The History of Horse Race
A horse race is a sporting event in which horses race against each other to win a prize. Usually, the winner is the horse that crosses the finish line first. In cases where two or more horses cross the finish line at the same time, the winner is decided by a photo finish or dead heat rules.
Many people enjoy watching horses race; they may be hardcore daily horse fans or casual visitors who simply want to see a good race. But most people don’t know much about horse racing, even those who like the sport.
The History of Horse Race
Historically, horse racing was based on gambling and required that the horses be from certain countries. It became more popular after the United States began to legalize betting on horse races. Then, state governments began to impose steep taxes on racing revenue, which fueled the growth of the industry.
The first documented horse race in France was held in 1651 as a wager between two noblemen. Eventually, the sport spread across Europe and the United States.
Today, racing is a profitable business for many people involved in it. It is an important source of employment and tax revenue in several states. It attracts millions of fans to the tracks.
There is a lot of money in horse racing, and some people are in it for the wrong reasons. But many people who work in it do care about the animals they are caring for, and they would never harm them.
Animal-rights activists often criticize the industry for its treatment of horses. They say that the pounding of racing is bad for horses’ lower legs, which are susceptible to abrasions and injury. But they don’t know that some horses can be trained to run faster than others, or that modern medicines have helped alleviate their pounding.
In fact, the pounding is not just bad for the lower legs; it strains the ligaments and tendons of the horses’ feet. It also leads to a number of painful conditions, including sesamoiditis, which is inflammation of the bones at the back of the horse’s foot.
Some people are concerned about the abuse of horses in the horse racing industry, and some have tried to improve their treatment. PETA is one of the groups that has made this a public issue.
The video and report by PETA are a disturbing glimpse into the cruelty of the horse-racing industry. It shows that multiple drugs are given every day to racehorses–whether they need them or not–by grooms and employees.
These drugs include cocaine, heroin, strychnine, caffeine, antipsychotics and blood doping, which has reportedly been used since the Middle Ages to boost the endurance of racing horses. These substances can be injected, inhaled or taken by mouth.
Those medications are sometimes combined with a variety of other substances, such as testosterone and steroids, to help the horses perform better and pass veterinarians’ visual inspections. They are not banned by the racing industry, but they can be difficult to detect.