The Challenges Faced by Horse Racing
Horse racing is a multi-billion dollar business that draws millions of fans from around the globe who are united by their passion for these magnificent creatures. However, behind the glitz and glamour of major events, horse racing is a sport that faces many challenges including animal welfare, track conditions and race scheduling.
The main issue for animal rights groups is the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs on horses. It is known that trainers often give their horses illegal substances to boost speed and mask pain in order to make them more competitive, and when a horse tests positive for drugs, it is likely to be euthanized or sent to auction where they are sold for slaughter. Despite a number of high-profile cases, the industry continues to deny and ignore these allegations. Activists have demanded that the sport implement more rigorous regulations to protect its most prized asset: the horses.
As a result, animal rights activists are pushing for reforms including a zero-tolerance drug policy, turf (grass) tracks only, a ban on whipping, and competitive racing only after the age of three. These proposals would have a significant impact on the overall safety of the horses, and could prevent them from being subjected to the gruesome breakdowns and subsequent slaughter that we see all too often.
In the early years of organized horse racing in America, a few wealthy men controlled most of the track and purse money. Then, in 1908, the advent of pari-mutuel betting brought more interest to the sport and, with great horses such as Man o’ War, it prospered until World War II. After the war, interest waned until the late 1950s and 1960s when television and other forms of media helped revive interest in the sport.
Currently, the majority of the money wagered on a race is collected by racetracks and returned to the owners who run the horses. Those funds are then used for the race purses. Those larger purses draw higher quality horses and help to generate more interest in the sport.
Some insiders suggest that criticism of the sport is a form of coastal snobbery, with critics trying to impose blue-state values on what is essentially a red-state, rural enterprise. But the truth is that horse racing is a powerful economic engine that supports thousands of jobs and billions in tax revenue, not to mention the countless millions of dollars in charitable contributions to a variety of causes. It also contributes to the economy of rural America by supporting the thousands of horse farms that make up the backbone of the equine industry.
Horse racing is a multi-billion dollar business that draws millions of fans from around the globe who are united by their passion for these magnificent creatures. However, behind the glitz and glamour of major events, horse racing is a sport that faces many challenges including animal welfare, track conditions and race scheduling. The main issue for animal rights groups is the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs on horses. It is known that trainers often give their horses illegal substances to boost speed and mask pain in order to make them more competitive, and when a horse tests positive for drugs, it is likely to be euthanized or sent to auction where they are sold for slaughter. Despite a number of high-profile cases, the industry continues to deny and ignore these allegations. Activists have demanded that the sport implement more rigorous regulations to protect its most prized asset: the horses. As a result, animal rights activists are pushing for reforms including a zero-tolerance drug policy, turf (grass) tracks only, a ban on whipping, and competitive racing only after the age of three. These proposals would have a significant impact on the overall safety of the horses, and could prevent them from being subjected to the gruesome breakdowns and subsequent slaughter that we see all too often. In the early years of organized horse racing in America, a few wealthy men controlled most of the track and purse money. Then, in 1908, the advent of pari-mutuel betting brought more interest to the sport and, with great horses such as Man o’ War, it prospered until World War II. After the war, interest waned until the late 1950s and 1960s when television and other forms of media helped revive interest in the sport. Currently, the majority of the money wagered on a race is collected by racetracks and returned to the owners who run the horses. Those funds are then used for the race purses. Those larger purses draw higher quality horses and help to generate more interest in the sport. Some insiders suggest that criticism of the sport is a form of coastal snobbery, with critics trying to impose blue-state values on what is essentially a red-state, rural enterprise. But the truth is that horse racing is a powerful economic engine that supports thousands of jobs and billions in tax revenue, not to mention the countless millions of dollars in charitable contributions to a variety of causes. It also contributes to the economy of rural America by supporting the thousands of horse farms that make up the backbone of the equine industry.