Horse racing is a sport that captures the imagination of millions of fans worldwide. But it is a sport that also raises concerns among animal welfare advocates. From improving track conditions to advancing veterinary care, horse racing is making a concerted effort to make the sport more humane for its stars — the horses.
The horses who run in races are called Thoroughbreds. These are bred and raised for their speed, which makes them popular with people who bet on them. They live in stables, where they get the exercise and attention they need to stay healthy. They are trained to run at a high speed, and they must learn to change leads on command. They also have to learn how to carry the weight of a jockey and the rider’s equipment.
When a horse is ready to race, it will begin its morning routine with routine jogs and gallops at a training center or on the racetrack. As the runner builds up conditioning, trainers will increase the length and intensity of these workouts. This is known as working, or “breezing.” When the runner has reached the right level of fitness, he or she will be asked to run at a faster pace for a set distance. This is known as a “breeze test.” This will determine if the runner is fit to race.
In the past, people who watched horse races enjoyed the power and beauty of these magnificent animals as well as the excitement of a win. But the modern era of horse racing has brought many new challenges. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been able to uncover a number of troubling issues in recent years, including the use of drugs to sedate and restrain horses, the use of anabolic steroids to make them bigger, and the injury of racehorses to their front legs that can lead to paralysis and even death.
Despite these concerns, horse racing continues to attract a loyal following. This is partly due to its history: Historically, the most successful candidates have been male. But more recently, women have jumped into the fray. Today, women account for roughly half of all jockeys and drivers.
As the election approaches, we may be seeing more breathless parsing of polling data and statistics by news reporters. The practice has been referred to as “horse race journalism,” and it’s sometimes used to give novel or unusual candidates an edge, or to hurt third-party candidates. Scholars have begun to investigate how and why this practice is so common.