Horse pulling operates like any pulling event. Before the contest begins, horses and driver are weighed, usually on the scales of a local elevator or livestock market. On this day, all the teams competed against each other. In some events, teams are put into light and heavyweight divisions. Teams commonly weigh 3,050-3,900 pounds.
Teams begin by pulling their weight.
A full pull is 15 feet. Each team has three chances to pull the full distance and advance to the next load. The longest pull is counted. When a full pull is achieved, weight is added in increments of 1,000 lbs. When a team can pull 300 percent of their weight, you ve got a winner, says Osceola puller Gayl Hembry, who has been pulling for 10 years.