A horse race is a contest in which horses are ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies over a track with organized betting. The equine sport has become a cultural touchstone, with iconic tracks such as Belmont Park and the Kentucky Derby, and significant institutions like the American Stud Book. It is also a major economic force, with the industry contributing $15 billion to the U.S. economy today. But it is a dangerous sport, with a number of deaths and injuries reported annually, including those that occur during the races themselves. The not-infrequent breakdowns of racehorses have led to calls for reform or even a ban on the sport.
While horse racing has been around for centuries, the first recorded races were a few hundred yards long and took place on village streets or lanes. In the early days, the races were meant to demonstrate a horse’s speed and endurance for potential buyers. Professional riders called jockeys — usually young boys — were employed to ride the horses. They were paid a small amount for their efforts, which often included running bareback.
Horses love to run, and they have natural instincts for moving as a group and keeping each other safe. But to win a race requires that the individual horses move faster than their fellows, which is difficult and potentially dangerous for the animals. Consequently, horses in the wild prefer to stay near the middle of the pack when they are running free.
When the horses in a race are separated from each other, they become vulnerable to injury and the possibility of death from being kicked or trampled by their rivals. These conditions are known as a breakdown, and they occur frequently during racehorses’ careers, particularly when they are in peak physical condition. The breakdowns can be caused by a variety of factors, including a lack of proper exercise and a high concentration of stress.
The horses in a race are not always able to express their natural instincts, and that can lead to mental and emotional problems. For example, cribbing, the repeated, compulsive behavior of biting on a gate or other object, is common in horses that have been confined for extended periods of time. These behaviors can be signs of mental distress, or even a desire to self-harm.
Another factor in the high number of breakdowns is the fact that racehorses are bred for competition, and they are kept isolated from each other for up to 23 hours a day in 12-by-12-foot stalls. In testimony to the New York State Senate, a veterinarian compared this incarceration to locking a 100-pound child in a closet for the same length of time. These factors contribute to the fact that, when it comes to horse races, not all horses are created equal. This roundup of research on horse race coverage looks at the consequences for voters, candidates and journalists when an election is covered primarily in terms of who’s ahead or behind.