A horse race is a sporting event in which humans compete against horses in close-quarters competition. The horses are saddled with jockeys, who control their speed and direction by applying pressure to the horse’s back. The sport is a popular spectator event and, in some cases, a lucrative business.
In a horse race, horses compete to win by overcoming obstacles or crossing finish lines in front of a panel of judges. The horse with the fastest time wins. Each contestant is assigned a weight based on the sex, age and career of its sire and dam, as well as its racing history.
The sport of horse racing has a rich history, dating back to the ancient Greek author Xenophon’s 5th century bc description of a contest over natural terrain where church steeples served as markers. It was long a favorite pastime of cavalry officers.
Today, horse racing is a multi-billion dollar industry that relies on the breeding and training of large and expensive Thoroughbreds. Most races are run over a two-mile course. The average horse is just 2 years old when it’s thrust into intensive training and races. At that age, a horse’s bones are still developing and its spine has not fused.
A horse can be severely injured in a race, or during training before a race even takes place. Injuries commonly occur in the knees and hocks, particularly from other horses, or in the legs when they’re forced to take sharp turns. The most serious injuries include a fractured sesamoidean (two small bones that are embedded in the fetlock joint) and spavins, which are small pieces of bone protruding from the ankle joint.
Another common injury is a spiral fracture of the fetlock bone, which can be caused by a rider’s whip. It can be difficult to diagnose because it is not visible on X-rays or radiographs and is sometimes mistaken for a simple bone bruise.
The for-profit industry also puts human jockeys at risk of musculoskeletal injury and mental illness. On average, two jockeys die and 60 are paralyzed each year.
The best way to protect the health and welfare of horses is for horse racing to stop. But that won’t happen until people accept the fact that racehorses aren’t mere commodities and that they deserve to live a safe and happy life free from cruelty. This means a well-funded industry-sponsored wraparound aftercare solution for all horses, rather than simply a Facebook post and short window of opportunity to be “bailed” before being sent to slaughter in Canada or Mexico. In the meantime, we should mourn Eight Belles, Medina Spirit, Keepthename and Creative Plan, and all the other horses whose lives have been stolen from them.