A horse race is a sport in which humans ride horses to compete against other riders. The horses are forced to run at speeds that cause them great stress and often injuries such as broken bones, ripped flesh, or hemorrhage from the lungs. Some people criticize horse racing as an inhumane activity, arguing that it is not ethical to use horses for human entertainment. Others support the sport, claiming that it provides an excellent opportunity for jockeys to display their skills and win money.
Horses have been a part of human culture for thousands of years, serving as warhorses and pulling carriages and even helping to build the pyramids. In the past, some warriors even pitted their steeds against one another in horse races to demonstrate their strength and skill. But despite the popularity of the sport, many people do not know much about the sport or its history.
The practice of horse racing began in ancient Greece, and it quickly spread throughout the world as archaeological records show that horses were used in races in Egypt, Babylon, Syria, and Arabia. Over the years, horse races became more and more formalized as rules were developed for the age, sex, birthplace, and previous performances of horses, as well as qualifications for their owners and riders.
In modern times, horse racing continues to be a popular spectator sport. While a large number of people enjoy betting on the outcome of races, many do not realize the cruelty and abuse that is a regular occurrence in this industry. Behind the glitz and glamour of racing is a dark side that includes abusive training practices, drug abuse, gruesome breakdowns, and slaughter.
Many would-be racing fans are turned off by these revelations, and the growing movement for animal rights is threatening the very survival of the industry. But while some in the horse racing world are aware of the problems, they do not seem willing to change.
A number of important horse races are handicaps, in which a group of horses is given weight allowances by the race secretary based on their performance. These weight allowances are meant to create more balanced fields and encourage a wide variety of horse-owners and trainers to enter their animals in the races. Some of these handicap races have become major events such as the Melbourne Cup in Australia and the Brooklyn, Metropolitan, and Suburban handicaps in America. However, the majority of horse races are non-handicaps.