What is a Horse Race?

A horse race is an event in which horses of all ages compete to finish the course as quickly as possible, and the first several runners earn a certain amount of prize money. A horse’s chances of winning depend on its training and the odds at the track.

A number of different types of bets can be placed on horse races. These include exotic bets such as parimutuels (French system of wagering where winners receive all the money wagered by all players, minus a percentage taken out by the track). Other popular wagers are win/place and show.

Before a race, most horses will take a series of routine jogs and gallops. During these exercises, their heart rates may rise to ten times normal levels. As a result, their lungs will frequently bleed, a condition called exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.

These injuries may be severe and life-threatening. Horses can also suffer fractured sesamoids, which are small bones in the ankle joints that connect to the fetlock. Four common types of sesamoid fractures are apical, lateral, abaxial and basilar.

The most deadly of all horse races is the Grand National in Britain, where the high risk factor and a series of extremely tall fences make it very difficult for horses to clear. Every year, over 40 horses die on the course.

Breeding for speed at the expense of bone mass has made racehorses far less robust than they once were. It is now common – and somehow accepted – for horses to bleed from their lungs during a race, have gastric ulcers, suffer heart attacks or even lose their lives.

Horse racing is an exploitative sport that should be stopped. It’s time to treat these creatures like the willing athletes they are, not disposable commodities. Boycotting the racetrack is a great start, but if you enjoy a flutter, don’t place your money with bookmakers who support this industry of cruelty. Instead, go to the nearest football stadium and watch a game instead.