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The sport of horse racing is a spectacle that attracts millions of spectators who admire its majestic horses. But behind the façade, a world of injuries, drug abuse, gruesome breakdowns and slaughter awaits. In an industry where a horse’s lifespan is limited to just a few years, every race can be its last.
A race is a competitive event in which one or more horses are ridden and guided by jockeys over an open expanse of ground, such as a horse track, to win a wager placed on the outcome of the race. While some horse races are held indoors, the majority of races are conducted outdoors on dirt or grass tracks.
In the United States, Thoroughbred horse racing is a multi-billion dollar business. It is a sport with a long history that has been played by both amateur and professional horsemen. The sport’s popularity has spawned a variety of betting and wagering markets, including daily fantasy sports.
There are many types of horse races, ranging from local neighborhood tracks to the prestigious King’s Plates. In general, horse races are categorized by the weight that the horses carry and the types of allowances given to horses in order to ensure fairness (such as sex allowances for females competing against males).
The most popular type of race is the turf race, which is usually run at a mile or longer, and features two turns. A sprint race is typically shorter and has only one turn. Other speciality races include stakes races and handicap races.
A stakes race is a race for horses with a high prize fund. A handicap race is a race in which the weights that the horses carry are adjusted according to their age, time of year, and sex. In these races, the more immature or female horses carry more weight than their more mature counterparts.
Horse races are typically governed by state laws, which vary in terms of the use of whips, what medications are allowed, and how harshly trainers or owners can be punished for violations. This is unlike other major sports leagues in the United States, which have a uniform set of rules and regulations for their athletes.
The deaths of Eight Belles and Medina Spirit sparked a public reckoning about the integrity of horse racing. Sadly, not much has changed since those tragic events. The routine deaths of young horses in the exhilarating and brutal throes of racing and training remain as unavoidable as ever. It is now even more important to support a sports model that places the best interests of the animals at its core, and not merely to donate money and hope that something will eventually change for the better. The only true way to protect the welfare of horses in racing is for a deep ideological reckoning to take place at the macro business and industry level, as well as within the minds of horsemen and women. This would involve a complete overhaul of the entire system, from breeding to aftercare to a more natural and equine friendly lifestyle for racehorses when they are no longer competing.
