Everything in Reverse

I was watching an episode of Midsomer Murders, and the case centered around horse racing.  For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it is on the BBC and follows the career of DCI John Barnaby as he investigates murders in the little villages of Midsomer in rural England.  Each episode is a different case in a different village, and it usually ends up with Barnaby pitting his wits against the killer’s.

Now, I’m sure that most of us are aware that drivers in England drive on the opposite side of the car and the opposite side of the road from those of us in the United States.  But did you know that they also ride horses from the opposite side as well?  Well, the opposite side of the track, not the opposite side of the horse…that would be ludicrous.  And not really the opposite side of the track, but in the opposite direction.  In other words, they go clockwise; whereas, we go counter-clockwise.

I caught a glimpse of this for just a brief moment in this particular episode, and it blew my mind!  I had never thought about this before.  I mean…why?!