Horse races are athletic events in which human beings ride horses and compete for victory. The sport dates back to ancient times, with full descriptions of chariot and bareback racing in Homer’s Iliad, dated about the 9th century bc. Races take place over a variety of distances, but in the United States they are typically 11/2 miles (4 kilometers). A horse’s speed is a major factor in determining its chances of winning. However, stamina is also important, and older, larger horses are preferred. Races are often run over hills and jumps.
Modern technological advances have impacted horse racing, both in training and competition. MRI scanners, x-ray machines, and 3D printers are now available to help trainers diagnose injuries and develop splints and prosthetics. Thermal imaging cameras can also detect heat stress in horses after a race. The industry has also benefited from improvements in veterinary care and drug testing.
The most significant challenge facing the industry is improving the welfare of the horses. Horses are frequently pushed beyond their limits, resulting in many fatal accidents. A common cause of death is exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, or bleeding from the lungs. Many of these horses are also given cocktails of legal and illegal drugs that mask injuries and artificially enhance performance. The sport has been reluctant to change, but growing awareness is influencing public opinion and forcing the industry to reform.
Despite these improvements, the sport continues to suffer from a declining fan base and dwindling revenue. It is also besieged by ethical concerns, including abusive training practices for young horses, drug use, and the transport of injured and sick animals to foreign slaughterhouses.
As a result of these factors, horse racing faces serious long-term sustainability problems. Fortunately, the industry is responding to mounting pressure by implementing a series of safety reforms. This includes mandatory necropsies after all races to determine what went wrong, and to identify potential preventable causes of injury or death. California and New York have also enacted public databases that catalog horse deaths.
The most important thing that the industry can do to ensure its future is to provide comprehensive wraparound aftercare for all retired horses. Without such a solution, most of the sport’s equine athletes will continue to hemorrhage into the slaughter pipeline, where they will be charged arbitrary and sometimes outrageous ransoms for their freedom, before being sent to the slaughterhouse. Donations from racing fans and gamblers are essential, but they cannot cancel out the ongoing, often deadly, exploitation of these animals.
