A horse race is a contest of speed between horses that are ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies and their drivers. The first horse to cross the finish line is the winner of the race. The race can be a flat or jumps race. In the United States, flat races are more common than jumps races. In Europe, horses that are trained in flat racing often move on to hurdling and steeplechasing.
A few basic principles govern the way horse races are conducted. For one, they are often manipulated for the benefit of owners and trainers who pay for them to compete. In order to maximize profits, it is important for horses to win as often as possible. Often, this means pushing them past their limits. Typically, a horse that has been pushed past its limits is prone to breakdowns and injury. Many horses are also given cocktails of legal and illegal drugs to mask their injuries and enhance their performance. For example, in order to prevent a painful condition known as exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, many horses are given the drug Lasix, which is a diuretic that has performance-enhancing properties. In addition, a horse that has been forced to run at excessive speeds is likely to suffer from severe muscle damage.
Despite the for-profit nature of the industry, some rules are designed to protect horses from harm. The foreman of a racetrack may monitor the health of a horse and keep track of its training record. The foreman also monitors the track surface to ensure that it is safe for running. Despite these safeguards, many horses are injured or killed during racedays.
For example, a horse that is forced to sprint at high speeds for long periods of time is likely to sustain gruesome breakdowns and injuries, such as a fractured ankle or a ruptured heart. Additionally, horses are often bred with massive torsos and spindly legs that are easily injured. Horses don’t reach full maturity — or the point at which their bones stop growing and fuse together — until around age 6. Therefore, they are thrust into intensive training at the tender age of 18 months and, once they retire from racing, into lives that are uncertain.
The for-profit horse racing industry has the power to create as many horses as it wants, profit from them in racing and breeding, and then sell them into unknowable situations once they leave the business. But, if the industry wants to secure its future, it must embrace reforms that will make it safer for horses. A zero-tolerance drug policy, turf (grass) tracks only, a ban on whipping, competitive racing only after a horse’s third birthday and other reforms would improve the lives of horses. It is up to us to demand that these changes be made so that the memory of Eight Belles, Medina Spirit, Keepthename, Creative Plan and Laoban, and thousands of other horses who have died or will die in the future, is not forgotten.
