A horse race is a sport in which participants compete by racing horses. The goal is to win money and honors by winning races. Races can take place on dirt, grass or synthetic all-weather tracks. The horses run for varying distances, depending on the type of race and the horse’s sex and age. Each participant pays a fee to enter the race, and the winner receives the largest percentage of the purse. The remaining monies are divided among the winners’ jockeys, owners, trainers and track officials.
The sport has been around for hundreds of years, but modern horse races are a lot different than those from the past. In the past, the horses would line up in a straight line or behind a rope and someone would raise or lower it, or wave a flag, to start the race. On July 1, 1939 Clay Puett’s first electric starting gate made its debut at Lansdowne Park in Vancouver, Canada and revolutionized the way horse races began. Horses are led into a gate made of stalls that can open both the front and back, and when the starter hits a button once all the runners are in the gate the stall doors close and the race begins.
During a horse race, the runner is called on to run fast and stay fit for an extended period of time. One of the most important skills a runner needs to master is changing leads. Because racing takes place in a counter-clockwise direction, a horse will usually be on its right lead going down the straightaways and on its left lead rounding the turns. It’s important to change leads at the right time so that a horse does not tire out too quickly.
Horses are not naturally bred for speed, and the unnatural training and confinement of racehorses can cause pain and suffering that is sometimes exhibited as compulsive behaviors such as cribbing, biting on their gates and grunting. The physical injuries sustained by the animals are another reason animal rights activists call for reform and, in some cases, outright bans of the industry.
The veterinary records of New York Thunder and the drug and medical reports on Havnameltdown reveal that the horses’ deaths were not accidental. The horses’ lives were compromised by a culture of profit over compassion and the unnatural breeding practices that prioritize speed over durability. Behind the romanticized facade of Thoroughbred horse racing, a world of injuries, drugs and gruesome breakdowns is exposed. And, as the profits have gotten bigger, so too has the incentive to keep running these animals. For many, that means a race for their very lives.
