Gambling terms, explained straight

Racing & Pari-Mutuel

Horse racing terms strands

In horse racing, 'strands' is a non-standard term for a group of horses trained by one trainer, similar to the more common term 'string'.

Common term
The standard term for a group of horses under one trainer is string.1
Usage
'Strands' appears only as a general word, not a specialised racing term.1

Key points

  • No reliable racing glossary defines 'strands' as a standard term; it is a general word for a group or line of horses.1
  • A string is the collection of horses trained by one trainer or used by a single entity.1
  • 'Strands' is not a bet type, race format, or staking term in horse racing.1

Where this term is used

Not the same as

Racing Horse racing terms and phrases A broader glossary of standard horse racing terminology. Racing Funny horse racing terms Humorous or informal terms used in racing circles. Racing Horse racing terms for winning Terms that describe different types of race victories. Racing Handicap horse racing A race format where horses carry different weights to equalise chances. Racing Horse betting terms Vocabulary used specifically for wagering on horse races. Racing Going horse racing Term for the condition of the racecourse surface.

Sources

  1. Glossary of equestrian terms - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Used to confirm that 'strands' is not a standard racing term and to define the related term 'string'.

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Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.