At EZHorseBetting we are often asked how one goes about becoming a handicapper of horse racing. Learning how to become a handicapper involves many elements. You can learn the basics in a short time, but mastering the art takes patience. If you want to become a successful handicapper, here are the first steps that you need to take.
Be a Horse Racing Fan
Before you can master handicapping you have to develop a love for the game of horse racing. You probably already have that to some degree or you would not be interested in betting horses regularly. A fan of horse racing is someone that can enjoy a day at the races without feeling a need to bet. They simply like the appeal of the sport.
If you try to learn how to become a handicapper without being a true fan, the process of handicapping will become too much work. It will be tedious to you. At that point the entire process will seem like work instead of fun, and you will lose your enjoyment.
Know the Difference Between Handicapping and Betting
Handicapping horse racing and betting on horse racing are two different things. One does not necessarily need to do both. You can be a horse racing bettor and let other handicappers make your picks. You can use a service like Betting Gods for your handicapping, or one of the other horse racing handicapping services.
To become a handicapper you will focus on picking the winners of various horse races. That does not mean that you have to make bets. You might even become proficient enough at handicapping to sell your own horse racing picks.
Learn How to Read the Racing Form
Being a handicapper of horse racing means that you need to be able to understand the past performances of every horse in a race. This means that you will need to learn how to read the Daily Racing Form or some other publication that gives you access to the past performances of a horse.
Past performances, or PPs as they are often called, contain vital information about the last few races a horse has competed in. You can see how the horse has been performing lately. This information is the main tool that a handicapper uses to pick winners. Everything that you need is there. You can see how often a horse has trained, look for signs of illness or lameness, and even access the specific records of a jockey and a trainer. All these things are there for you to observe.
The Realistic Timeline for Developing Handicapping Skill
One of the most important things aspiring handicappers need to understand is that genuine proficiency takes time — typically measured in years rather than weeks or months. The learning curve in horse racing handicapping is long because the skill requires not just conceptual knowledge but the pattern recognition that only develops through thousands of hours of watching races, studying form, and tracking results. Reading about handicapping is valuable; actually doing it repeatedly and reviewing the outcomes is what builds real competence.
A realistic developmental timeline for a committed student of the game might look like this: six months to a year of intensive study to understand the fundamental concepts — speed figures, pace analysis, class evaluation, trainer patterns; one to two years of paper trading and small-stakes real-money wagering to test and refine those concepts against live racing conditions; and a further one to two years before a consistent positive ROI becomes achievable for the most talented and disciplined practitioners. This timeline assumes genuine commitment — daily engagement with racing, systematic record keeping, and honest review of both successes and failures. Many bettors never reach consistent profitability not because they lack talent but because they give up on the developmental process before they have invested enough time for their skills to mature. For structured guidance on the development pathway, our articles on handicapping 101 guide and how to become a better horse handicapper lay out the roadmap in practical detail.
Get Familiar with Online Racebooks
If you want to be a successful handicapper today you need to learn how to bet with an online racebook. There is no substitute if you want the best betting experience. Online horse betting websites give you many advantages over betting horses in person. We believe that your interest in handicapping is to make money betting, but, as we mentioned, this is not a necessity.
At an online racebook you can turn your phone, computer, or tablet into one portable off-track betting parlor. The online racebooks that we recommend offer players access to all of the major tracks around the world. There is no cost to join an online racebook, and you can also receive free past performances and race replays that will help you with your own handicapping.
There has been an uptick in online racebook betting handle in the wake of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. With many horse racing tracks closed to the public, betting online has become the only way for many people to wager. By supporting an online racebook you are also contributing to the livelihood of the sport that you love.
Are you ready to try an online horse betting websites today? You can sign up with one of our recommended online racebooks today and bet right from the comfort of your own home. You will get free handicapping tools, and may online racebooks will also give you bonus cash for signing up. Check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. All great choice if you are in the US. 5Dimes review for folks anywhere!
