Horse racing is an ancient tradition that has evolved into the modern sport we know and enjoy today. Riders compete to beat their competition by riding faster on horseback than anyone else in order to claim victory. It has evolved considerably throughout time into what we now recognize and love as a competitive pastime. Early records of horse racing date back to the Greek Olympic Games held between 700 to 40 B.C, when chariot and bareback horse races took place. Today’s horse racing sport has evolved due to many technological advancements over time. Most significant advances have focused on race safety with thermal imaging cameras being utilized post-race to detect overheating, MRI scanners being employed to diagnose minor or major health conditions and 3D printing used to produce casts, splints, prosthetics and other medical tools for horses that need them.
Although some racing reforms have already been implemented, activists continue to push for additional ones. They argue that horses were never intended to live in confinement for racing purposes and that their instincts often lead them towards self-harm. Furthermore, fear and pain cause horses to engage in repetitive behaviors like cribbing and pacing which can then become amplified through training, racing and travel.
As society progresses, horse racing must adapt to an ever-evolving environment and court system which increasingly recognizes animals’ fundamental rights as living beings. Otherwise, the industry could find itself without fans, revenue, and race days – and its very existence threatened.
Increased awareness of the dark side of horse racing has helped spur reform efforts and bans on it, such as through Eight Belles’ death and Medina Spirit’s burial; further, PETA investigations of abusive training practices for young horses; drug use; and transporting American racehorses overseas for slaughterhouse slaughter have caused outrage and galvanized support for its closure.
Modern horse racing is an event held over distances ranging between five and twelve furlongs (1.0 and 2.4 km). Each individual race typically falls into either sprints (where speed overshadows stamina), or routes (in which endurance reigns supreme), with fast acceleration required in either case to win either type of competition; either requires a great deal of skill on behalf of its rider as well as maintaining an even pace throughout its entirety; pace sets by its leader and his or her competitors also play an essential part.