Horse races are an exciting sport to watch and gamble on. However, the industry is also known for its animal cruelty. Many horses suffer from injuries and breakdowns, and some even die in the midst of racing and training. Their deaths have sparked outrage from the public and caused a decline in popularity. In response, racing has made some improvements, but it is still a dangerous and exploitative industry. The truth is that if the industry does not change its business model and make the best interests of horses its top priority, it will be forced to close its doors forever.

A horse race is a competition in which one or more horses are ridden by jockeys and driven to the finish line. The first person to cross the winning post takes the prize, or purse. Originally, all races were winner-take-all, but as the sport developed it became common for a second and third prize to be offered. This was due to the fact that more and more horses were being bred and trained, and that it was necessary to differentiate between them in order to attract gamblers.

The first recorded horse race was a match race between two or at most three horses, where the owners supplied the funds for the purse. The agreement was recorded by disinterested parties, called keepers of the match book. By the 1730s, organized horse racing in Europe was well established, and by the beginning of the American Revolution, the sport had spread to the colonies. In the United States, the King’s Plates were standardized races for six-year-old horses carrying 168 pounds in four-mile heats. The prevailing belief was that stamina was more important than speed, and this type of racing continued until the Civil War.

To be eligible for a race, a horse must have a pedigree that is purebred and conforms to the rules of the specific breed of racing. To qualify, a horse’s sire and dam must both be purebred. In addition, the horse must be a certain age in order to run.

A track official who inspects a racetrack and monitors its safety and condition is referred to as the steward. The steward’s job is to make sure the governing body’s rules are followed. The steward must investigate any reports of rule violations, including fouls committed by jockeys, horses, and trainers.

If a horse is injured during a race or workout, its jockey and trainer may be suspended. The steward will also look at the horse’s behavior to make sure it is healthy enough to continue its training. A horse that is unable to train or that is pulled up after an injury is usually sent to a rehabilitation facility, where the injuries can be evaluated and treated. Some horses are later sent to slaughter, where they are killed for human consumption. Fortunately, there are groups that rescue ex-racehorses from this fate and give them new lives. If it were not for these independent nonprofit rescues, which network, fundraise, and work tirelessly to save horses, there would be an endless stream of horses hemorrhaging into the slaughter pipeline, where they are sold and then transported to Mexico or Canada for horrific ends.