![\"Confused](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/confused-horse-racing-punter-765px.jpg\")
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There are many fates that can befall a horse in a race over hurdles or fences.<\/p>\n
They could win, of course, finish in the places or reach the finishing line with daylight separating them and the leaders at the front of the field.<\/p>\n
But then, they aren’t guaranteed to finish the race at all.<\/p>\n
For those horses that don\u2019t pass the finish post, there\u2019s typically four different explanations as to why that might be so, and it\u2019s useful for punters to know the specific differences between this quartet.<\/p>\n
Why? Well because it comes up on racecards and gives you an idea of how a horse has behaved in the past, and might even give some insight into the horse’s temperament.<\/p>\n
![\"Faller](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/faller-in-horse-race-400px.jpg\")
This category of non-finishing is perhaps the most straightforward to explain and understand.<\/p>\n
A horse that fails to make it over an obstacle \u2013 or hits the deck upon landing \u2013 without any interference from another runner is considered to be a faller.<\/p>\n
Maybe they hit the hurdle and fence, causing them to fall, or they take a tumble when landing on soft ground\u2026 either way, this is the meaning of a \u2018faller\u2019 in horse racing.<\/p>\n
The key thing here is that the horse fell because of its own misjudgement or the jockey’s mistake, and no other rider or horse was involved.<\/p>\n
Note that this is distinctly different from being ‘brought down’, which we will come onto shortly.<\/p>\n
![\"Race](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/race-horse-pulled-up-400px.jpg\")
Sometimes, a jockey will take the decision to pull up their horse in the middle of a race.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not because they don\u2019t think they can win or place on a tiring horse \u2013 it is to protect the animal from harm when the rider senses that they are struggling with the pace of a race, where they are idling in their work or perhaps when they have hit the previous obstacle but stayed on their hooves.<\/p>\n
As horses become tired, the risk of injury increases \u2013 especially in hurdle or chase races, and so they are pulled up in order to protect their welfare.<\/p>\n
Even quality operators are pulled up from time to time, which usually occurs when the ground doesn\u2019t suit them.<\/p>\n
It’s rubbish for punters who have bet on them, but it’s safest for the horse at that moment in time, and nothing is more important than that.<\/p>\n
![\"Horse](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/horse-brought-down-400px.jpg\")
One of the most annoying things for horse racing punters is when their selection is brought down.<\/p>\n
This is a fall that is of no fault of their own \u2013 another horse can fall taking a jump or on landing, and the commotion then brings them down as well.<\/p>\n
Loose horses, without a jockey controlling them, can be a particular nuisance in National Hunt racing and have been known to bring down others by getting in their way.<\/p>\n
When a horse suffers the fate of being brought down, you will see it reflected in their form line on most racecards as \u2018BD\u2019.<\/p>\n
Even the best horse in the world can be brought down by another, so if you do see BD on a racecard do not mistake that horse for a faller, as the two are different.<\/p>\n
![\"Unseated](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/unseated-rider-EUO-400px.jpg\")
You may have seen \u2018UR\u2019 detailed next to a horse on a racecard.<\/p>\n
This stands for \u2018unseated rider\u2019, and as the name suggests occurs when a horse is rid of their jockey \u2013 that generally happens when they jump a fence, although it\u2019s not that uncommon that a rider can be unseated on the flat or even on the start line too.<\/p>\n
Under the rules of racing, a jockey can remount their horse before a race has begun if they are unseated \u2013 however, as soon as they are under starter\u2019s orders a rider is prohibited from remounting their horse thanks to a rule change that came into force in 2009.<\/p>\n