strength of the team). An acre was defined as an area one furlong long and 1/10th of a furlong - or one chain - wide and was supposed to be the area which could be ploughed by a team of oxen in one day.
I don't usually have any luck betting on the horses, though I only ever bet on the Grand National. This year, however, I think I bet £10 and got £17 back, so I did make a small profit.
3 people like this
@topffer (42155)
• France
27 Oct 16
It is the first time I hear of the furlong. As it is related with the Roman mile, it is also related with the large leuga gallica which was 1 1/2 Roman mile = 12 furlongs. Doing the calculation, I find 12 furlongs = 2414.016 m ; the great leuga is often given with 2415m. It is not bad.
3 people like this
@topffer (42155)
• France
27 Oct 16
I usually never play any money, but I have bet a few Francs on horses, long ago, after a friend had managed to convince me that winning money with horses was science and not hazard. Due to the number of newspapers about horses that he was buying, there was certainly something true. Besides I knew that a great grandfather had a horse racing team, and I was interested. I never won anything else than a few cents for 1 Franc... when I was not losing the Franc, and I stopped after a few weeks. Maybe I should have persevered like your father.
2 people like this
. His dream was to own a horse running. I do not know if he managed to have one.
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
28 Oct 16
'tis wonderful that'cher dad used the funds fer such :) noperz, i don't bet'n nothin'. aint fond'f races myself, particularly those 2 yr ol' equines who ought not to be runnin' 'til they've finished growin' 'n those bones well knitted.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
29 Oct 16
@Inlemay same with many horse sports - folks seem to've convinced 'emselves that 2yrs ol' 'tis a magical number. sadly such aint true'n 'tis the horses that pay the price. the hubs tells me they do such coz they don't wish to feed/house 'em 'til they're 6 yrs 'r older to wait 'til all's knitted to reduce injury'n possibly prolong their lives :( humans're so filled with greed...
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24028)
• United Kingdom
27 Oct 16
I have never placed a bet on a horse. It is alien to me and yet there are plenty of bookies in the UK.
2 people like this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
6 Nov 16
Wow-never met anyone who won at the horses.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
27 Oct 16
I havent ever bet on a race actually
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
27 Oct 16
I have noticed there is more action this early for me on myLot as well. Your father was a lucky man in the racing world. I've never been to any races, or bet on them. I do like watching a couple races - the Kentucky Derby and the Indy 500.
1 person likes this
