Horse races are a glamorous, high-stakes event, where people dress in their finest clothes and drink mint juleps. But behind the fancy hat veneer is a world of injuries, drugs, gruesome breakdowns, and slaughter. In a race, horses are forced to sprint—often under the threat of whips and even illegal electric shock devices—at speeds so fast that many will sustain severe injuries, including hemorrhaging from their lungs. And even when they are not injured, most will be euthanised or shipped to the slaughterhouse after their racing careers are over.
Horses are bred for this brutal sport from a very young age, often starting life as a foal. In a Senate hearing, an equine veterinarian compared keeping a 1,000-pound horse confined in a 12-by-12-foot stall 23 hours a day to locking up a 100-pound child in a four-by-four-foot closet for 23 hours. This confinement causes stress, which can be triggered by the sight of other horses and by noises like the rumble of engines and thunder. In the course of a race, horses are exposed to a variety of dangerous obstacles including sharp turns and tight fences. Jumping, in particular, is especially hazardous for the horses, who are forced to vault with great speed over a series of obstacles that are taller than they are wide. A single fall from these heights can be fatal.
Races are often shortened or lengthened by weather conditions and other factors. If the distance is short, it’s usually a sprint race, while longer distances are known as route or staying races. The length of a race may also affect its grade status, with the highest-graded races called stakes. The quality of a horse and its previous performances in other races determine the weight assigned to it in a given race, which is adjusted by the racing secretary or track handicapper.
In the wild, horses run together in herds for their own protection and to keep each other safe. But the racetrack is a human construct that forces horses to act alone and against each other, and to compete for a small amount of food in a contest they do not understand or enjoy. Horses are prey animals, and they would prefer to run away from harm rather than toward it.
To make a race successful, the jockey must mount and ride the horse in a safe and responsible manner. The rider must follow the course, jumping each hurdle if present, and then cross the finish line to win the race. In addition, the rider must have a clean and clear ride (no fall) to be rewarded with prize money. The job of the jockey is made more complicated by the fact that the best-laid plans can be thrown off in an instant, when a race does not fill or when additional horses are added to a field. This is a common occurrence, and can be frustrating for owners who have planned travel for their horses in anticipation of running on a certain date.
