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A horse race is a thrilling and engaging experience that has stood the test of time. While the sport may have lost some of its luster in recent years, it has also benefited from advances in technology. For example, thermal imaging cameras can detect if horses are overheating after the race and MRI scanners can help diagnose minor injuries. Other technological innovations include 3D printing, which can produce casts and splints for injured horses. While these technologies have increased the safety of the sport, they have not solved all problems. Many new would-be fans are turned off by the constant controversies surrounding horse racing and doping scandals.
The affluent, privileged, and often shady world of horse racing is notorious for its crookedness. While it is impossible to completely eradicate all forms of corruption, a few changes in the way the industry operates could greatly improve its reputation. First, the sport must stop turning a blind eye to trainers who dangerously drug their horses and then dare them to catch up. This sham practice has become more common than it should be, and it is one of the biggest causes of poor equine welfare.
Another problem is the fact that state governments essentially made a deal with horse racing: in exchange for taxing betting on the sport, they allowed racing to develop as a legitimate business. This symbiotic relationship between private money and public revenue has been the foundation of the modern horse racing industry.
In order to make a profit, race tracks must attract bettors and keep them coming back. This can be done by offering a variety of wagering options, including exotic wagers. Unlike the traditional parimutuel system, these wagers allow winning bettors to collect all the money that they have wagered on a given race, after a small deduction by the track.
Many horses are born too small or have other physical handicaps that limit their ability to run at top speed. To compensate for this, trainers give them a number of medications, most commonly the pain reliever Lasix. Often, horses must run several races before they can be withdrawn from the sport. When they do retire, they are typically euthanized or sent to the slaughterhouse.
The last thing that the industry needs is for more people to turn away from it. Many of the horse racing aficionados who are critical of PETA and the Times seem to ignore the fact that the issues with equine welfare are systemic and baked into the sport’s business model. While it is true that most trainers, assistant trainers, jockeys, drivers, and caretakers love their horses, they cannot overcome the fact that the system is rigged against them. Random drug testing is in place, but it is hardly enough to protect the horses from a life of over-training and abuse that ends in injury, illness, or a trip to the auction house, where they are sold for meat processing. Unless the industry addresses these issues, it will continue to hemorrhage new would-be fans and lose its longstanding appeal as a fun, exciting, and honorable sport.
