A horse race is a sport in which horses compete to win a wager placed on their behalf by individuals or groups. The sport can be traced back to chariot races at the Greek Olympic Games in 700 to 40 B.C., and it later became popular in the Middle East and India. Today horse racing is a huge industry that is regulated by governments in most nations. It is also a major source of gambling revenue.
The sport is governed differently in each nation, but the Jockey Club is generally responsible for long-term policy in England, while state racing commissions oversee horse racing in the United States. The sport is a multi-billion dollar enterprise and the purses (the monetary awards given to winners) are huge.
A race is run over a track made of dirt, turf or grass that is typically oval in shape. The surface can be fast, slow or muddy, depending on the weather and other environmental factors. Horses are trained on the track for conditioning and work out for the purposes of fitness, endurance and race preparation. The trainers also teach the horses to obey commands such as “walk on”, “dive” and “grab” the bit.
Most horse races are handicapped and involve a minimum of 12 horses. The odds of each horse are determined by its pedigree, which includes the sire and dam. To qualify for a particular race, a horse must have a sire and dam who are purebreds of the same breed as the event. For example, to run a harness race, the horse must have a sire and dam that are purebred Standardbreds.
While a number of horse races are open to all entrants, others are restricted by age, sex, birthplace or other factors. These restrictions, known as eligibilities, have evolved over time to accommodate demand for more public races. For instance, the King’s Plates were originally standardized events for six-year-olds carrying 168 pounds in 4-mile heats until 1751, when five-year-olds and four-year-olds were allowed to participate in a similar race with weights based on their age and previous performances.
In addition to establishing the eligibilities of each horse in a race, the stewards are responsible for examining and checking the horses at the end of a race to ensure they are carrying the correct weight and have not committed any rules infractions. Saliva and urine samples are also taken to detect the presence of prohibited substances in the winning horses. If a horse is found to have used illegal drugs, it is disqualified. Thousands of horses are subjected to this procedure annually and, as the tragic Eight Belles incident illustrated in 2008, some do not make it through. This is largely due to a lack of equine industry regulation, record keeping and transparency. To truly act in the best interest of the horse, a profound ideological reckoning must take place at the macro business and industry level as well as within the minds of horsemen and women.