A horse race is a contest of speed or stamina between two or more horses on a closed circuit. While the sport has evolved over the centuries from a primitive contest to one with a wide audience of spectators, the fundamental feature remains the same: whichever horse crosses the finish line first wins. The race is governed by national and international rules, but they vary little.
A steward or racing official observes the race from different locations around the track to ensure that all the rules are being followed. They are called patrol judges. A patrol judge can also determine if a horse was forced back or was jockeyed. They are responsible for ensuring that all the horses are safe and fair to compete.
Unlike most sports, which are generally played on a grass or dirt surface, most horse races are run on a pasteboard track. The track is designed to be lightning-fast, and it is coated with a thin layer of sand to increase its grip. This coating makes it possible to race in the rain or snow, and also helps prevent the dangerous traction of muddy surfaces.
In order to achieve the necessary speed, many horses are pushed well beyond their physical limits. They are often trained with whips and illegal electric shock devices. They may be injected with cocktails of legal and illegal drugs to mask injuries, and to artificially enhance their performance. In addition, they are often rushed into racing too soon. The resulting injuries and breakdowns can be devastating to the horses.
While improved medical care and technology have helped to reduce the suffering of racehorses, they can’t stop the industry from pushing horses to their breaking points. This is why PETA has launched campaigns to end horseracing through education and advocacy.
PETA has been organizing horse-racing demonstrations at Laurel and Pimlico since 2018. Jennifer Sully, a Maryland organizer with Horseracing Wrongs, says that the recent postmortem examination of Havnameltdown, whose injury in the Preakness was attributed to overtraining, raised concerns among non-horseracing people. The results showed that the young Thoroughbred had osteoarthritis, severe degenerative joint disease, bone cysts (holes in the bones), and stress fractures in both front and hind limbs.
Aside from the obvious physical and psychological distress, horseracing is a rigged game that rewards owners and trainers with millions of dollars annually in bonuses, purses, and other incentives for winning. As a result, many horses are pushed to the limit or killed early in their careers. Ownership turnover is high, and horses are frequently sold (or “claimed”) to new owners during the course of their careers. In fact, a horse named Who’s Bluffing was claimed 12 times in a two-month period. This gives current owners little control over where their horses will wind up after the race, and it creates a strong incentive to push the animals past their limits.