A horse race is a competition between horses over long distances. It is one of the oldest sports and has evolved into a complex spectacle involving enormous sums of money and sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment, but the fundamentals of the sport remain unchanged: the horse that finishes first wins.

In the earliest days of horse racing, noblemen and aristocrats would demonstrate their horses’ speed by racing them on open fields or roads. These races were often short, a quarter, half, or mile in length and were run by professional riders who were called jockeys. The jockeys were typically young boys who were skilled at riding and were expert in horse care and maintenance.

The prestige and riches associated with successful horse racing inspired breeders to produce faster equines. British soldiers returning from desert battle fronts told of their astonishing opponents’ horses sprinting through sand, leading to the introduction of Middle Eastern sires into Europe, and to the creation of a new breed known as the Thoroughbred. These leaner, faster equines rapidly spread from England to the colonies, where they drew gawkers and vastly increased interest in the sport. New oval tracks and improved spectator seating further enhanced the appeal of horse racing.

As the pack broke from the gate, War of Will took a narrow lead on the far turn, followed by Mongolian Groom and McKinzie. The horses were drenched in pinkish light and moved with huge strides and hypnotic smoothness, but they were tired. Most of them had been injected that morning with Lasix, a diuretic, marked on the racing form with a boldface “L.” It is given to prevent the pulmonary bleeding that hard running sometimes causes in horses.

Even in the best-conditioned horses, horse races are a brutally painful experience for the equines. A thoroughbred’s lower legs take a tremendous beating in races, especially on oval tracks, straining ligaments and tendons. To help them endure this, the equines receive a heavy blanket of protective padding to wrap their lower bodies and joints. They are also jogged at intervals during the race to reduce the strain on their muscles.

While horse racing has made great strides in increasing the safety and well-being of its animals, there is still much work to be done. It is not uncommon for a horse to be injured in a race and then sold to a new owner without its injury being disclosed. This can cause the horse to compete while it is healing from its injuries and, if the injury is severe, it may be permanently lame. Sadly, many of these equines will be sent to slaughter. However, growing awareness of the industry’s dark side has prompted some major improvements. PETA’s groundbreaking investigations into abusive training practices for young horses, drug use in racing, and the transport of horses to slaughter have pushed the industry to make further progress. You can help by supporting these efforts.