Horse racing has entranced spectators for centuries, beginning with the Greek Olympic Games where riders rode bareback and hitched their horses to chariots. Today, a day at the races is more than just betting on the winner; a trip to the track can include everything from sipping a chilled glass of champagne to enjoying top-of-the-line menu items at nearby restaurants and eateries.
The equine sport requires a lot of training to prepare the animals for competition. Horses do not reach full maturity — that is, their bones have fused and their growth plates have closed — until age 6. By the time they are ready to run for a purse, a typical racehorse is 6 or 7 years old. That means that they have been in intensive training for nearly half their lives, a grueling schedule that often puts them at the limits of their physical and mental abilities.
During the race itself, the animals have to learn how to channel their energy effectively, especially when taking sharp turns. A key component of this is changing leads. Normally, a horse runs on its right lead on straightaways and its left lead around the corners. But if it remains on one lead for too long, it will tire quickly. So the jockey must use cues to encourage the horse to change leads on a regular basis.
Another unnatural aspect of the sport is how it pushes a horse to its limits. A horse may be bred to have a massive torso and spindly legs but will only reach its full height by age 2. And yet, most racehorses are forced into intense training at age 2, which can be taxing on the body and mind. This is especially true for young, fast horses that need to learn how to keep their balance and pace while navigating the tight turns of a racecourse.
Aside from training and preparation, the race horses must deal with a lot of stress and pressure from the public and from other competitors. In a recent study, researchers Johanna Dunaway and Regina G. Lawrence examined how print newspapers framed elections for state governor and U.S. Senate during 2004, 2006, and 2008. They found that when the stories focused on who was winning or losing – what they call horse race coverage – voters, candidates, and the news industry itself suffered.
The researchers also interviewed some horse racing insiders about the topic of horse race coverage. They found that many insiders tended to naturalise, normalise and downplay horse welfare practices. For example, they noted that the fact that horses show behavioural evidence of aversion to their bits (ranging from mild to severe) did not receive much attention because it had “always been done this way”. They also tended to downplay how cruel some training techniques can be on the animals. They suggested that this might contribute to the low levels of public awareness about horse welfare issues in the racing industry.