The Dark Side of Horse Racing Could Disappear in a Few Short Years

Horse racing is a billion-dollar industry, but it’s fading fast. Thanks to growing awareness of the dark side of this sport, which includes abusive training practices for young horses, illegal drug use, and a system that routinely transports injured or sick animals to foreign slaughterhouses, horse races are losing fans and race days at an alarming rate. In a few short years, the industry could disappear altogether.

To make a successful run, a thoroughbred must learn how to channel his energy into the racetrack’s circular course, using his legs in a way that maximizes speed. That starts with jogging in the wee hours of the morning, and gradually moves up to gallops. Then a runner is taught to change leads, or extend his legs on one side of his body longer than the other, to improve the pace around the turns. Typically, runners will go through several rounds of training before being entered in a race.

The goal of all this exercise is to create a well-conditioned horse that can maintain a steady pace for a long distance. Depending on the track and trainer, a runner might also be asked to work or breeze, running at a faster pace for a set length of time to determine his level of fitness. Finally, he’s put to the test in a race, where he must navigate a series of obstacles or “hurdles” (if present) and run around the circuit to win.

At the highest levels, racing is a dangerous business, and horses die at an alarming rate. Some die from injuries or from being whipped into submission, while others are forced to run so hard that they bleed out of their lungs, a condition known as exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Often, the cause is illegal performance-enhancing drugs like morphine and cocaine, but owners will sometimes even inject their own horses with legal corticosteroid medications to mask pain and keep them running until they collapse and die.

If a runner wins a big race, such as the Triple Crown or a Grade I event like the Kentucky Derby, he is often sent to the breeding shed, where his million-dollar investment can earn him $31 million over an illustrious career that spans decades. But if a horse doesn’t win, or falls off in the middle of a race, it will be retired and sent to an auction where it will likely be sold for slaughter.

Some board members and governance observers are uncomfortable with the “horse race” approach to succession planning, which pits several senior-level candidates against each other in a public contest with the winner becoming the company’s next chief executive officer. But proponents argue that such a competition, when designed to select the best candidate for the job, can motivate high performers who see a clear path to higher roles within the organization. It can also help ensure that the company’s best and brightest leaders are ready to take the helm.