The Dark Side of Horse Racing
Horse races are exciting to watch and a huge draw for bettors. The spectacle attracts people from all walks of life to the racetrack, where they cheer a particular jockey or horse. A favorite among fans was Seabiscuit, a longshot who won the public’s heart and inspired people to go to the track regularly. But horse racing isn’t just a spectator sport for humans—it’s an industry full of cruelty that causes many horses to suffer.
The sport relies on breeding a high number of horses, then turning them over at an early age to increase the chances that one of those foals will become a champion. This system puts immense pressure on young horses, who begin their rigorous training when their skeletal systems are still developing. Young horses are also prone to injuries and breakdowns. And when injuries occur, they are often drugged to mask the symptoms and pushed to race again when medical advice would have them rested for weeks or even months. The drugs used in horse racing are dangerous for both horses and jockeys—on average, two jockeys die and dozens are paralyzed each year.
These injuries and the unnatural stress of racing cause many horses to die, with one study estimating that 3 thoroughbreds die every day in North America due to catastrophic accidents on tracks. And while a few horses make it to the top of the sport, many of them are eventually discarded by their owners and sent to slaughter, where they meet an agonizing and brutal end.
This is just a small sample of the horrors that occur in horse racing, a multibillion-dollar industry that is rife with abuse and corruption. For more information on the dark side of horse racing, including abusive training practices for young horses, drug use, a staggeringly high rate of injuries and breakdowns, and the fate of countless American horses in foreign slaughterhouses, visit PETA’s website.
A growing body of research reveals that when journalists cover elections primarily by focusing on who’s winning or losing—what researchers call horse race coverage—voters, candidates and the news industry itself suffer. In a recent post on the Journalist’s Resource, Denise-Marie Ordway, director of Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, highlighted multiple studies showing that when horse race coverage dominates news outlets with left-leaning audiences, those news organizations see lower voter turnout.
This collection of research is an attempt to bring attention to this serious problem. We hope that by publishing this collection, we can raise awareness about the harm caused to voters, candidates and news outlets by a narrow focus on winning and loss—and help change the way horse race coverage is conducted.
Horse races are exciting to watch and a huge draw for bettors. The spectacle attracts people from all walks of life to the racetrack, where they cheer a particular jockey or horse. A favorite among fans was Seabiscuit, a longshot who won the public’s heart and inspired people to go to the track regularly. But horse racing isn’t just a spectator sport for humans—it’s an industry full of cruelty that causes many horses to suffer. The sport relies on breeding a high number of horses, then turning them over at an early age to increase the chances that one of those foals will become a champion. This system puts immense pressure on young horses, who begin their rigorous training when their skeletal systems are still developing. Young horses are also prone to injuries and breakdowns. And when injuries occur, they are often drugged to mask the symptoms and pushed to race again when medical advice would have them rested for weeks or even months. The drugs used in horse racing are dangerous for both horses and jockeys—on average, two jockeys die and dozens are paralyzed each year. These injuries and the unnatural stress of racing cause many horses to die, with one study estimating that 3 thoroughbreds die every day in North America due to catastrophic accidents on tracks. And while a few horses make it to the top of the sport, many of them are eventually discarded by their owners and sent to slaughter, where they meet an agonizing and brutal end. This is just a small sample of the horrors that occur in horse racing, a multibillion-dollar industry that is rife with abuse and corruption. For more information on the dark side of horse racing, including abusive training practices for young horses, drug use, a staggeringly high rate of injuries and breakdowns, and the fate of countless American horses in foreign slaughterhouses, visit PETA’s website. A growing body of research reveals that when journalists cover elections primarily by focusing on who’s winning or losing—what researchers call horse race coverage—voters, candidates and the news industry itself suffer. In a recent post on the Journalist’s Resource, Denise-Marie Ordway, director of Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, highlighted multiple studies showing that when horse race coverage dominates news outlets with left-leaning audiences, those news organizations see lower voter turnout. This collection of research is an attempt to bring attention to this serious problem. We hope that by publishing this collection, we can raise awareness about the harm caused to voters, candidates and news outlets by a narrow focus on winning and loss—and help change the way horse race coverage is conducted.