A horse race is a sport in which horses compete for victory over long distances, often with the help of obstacles such as hurdles or steeplechases. Jump races are typically over longer distances, up to 2.8 km, than hurdle races and involve higher obstacles. While the industry attempts to improve horse safety, a large number of horses are injured or even die in these events. The RSPCA supports a ban on jumps racing in Victoria.
Horse racing has developed from a primitive contest of speed or endurance between two or more horses to a global sport with many rules, elaborate electronic monitoring equipment and enormous sums of money involved. Yet, the basic concept remains unchanged: a horse that crosses the finish line first is declared the winner.
In addition to the financial rewards, horse races are popular sports because of the human interaction and the thrill of watching fast horses run. The sport’s history dates back thousands of years and it continues to attract millions of spectators around the world. However, despite its popularity, many people do not know about the hidden side of horse racing, which includes drugs abuse, gruesome injuries and slaughter.
While a small group of wealthy horse owners enjoy mint juleps and show off their fancy outfits, the vast majority of Thoroughbred racehorses are abused, broken down and slaughtered. Pushed beyond their limits, horses are forced to sprint – often under the threat of whips and illegal electric-shocking devices – at speeds so high that they frequently suffer injuries, including hemorrhage from the lungs. Many are also doped with cocktails of legal and illegal drugs to mask these injuries and enhance their performance.
The sport’s popularity has led to the emergence of gambling, which has become a major source of revenue for horse owners and tracks. To attract more bettors, horse races are offered larger purses, which means more betting opportunities and a higher chance of a win for the bettors. This cycle can lead to horse races with massive fields of runners and can result in poor performance, as was seen in the Kentucky Derby this year.
When journalists cover elections by focusing on who is ahead or behind instead of discussing policy issues, voters, candidates and the news industry itself suffer, according to a growing body of research. This updated roundup of research includes new findings on third-party political candidates, probabilistic forecasting and TV news coverage of horse races.