Horse racing, often referred to as “The Sport of Kings,” has been steeped in centuries of rich culture and tradition. From the majestic Thoroughbreds on the track to the ceremonial pageantry at events, this competitive spectacle draws millions of fans from around the world. But this is more than just a game of chance and wagering; it’s a sport that embodies the human and equine spirit and captivates people from all walks of life.
But behind the curtain, it’s a harsh and violent world. Horses are bred for their speed, agility and endurance and then thrust into intensive training and racing at very young ages, well before they’re physically ready to take on this demanding sport. They’re compelled forward with whips that they cannot control, and their bodies are subject to immense stress. As a result, horses are injured at high rates and even run the risk of death.
Many of the world’s most famous races are celebrated for their history and storied traditions, but there’s another dimension to horse racing that is often overlooked. When journalists focus on who’s winning or losing — what media scholars call “horse race coverage” – instead of policy issues, voters, candidates and the news industry itself suffer, according to multiple studies.
One common strategy in horse race coverage is to emphasize polls and the popularity of frontrunners based on public opinion. The problem is that this type of reporting skews people’s views and leads to distorted news. It also distracts from the fact that politicians make decisions based on policies and the potential impact of their actions, not public opinion polls.
In an effort to avoid skewing public perception, some journalist groups have begun to criticize this practice of horse race coverage, urging news outlets to focus more on the policy debate and less on who’s ahead in the polls. But the practice remains longstanding and protected by the First Amendment. And while the criticisms are valid, it’s difficult to change an entrenched and widespread practice.
Animal welfare is a growing concern in thoroughbred racing, and several animal advocacy informants emphasized that the most serious problems are not the injuries and deaths of racehorses on the track but routine training and husbandry practices, and human-horse interactions. They argued that the horseman’s relationship to his or her horse as mere property can lead to exploitation and abuse of these animals.
For example, in responding to Image 3, animal advocacy informants remarked that the horse looks stressed with handlers crowded around him. They said the horse’s mouth looked swollen and agitated, and that its throat lash looked tight and tense. In addition, they noted that it seemed to be dragging itself on the ground. The horseman is forcing it to go through the paces of a race, despite its injuries. In its natural environment, the horse would know to stop and rest if it could. But not here. On a racetrack, horses are forced to move forward and endure injury after injury, while humans perched on their backs relentlessly pound them with whips.