On the Track: The Debate about the Safety of Horse Racing

Known as “the sport of kings”, horse racing is one of the most profitable equine endeavors in the US. According to the American Horse Council, about 17% of horses are used in racing, mostly Thoroughbreds (Lord, 2019). But recently, and especially with the deaths of several horses before the prestigious Kentucky Derby and Preakness races, more debates have risen over the safety of the horses in question. With foals being saddled and ridden at one year and racing by two (not to mention the annual birth date of January 1 that gives some late-born foals a disadvantage), more and more racing Thoroughbreds are breaking down, sometimes with life-threatening injuries. People are beginning to question the safety of horse racing.

Is horse racing a sport that we should continue to support? Is it morally right to ride horses at such young ages, dumping them as soon as their careers are through?

That’s what I’m going to investigate.

First… the History

Horse racing is one of the oldest equine sports in history. Originating in the ancient Middle East, it was given its title from the popularity among British royals and aristocrats in the Renaissance era. It was brought over to the US from England and spread quickly, and Kentucky became known for their racecourses and Thoroughbreds. Interestingly, horse racing was one of the few sports that continued during the Covid shut down.

There are many other types of racing, such as steeplechase and harness racing, but few of these are televised and broadcasted as much as flat racing. Today, you can find Thoroughbred racetracks in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida, California, and New York.

Is the Industry Cruel?

Well, my friend, I’m going to introduce you to two of my favorite words: it depends.

I had the chance to watch some live broadcasts of pregnant Thoroughbred mares about to foal at different prestigious farms in the US through the National Museum of Racing’s Foal Patrol program, and I saw a variety of horse care styles. There were mares who were petted and brushed, and the handlers rubbed their necks and scratched spots they couldn’t reach. The mares solicited attention during labor and it was quite sweet to see the bond these horses had with their handlers. I would say these animals had very good welfare.

Others were a bit more off-hand, not necessarily cruel, just uncaring. The handlers did their jobs but didn’t go further than that, and the mares usually didn’t seek attention and were more anxious about humans during labor. The care of the animals was fine, but there was no bond.

Now, I understand that horse breeding is different from training, but I just wanted to give these examples to show that not everyone in the horse racing industry is cruel and heartless. A lot of these people really do care about their animals– in the very least, not caring means they lose money, and the animals don’t perform as well.

I’ve watched a few horse races, and I can see the difference in a horse racing because they’re being asked to and a horse running for the pure joy of it. When I watched Justify, the 2018 Triple Crown winner, I saw the way his eyes lit up in the stretch. That horse was running to win, because he loved it. Don’t forget horses are very competitive themselves! It’s several three-year-old colts and fillies with hormonal highs. I’m sure the testosterone levels in those colts goes through the roof during the Triple Crown.

Simply saying “horse racing is cruel/not cruel” is too much of a blanket statement, because it all depends on how well the welfare of the animal is. To do that, we need to define good and bad welfare.

How is Good/Bad Welfare Defined?

Good welfare is frequently determined by the Five Freedoms (AHS, 2023), a set of general regulations created by Britain’s Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1965. These Freedoms are something that every animal should have, and most animal rescue organizations make decisions on whether to seize animals based on the adherence to these freedoms. While there are some instances that an animal will experience a lack of these (such as when a paper bag blows into the yard and spooks the horse), the idea is that the animal isn’t without these freedoms for a prolonged period of time.

The Five Freedoms are:

• Freedom from hunger and thirst (given an adequate diet and constant access to clean water)
• Freedom from discomfort (given shelter and a comfortable environment)
• Freedom from pain, injury, or disease (meaning the animal is given suitable medical treatment and not left to suffer)
• Freedom from fear and distress (the animal is in an environment that makes them feel safe and prevents them from mental suffering)
• Freedom to express normal behavior (the animal is not put in an environment or situation where its normal behaviors are suppressed)

With these five freedoms in mind, we’ll delve into the question of “is horse racing cruel?”

Do Racehorses Have Freedom from Hunger and Thirst?

A horse can’t race if he is dehydrated or malnourished. While Thoroughbreds tend to burn calories faster than most breeds (thus their bonier build), I haven’t found any records of them being starved or dehydrated on purpose. Sometimes, after a race a horse will lose so much water through sweat they suffer from mild dehydration, but are quickly attended to. Remember, these animals cost thousands of dollars. Most trainers and owners can’t afford to lose animals. As for hunger– the feeding regimes that these horses are put on is specifically fortified so the horses can be at peak performance. So I doubt freedom from hunger and thirst is an issue.

Do Racehorses have Freedom from Discomfort?

Typically, racehorses spend part of their time at pasture with friends and part of the time inside a stall. Environmentally, they are given safe areas where they can’t get hurt. However, because of the risks associated with pasturing high-strung Thoroughbreds, some of the horses are kept inside most of the time to prevent injury.

From a physical point of view of their environment, most racehorses have freedom from discomfort. We’ll talk about the mental/behavioral view in a minute.

Do Racehorses have Freedom from Pain, Injury, and Disease?

This is where the fireworks begin. The horse racing industry is notorious for the use of illegal drugs so that injured horses can keep racing. The Jockey Club requires that urine tests for drugs are performed on all racehorses, so the incidence of drugs is lowering. Medina’s Spirit was even stripped of his 2021 title of Kentucky Derby winner because of the presence of drugs in his system. Does it stop all of the drug use? No. But it does help, because there is more risk in being caught.

Generally, most of the higher-level performance horses are given excellent medical care, and almost all of the horses in the industry are vaccinated and dewormed. Sometimes a horse with more mediocre breeding might be less important to an owner, but like I said before, these animals cost money, which means that they can’t afford to lose them. Safety is a very high priority.

That being said, most racehorses are retired for medical reasons. I tried to find recent American statistics, but the most recent statistics I could find were from an Australian research paper in 2004 that said about 31% of racehorse’s careers end from injury, with the other 69% being a mix of poor performance, breeding, and unsuitable temperament (RSPCA, 2004). However, if you would like to research more into racehorse injuries, there is an excellent 2009 paper by the Californian Horse Racing Board based on postmortem examinations (Californian Horse Racing Board, 2009)

Most injury-based deaths in racehorses are from being put down for broken legs, since the recovery is long and arduous, with a very low recovery rate. Racing horses at such a young age when the bones aren’t mature is a gamble in itself: some horses will adapt, others break down. One solution could be breeding racehorses for bone and muscle stability and strength, not just speed.

There are incidences of the horse overworking its lungs and breaking blood vessels (epistaxis), which happens in about 90% of Thoroughbreds and can lead to nose bleeds. This is often treated with the drug Lasix or breathing strips [for more information–Why Do Race Horses Bleed From The Nose After Running? (Henry, 2022)].

According to the Jockey club, last year in 2022 (2023 statistics have not been released) there were about 1.25 horse injuries per start (Jockey Club, 2022). Compared to 2009, when the average was 2 horses per race, the rates are going down as medicine advances and safety is prioritized.

In my opinion, this is the freedom that needs the most focus and attention. Although these animals are given the best medical care, the sport is not without risk of injury. I believe more attention needs to be put into better breeding standards focusing more on the animal as a whole and not just one specific trait. They’ve come a long way in improving safety, but they still have a long way to go.

Do Racehorses have Freedom from Fear and Distress?

A fearful animal doesn’t perform well, which means the trainer loses money, so in general, yes, they have freedom from this. Racetracks now have regulations on use of the crop and aids, and jockeys can lose their license and their reputation if they don’t follow these rules.

However, just like in any other discipline, there are individuals who abuse their animals and use cruel training tactics. These are getting smaller in size as efforts are made to protect these animals, and many trainers have been exposed and arrested.

Do Racehorses have the Freedom to Express Normal Behaviors?

Here’s the second round of fireworks. Racehorses live very structured lives, with their feed and routines carefully planned out to prep them for the next big race. As a result, many racehorses suffer from mental stereotypes. Long confinements in stalls lead to wood chewing, weaving, pacing, cribbing, and pawing, which can be detrimental to a horse’s limbs and teeth. Many OTTBs (Off The Track Thoroughbreds) are anxious and excitable, and require extensive retraining. Racehorses are essentially taught to go, stop, and turn in the saddle– enough to get them around the track.

Weaving is the most common side effect of long stall confinement. The horse sways from side to side, and it may or may not be bobbing its head. It wears down their knees and it can be contagious to other horses. On one foaling cam, an older broodmare started weaving at feeding time, and within a few weeks her filly had learned the habit as well. It was both sad and amusing to see them standing side by side, shifting back and forth.

However, with the advent of natural horse care, the freedom to express normal behaviors is gaining a stronger voice in the industry. Racehorses often have companion animals such as goats or ponies or have a mirror hanging in the stall so they think there is another horse. Barns are being designed to allow other horses to see their neighbors, and exercise, even through automatic hotwalkers, has increased so the horses are less anxious and excitable.

This is another freedom that I feel like is a challenge to keep in balance. There is a high rate of injury to racehorses out in the pasture (several of Zenyatta’s foals were put down for pasture injuries). Nobody wants to see horses getting put down because of injuries, while at the same time nobody wants to see a horse confined to a stall all day. The solution to this? There’s no easy answer. These horses travel so much that they are always the “new guy” the in the field, which increases the risk as the horses try to figure out hierarchy. Each owner has to balance the freedom to express normal behaviors with the freedom from pain and injury. That will look different for every farm, as there are no two situations that look exactly the same.

What does the Bible Say?

I tried to make this article as neutral as possible, since this topic can be very controversial. I think the main point we can draw from this is that there are trainers, owners, and breeders of all shapes and sizes in every aspect of the captive animal world, including horse racing.

Does this mean we shouldn’t own animals? No, I don’t think so. We can’t take extremes for everything, and the world isn’t black and white.

In the Bible, God gave Adam and Eve dominion over all the animals. He didn’t say “you can’t own animals”. Nowhere in the Bible do we find God saying that it’s wrong to keep animals in captivity. He does tell us to take care of the creatures. In Exodus 23:5: “If you see that your enemy’s donkey has fallen because its load is too heavy, do not leave it there. You must help your enemy get the donkey back on its feet.” Proverbs also has several verses about being kind to animals.

God gave us dominion over animals so we could take care of them; they also serve as reminders of the wonderful Creator we serve.

Conclusion

So, is the horse racing industry unconcerned about safety? Is it a sport that should be banned for the good of the horse?

Not necessarily. I think more research should be done regarding the mental wellbeing of the animal, and if owners didn’t breed just for speed performance, but strong bones, heart, and lungs, then that could certainly help with the injuries. As Temple Grandin said, “Breeding for one specific trait never ends well for the animal”.

Every job, industry, and career on the planet has bad apples; some more than others. But I don’t think horse racing should be banned because of a few televised bad apples. A lot of the horses love to run and compete. I think with a shift of focus and priorities towards the overall wellbeing of the animal, it could really brighten the future of the industry’s animal welfare.

(Like this article? Be sure to check out my article on mustangs!)