A Horse Race Is Unnatural

A horse race is a competitive contest in which people try to win money by betting on the winner of a specific event. It has been around for centuries and is one of the most popular forms of gambling in the world. Its popularity has been attributed to its high profit potential and the social interaction it provides. However, some critics have argued that the horse race format is unfair to the participants and can have negative impacts on society.

A Horse Race Is Unnatural

Despite the horse racing industry’s claims that horses are born to run and love to compete, this sport is unequivocally unnatural. The physical demands of running a horse at full speed, in a tightly packed field, are enormous. Moreover, the stress of race day can cause injuries that can be life-threatening to the animal. Injuries such as fractured fetlock bones (located in the lower leg between the long and short bones) are common in racehorses, and can lead to euthanasia.

In addition to the intense physical stress of racing, horses are also exposed to a wide range of psychological traumas, including anxiety and fear. This can be caused by the fact that they are confined in small, isolated spaces for extended periods of time and are often subjected to loud noises. Additionally, they must contend with the constant threat of being eliminated from the competition.

To counter these effects, trainers often put their horses through a rigorous exercise routine. This starts with regular jogs and gallops early in the morning. As the horse gets conditioned to the physical exertion, it will gradually increase the intensity of these workouts until the race day. During the actual race, a horse’s heart rate can jump tenfold from 25 beats per minute to an excessive 250 beats per minute, leading to exhaustion and sometimes death.

Some critics of horse race coverage have suggested that news outlets should shift their attention to policy issues during elections. For example, an article in Journalist’s Resource argued that when journalists focus on a horse race and ignore policy issues, the voters, candidates and news industry itself suffer. The authors of this article highlighted multiple studies on the topic and found that newspapers owned by corporations or large chains were more likely to engage in horse race coverage.

The classic succession “horse race” pits two or three senior executives against each other in a battle over performance. Although some critics of this approach argue that it can detract from a company’s overall strategic direction, proponents argue that an overt race for the top job helps to keep the board and executive team focused on its business objectives. Additionally, a well-established process for vetting candidate strengths may be helpful in selecting the best CEO for the organization.

Although many horse races are scheduled weeks or months in advance, plans can change in a matter of hours. This can frustrate owners, who have made travel arrangements in anticipation of a race, as well as the horses themselves, who may need to be transferred to a different event.