A horse race is a contest of speed and stamina between horses, often with jockeys (or drivers) riding them. It has been practiced since ancient times, and was once one of the world’s most popular sports. In modern times, it is not nearly as popular, with declining attendance and revenue and a growing number of animal welfare concerns. But the basic idea of a horse race remains unchanged: whichever horse finishes first wins.
The word “horse race” can be used more broadly, though; it can refer to any kind of close competition between two people or things. For instance, political races are often referred to as horse races because the focus is on the contest between the front-runners, and the press tends to ignore third-party candidates.
In the wild, horses love to run fast, and there are places in the world where you can see them running free, with their heads up and their tails wagging. But racing is a human construct, and it requires that horses do things that are not natural to them, like being forced to sprint at speeds so high that they often injure themselves or hemorrhage from their lungs.
When a horse does not finish a race, it is said to have “broken down.” These breakdowns can be caused by a variety of factors, including exhaustion, injuries, or simply the fact that they are trying too hard. Regardless of the cause, breaking down is always painful and dangerous for horses. And it is not uncommon for a horse to die in the process. One study found that, on average, a horse dies in a race every 22 days.
The sport of horse racing has evolved over the years, from a primitive contest of speed between two animals into a spectacle that features large fields of runners, sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment, and enormous sums of money. But despite the increased sophistication of the sport, the basic principle is unchanged: the winner is the horse that finishes first.
Before a race, the horses spend time in a walking ring, which gives bettors an opportunity to look at their coats and judge whether they are ready to start. Bettors often look for a bright, shining coat that is rippling with sweat and muscled excitement. Then they make their bets.
A runner may also be given drugs to help them compete, as well as to reduce the risk of injury. For example, all American thoroughbreds must be injected with Lasix on race day, a diuretic that prevents pulmonary bleeding that can occur during hard running. It is a powerful drug, and it causes horses to dump epic amounts of urine—often twenty or thirty pounds’ worth.
Activists are working to improve conditions for racehorses, and public awareness is raising the bar. But the reality behind the romanticized facade of horse racing is still a world of drug abuse, injuries, gruesome breakdowns, and slaughter. Click through to learn more about the dark side of the industry, and how you can take action to make a difference for horses.