Horse racing has been around for centuries and is still a popular sport. Whether you bet on the winner or not, you can enjoy watching the action on the track and the roar of the crowds. Nevertheless, horse races aren’t all about the thrill of the competition; horses suffer from injury and death at an alarming rate.
It’s hard to say if these conditions will continue as the number of race days and participants shrinks, but if you’re concerned about animal cruelty, there are ways you can put pressure on the industry. Organizations like PETA have made it their mission to expose the abusive training methods, drug use and transport of young and sick racehorses to foreign slaughterhouses. Educating yourself on the issues surrounding the sport of horse racing will make you a more informed betting customer and a better advocate for reform and the outright ban of horse racing.
The sun was just setting as the field of thoroughbreds took to the track for the last leg of the Kentucky Derby. Spectators cheered wildly, with many shouting the name of their favorite horse. Seabiscuit was the choice of a great many bettors, who rooted for him by number and nickname. Those who didn’t know the horses by name listened to their trainers in the walking ring and watched their movements for signs that they were ready to run. If the horse’s coat was gleaming and its muscles rippled with excitement, they knew it was time to go for the win.
In the midst of this spectacle, War of Will was in the lead, with Mongolian Groom and McKinzie just behind him. As they entered the backstretch, the pack moved in unison with a hypnotic smoothness. The throng of spectators grew louder and the curses, often in Spanish and Chinese, rose with the thunder of the strides.
In this most American of sports, the jockeys and horse owners use a cocktail of legal and illegal drugs to mask injuries and enhance performance. One study found that an average of 3 thoroughbreds die every day in North America from catastrophic injuries on the racetrack. In any other sport, such injuries and deaths would be unthinkable, but in horse racing, they’re accepted as the price of luring fans to the betting window.