Mushing

dogs · sports · arctic · adventure

Dogs as engines. Sled dogs are specially bred and trained to run fast and work together as a team, pulling a musher and their sled through snowy landscapes or across dry ground.

Sledding on snow. The most famous type of mushing happens in winter, where teams of sled dogs pull sleds across frozen terrain in races and expeditions.

Arctic transportation. For hundreds of years, indigenous peoples in cold regions used dog sleds to travel, hunt, and transport goods across snowy areas where other methods didn't work well.

Racing competition. Today, sled dog racing is a thrilling sport where mushers command their teams to race across long distances, with the most famous race being the Iditarod in Alaska.

Different rigs. Mushers can use different equipment including sleds for snow, carts for dry land, and even skis while being pulled by dogs in a sport called skijoring.