Horse racing is a form of gambling whereby individuals bet on the outcome of a race. The horses are usually trained by professional jockeys to compete against other horses. The race is won by the individual who places the winning bet. This form of gambling has a long history, dating back to the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians. It is one of the most popular forms of gambling today, both legal and illegal.
The term horse race is also used to refer to a competitive process in business. For example, many companies use a horse race approach when selecting a new CEO. Proponents of this approach argue that a well-designed horse race encourages competition for the top position and helps to select the best candidate. Nevertheless, critics of this type of leadership selection believe that the process can damage morale and lead to an erosion of the company’s culture.
A horse race is a betting event in which a bet is placed on a pair of runners finishing in the exact order (horses or dogs). The winnings are determined by the total amount of money bet on each horse or dog. Typically, horse races are run on weekends and holidays and have a variety of different stakes.
While a horse race is a popular pastime in which people place bets, it can actually be harmful to the animals. According to a study conducted by Johanna Dunaway and Regina G. Lawrence, a professor at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, horse race coverage is more prominent in newspapers with large-chain owners and tends to occur during tight elections and during the weeks leading up to election day. The researchers found that horse race coverage discourages voting, likely because it makes voters think that their votes will not matter.
Moreover, the stress and trauma caused by the training of horses to compete in horse races can be detrimental to their health and wellbeing. The high-risk obstacles that the horses must jump in these races — such as the Chair and Becher’s Brook — put tremendous pressure on their slender front legs and often result in catastrophic injuries. The Grand National, the most famous and deadly race of all, is 4.5 miles long and is notorious for the number of horses who have been killed at the notorious fences.
Animal advocacy informants in this study reported that while egregious and abusive treatment of horses in racing gets the most media attention, such treatment is just the tip of an iceberg. The informants also identified routine training and husbandry practices, human-horse interactions, and the everyday life of thoroughbreds as areas of concern.