Horse racing is a sport steeped in tradition. It is also one that has been transformed by the advent of modern technology, both on and off the racetrack. Thermal imaging cameras can detect horses overheating post-race, MRI scanners help spot injuries and illnesses, and 3D printing is being used to make casts, splints, and prosthetics for injured or ailing racehorses.
But despite all this innovation, horse racing is still a dangerous sport. It is estimated that multiple thousands of racehorses are slaughtered each year. The reasons for this are myriad and can include colic, a life-threatening abdominal ailment; laminitis, an excruciating foot condition; respiratory problems; neurological conditions; and parasitic infestations. FOIA documents and industry admissions reveal that, at their “career’s” end, most racehorses are bled out, then butchered and made into meat products.
There are also numerous ethical concerns in the modern horse racing world. Many of the bigger races are run on a crowded oval, with little space for horses to recover from their exertion. This can result in injury and even death to both the horses and their jockeys. Moreover, the exploitation of horse breeding stocks and the illegal gambling on races have been a major source of controversy for the sport.
Despite all these issues, horse racing continues to attract millions of fans. Whether at the track or on television, people are drawn to its glamour and tradition. The sport is a huge economic driver for some nations, with races like the Melbourne Cup being dubbed the “race that stops a nation.” The money raised by these events goes back into the racing industry, increasing the size of the purse and attracting more high-quality racehorses.
While many are critical of horse race journalism, it is a longstanding practice that is protected by the First Amendment. It can be a useful tool for news outlets that are unable to conduct their own polling or have limited resources, and it can give novel or unusual candidates an edge. But scholars have begun to study the impact of this style of reporting, and multiple studies suggest that it can hurt voters, especially third-party candidates.
This election cycle has seen a return of horse race journalism, with political reporters endlessly parsing data and statistics and speculating who’s up and down at any given moment. Poynter reporter Annie Aguiar decided to have some fun with the practice, and asked actual horse-race journalists what they thought of it. Their responses are worth reading.