Horse racing is a sport where horses are put into a race and bet on to win. A number of different betting options are available, including bets to win, place and show. The winners of the race will usually be awarded a certain amount of prize money.
The sport of horse racing is an ancient one and can be traced back to the Greeks. It became a formalized competition sometime before 1000 B.C.E. The sport spread throughout the world and played a big role in civilizations such as Rome, Babylon, Syria and Egypt.
While the public enjoys betting on horse races, behind the curtain is a dark and violent world of drug abuse, gruesome breakdowns and slaughter. The horses used in this sport are drugged and whipped, often into breaking point. They are trained too young and pushed to the limits of what they can do. In addition, they live a very lonely life, locked in a stall for much of their time.
On a racetrack, humans perched on horses’ backs compel them to run at breakneck speed by means of whipping and even illegal electric-shocking devices. In nature, horses understand self-preservation; they stop when they are injured. On a racetrack, injured horses are urged onward by the whip to continue running at an unnatural pace, further injuring themselves and sometimes causing pulmonary hemorrhage (bleeding out of the lungs).
Many of the injuries that result from racing are caused by horses hitting other horses, or crashing into obstacles on the course. These injuries can cause severe fractures and lacerations, as well as spinal injuries and shattered legs. The horses can also be severely traumatized by the whipping and the pounding of the track, as well as by a rider falling off and being knocked unconscious.
Another major problem with horse racing is the high number of horses that are discarded from the industry. This is especially a concern in China where thousands of horses are euthanized every year. This is due to the fact that many Chinese provinces are now using Western breeding and training techniques which have diluted the traditional breeds of the country. This has led to a decrease in the overall quality of the racehorses, as well as creating an issue with overcrowding at facilities.
The main reason for this overcrowding is that many horses are forced to retire early due to injury and old age. The average racing career lasts only four years, which is very short for a horse. In order to keep the number of horses stable, the industry relies on a high turnover rate. Thousands of horses leave the sport every year, either as foals, during their racing careers or when they retire. This creates an imbalance between supply and demand which is contributing to the overall decline in quality of the horse races in China.