Horse racing is a sport that involves horses being driven over jumps to race one another for a purse. This sport has been around for thousands of years and is practiced in many different countries. The rules of horse races vary from country to country, but there are some general guidelines that all race tracks must follow.
Before a horse can be allowed to race, it must be weighed and inspected. During this process, the race official checks to make sure that the horse is carrying the correct weight and that it has not been injected with illegal substances. Saliva and urine samples are also taken. Once the horses are approved to race, they are sent into the paddock to be saddled and prepared for the race. The jockeys (or riders) then mount their horses and parade them past the stewards for inspection.
While the sport has retained many of its long-held traditions and rules, technological advances have made a big impact on the world of horse racing in recent times. From thermal imaging cameras that detect heat stress in post-race horses to MRI scanners, endoscopes, and 3D printing that can produce casts, splints and prosthetics for injured or ailing horses, technology has helped to improve the safety of both the horses and the human athletes who ride them.
The earliest records of horse racing date back to ancient times, with both chariot and bareback (mounted) races being held at the Olympic Games from about 700 to 40 B.C. The arduous and dangerous steeplechase, in which horses are required to jump over a series of obstacles, is thought to have first been recorded by the Greek author Xenophon in the 5th century B.C.
Despite these advancements, horse racing remains a dangerous sport for both the animals and humans involved in it. Pushed beyond their limits, most racehorses are given cocktails of legal and illegal drugs to mask the effects of their injuries and artificially enhance their performance. As a result, many of these horses will bleed from their lungs, a condition known as exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, which can be fatal.
While there is no way to guarantee the safety of horses in racing, several reforms such as a zero-tolerance drug policy, turf (grass) tracks only, a ban on whipping and competitive racing only after their third birthday could make a significant difference. If the industry truly wants to make a change, however, it will need to undertake a major ideological reckoning at the macro business level and within its own ranks that prioritizes the horses’ health and welfare in all areas of decision making. This will require some complicated and expensive changes, but it is the only way to give horses a chance at a better future. – Support PETA’s efforts to help horse racing rewrite its rules for the benefit of the horses. Donate today! http://www.peta.org/donate/. Don’t forget to share! Thank you. – By Elizabeth Banicki, Senior Writer