Our Guarantees Our Quality Standards Our Fair Use Policy

What Makes UK Essays Different?

• We have a verifiable trading history as a UK registered company (details at the bottom of every page).
• Our Nottingham offices are open to the public where you can meet our team of over 40 full-time staff.
• UK Essays partner with Feefo.com to publish verified customer testimonials – both good and bad!

Ask an Expert FREE

Ask an Expert Index Ask a Question Paid Services

About Our Ask an Expert Service

Our totally free “Ask an Expert” Service allows users to get an answer of up to 300 words to any academic question.

• Questions typically answered within 24 hours.
• All answers are researched and written by fully qualified academics in the question’s subject area.
• Our service is completely confidential, only the answer is published – we never publish your personal details.
• Each professional answer comes with appropriate references.

About Us

More About Us

Published: 23, March 2015

Since the 1800s, horse racing has been a popular sport, due to the excitement found by participants in pitting their own horse against a friend or rival’s in a test of speed and stamina (Squires 33). It is a sport rich in history, and racing should continue to be a major part of the equine industry. However, the rates of fatalities and injuries for both horses and jockeys are extremely high (Squires 75). The sport of horse racing needs some serious safety improvements if it is to be continued. There are many factors that result in accidents; varying track surfaces, questionable care of horses, and harmful weight limits on jockeys are just a few (Squires 73). In 2006, the story of Barbaro, the undefeated Kentucky Derby winner who suffered a catastrophic injury in his right hind leg, raised awareness of the dangers of racing.

While Barbaro fought for his life, people complained about how unsafe racing was, yet no improvement suggestions were offered. On January 29, 2007, Barbaro was euthanized after an eight-month struggle with laminitis (Barbaro: Tribute to an Invincible Spirit). He suffered a similar demise as the great mare, Ruffian, who broke a leg in a match race in 1973 (Herbert 118). Improvements need to be made now, before another champion is lost. To prevent a collapse of the horse racing industry in the United States, it is necessary to address what is being forgotten: the balanced tactics of racing on fair, safe surfaces, careful breeding, vigorous training, and excellent care that have enabled American horses and trainers to dominate the international racing scene.

Professional

Get your grade
or your money back
using our Essay Writing Service!

Essay Writing Service

Track surfaces play a major role in the amount of risk placed on a horse each time it steps out onto a racetrack. The most common racing surface is a conventional dirt track, which typically features layers of sand and loam on top of a clay base (Hillenbrand 37). While it is the most traditional surface, with most major races being run on dirt, such as the Kentucky Derby and other Triple Crown races, it is also one of the most dangerous. Dirt tracks are greatly affected by all types of weather, including rain, excessive heat, and cold temperatures.

After a track takes on large amounts of rain, the racing surface is often labeled sloppy. The top layers of the track will become soupy, causing horses to take a harder impact, as the sand loses its cushion. The excess water on the track drains toward the infield, resulting in an elevated risk of injury for horses running near the rail, where the track may have become deep, causing strain on their legs. Lesser amounts of rain can actually be more dangerous, creating a heavy surface which is tiring and puts additional stress on an animal’s cardiovascular system. In regions where the climate is warm and the track is usually dry, the dirt may become tightly packed to increase speed. At Calder Race Course in Florida, two-year-old in training sales often take place because the tracks have been packed this way and the horses record more impressive times. Running on this track takes its toll, especially for such young horses. These horses are running on bones that are not fully developed on a track that feels like concrete (Squires 81). Another commonly used track is called turf course. A turf race is run on grass. This surface can be just as dangerous as dirt. The condition of turf courses vary by region, upkeep, and climate. A talented turf runner can be easily injured by the inconsistency of the tracks. For example, a horse that is used to running hard on a soft turf course can bruise his shins by running equally as hard on a much firmer course. Both dirt and turf courses are widely used, and have caused many accidents.

While injuries cannot be avoided completely, there is one type of surface that may reduce the frequency and severity of them. In recent years, scientists have worked to develop a synthetic racing surface called Polytrack. It has been widely used in Europe since the late 1990s (Squires 25). Several tracks in the United States, including Hollywood Park, Turfway Park and Keeneland Racetrack, have installed tracks such as Polytrack and other variations of synthetic surfaces including Pro-Ride, Tapeta, and Cushion Track. These new surfaces have reduced, but not eliminated, the rate of leg injuries on those tracks. Injuries to a racehorse’s legs are the most common and are the most likely to be career-ending and even life-threatening. Synthetic racetracks can be beneficial for several reasons. The carpet microfibers and rubber particles which compose the surface can prevent frozen track conditions even in extremely cold weather. They also do not hold water when it rains, allowing it to pass through the top layer and be filtered down and away from the track by a specially designed irrigation system. The original Polytrack material creates a cushioning effect on horses’ legs, something that is ideal for young horses whose joints are not fully developed. From a cardiovascular standpoint, synthetic tracks enable horses to be fitter coming into races, as they can work more without putting too much stress on their bodies (Post).

Comprehensive

Plagiarism-free
Always on Time
Marked to Standard

With advancements in technology, the breeding industry has become reliant on computer programs which analyze pedigrees and suggest a mating to a successful sire. One of these programs uses a breeding strategy called nicking in which the success of horses bred on a similar pattern creates a nick which people then try to copy. An example of a horse bred on a popular nick is Rags to Riches, a filly who won the 2007 Belmont Stakes. Her sire is A.P. Indy, and her broodmare sire is Deputy Minister. As a general sire, A.P. Indy produces twelve percent stakes horses, while Deputy Minister produces six percent stakes horses as a broodmare sire. When these two lines are crossed, it is considered a successful nick because the twenty-nine percent of horses bred on the A.P. Indy/Deputy Minister cross become stakes winners. Some other notable runners bred on this nick include Telling and Full Mandate. While nicks can lead to huge improvements in the quality of horses bred in the short run, it can also eventually become a problem. With so many horses being bred on similar patterns, inbreeding can become an issue. Many people try to inbreed their thoroughbreds to a certain extent in order to limit the gene pool and increase the odds of passing on favorable traits. This can backfire, however, as it also increases the likelihood of genetic flaws and weaknesses being inherited as well. Though it may produce less sensational result, horses that are bred on an outcross are more likely to improve the breed and create a sounder individual, both physically and mentally (HYPOTHETICAL: A.P. Indy–Better Than Honour).

The weaknesses that have been bred into modern thoroughbreds are a major reason that track surfaces have been changed to better protect the horses. Trainers acknowledge that injuries to horses are undoubtedly the main reason for the arrival of synthetic surfaces on the racing scene (Squires 12). Even the creation of these safer tracks cannot stop the constant flow of injuries. In 2007, Teuflesberg, a prominent Kentucky Derby contender nicknamed the iron-horse because of his durability and consistency, broke down over Keeneland Race Course’s synthetic Poltytrack surface during the running of the Phoenix Stakes. Teuflesberg, who was making his fifteenth start in the Kentucky Derby, was best known for his experience. After he was retired, he had made twenty-one starts during a career that lasted only a about a year. The average starts for a stakes horse since 1999 is only twelve, making Teuflesberg’s brief career exceptional. In contrast, Barbaro was lightly campaigned going into the Kentucky Derby, and paid the price far sooner than Teuflesberg. He made only five starts before the first Saturday in May, partly because he developed a deep hoof abscess in his right hind foot at the end of January and partly because of trainer Michael Matz’s conservative methods (Barbaro: Tribute to an Invincible Spirit).

The majority of catastrophic injuries on the racetrack happen to young horses that are raced between the ages of two and four. When a racehorse goes into training it is usually a yearling, and is in only the second year of its life. At that point, the horse does not yet have fully developed bone structures (Squires 107). When they begin racing at age two, the stress on their legs sometimes becomes too much. Physical immaturity is not the only risk of racing young horses. They are also mentally immature and ill-equipped to handle the stress of a racetrack environment. With inexperienced horses running together erratically, both the animals and the jockeys are at risk (Hillenbrand 113). The most obvious solution to these problems would be to wait and race them later in life, but many owners and trainers are against this. Races such as the Triple Crown are open to three-year-olds only. Trainers seek out only the most precocious horses for these races (Squires 91). To complicate matters further, owners try to coax as much early speed out of their race horses as possible. When a race horse is shod, the farrier leaves their toes long in order to increase speed. Sometimes they are shod in a way that widens the foot. This is done because many people believe that the width of the foot affects the shock absorption, when in fact, it is the density of the hoof and not the width that increases cushioning (Squires 67). Because of these practices, the best horses produced these days are fast sprinters with plenty of early speed and short careers.

This Essay is

This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers.

Examples of our work

Seventy years ago, one of the greatest horses of all time was alive in racing. It was Seabiscuit, who amassed a total of nearly one hundred career starts (McEvoy). The average number of starts for horses in the past few years is about five to ten. Horses that are raced conservatively for many years have a better chance at staying injury-free. The 1970s had Kelso, who set the standard for all racehorses by competing at the top level of the sport for five years. Each year, he endured a long, demanding campaign, stayed sound, and earned Horse of the Year in five consecutive seasons. No horse has ever matched that accomplishment (Kennedy 58). One horse who raced in recent years and showed the durability and ability of horses from years past is Zenyatta, the champion older female in 2008 and 2009 who completed her career in November 2010 after a second place finish at the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships in the Classic division against male horses. Zenyatta did not begin her career until the end of her three-year-old year. After winning her first race, the late-developing mare went on to claim Eclipse Awards, racing’s highest honor, three years in a row and amass a female earnings record of over seven million dollars. Over three seasons of racing, Zenyatta was lightly campaigned, running in only five or six races each year in her final two seasons. With the way modern horses hold up to training, this was ideal for the mare. Rather than seeing a talented horse and rushing to capitalize on her ability, Zenyatta’s trainer took his time, bringing the mare along slowly and getting her in prime condition before putting her under the stress of racing at an early age. Following her final start, Zenyatta had a race record of nineteen victories in twenty starts, her only defeat coming on racing’s biggest stage to likely 2010 Horse of the Year Blame (Baer). Another modern thoroughbred which has shown the ability to maintain top form over many seasons is Azeri, a mare who was crowned Horse of the Year in 2002. She was dominant in her division for several years, after beginning her career as a four-year-old (Clancy).

Horses are not the only ones at risk every time they step onto the track. These one-thousand pound animals are supported by fragile legs, and if they take a bad step, the miniscule, one-hundred pound jockeys on their backs do not have a chance. Before every race, a horse is assigned a specific weight to carry. The weights generally range between one hundred pounds to one hundred and thirty pounds. These weight restrictions can cause jockeys to make themselves extremely sick and put them at risk of injuring themselves in a race. Some riders are willing to harm themselves, their mounts, and other horses in order to win a race (Hillenbrand 44). They often resort to whipping their horse in order to win. While some horses need this encouragement to try their best, it can also lead to serious problems. When jockeys use a whip too many times on horses, it can physically hurt them or cause stress that can make them panic (Hillenbrand 92). A specially designed whip called the ProCush Whip is created to make a loud noise when used and eliminate pain. These whips are mandatory for steeplechasing, in which horses are required to jump fences in races, but are not often used in flat racing (Hersh).

A situation which demonstrated the use of new whip technology occurred in September 2009. At one of the most historic tracks in North America, Saratoga Race Course, an up and coming racing sensation was pitted against older horses in the Woodward Stakes. The horse was Rachel Alexandra, a medium-sized three-year-old filly, who was nearing the end of a demanding campaign which included two Classic race victories over males of her age group. The field in the Woodward included six battle-tested older males, all of which were more mature than the young filly, both physically and mentally. From the start of the race, the filly was in trouble. Sent to the lead by her jockey immediately, Rachel rolled around the racetrack with the 2008 Belmont Stakes, Da’ Tara, winner glued to her flank. She ticked off unbelievable fractions for the notoriously tiring Saratoga surface, and turned for home in front, having put away Da’ Tara. In the last quarter-mile of the race, jockey Calvin Borel took the whip to his mount more than twenty times. Rachel gave every ounce of her being, turning back one challenge after another in testing fractions and hit the wire a head in front (Crist). The uproar from fans and critics was immediate. People insisted that the horse had been abused with the whip. The defense then cropped up that Borel had employed the use of a specially designed whip which created a more cushioned blow. Debates were waged on the matter until a year later, after Rachel Alexandra closed out a lackluster campaign in 2010. She was only able to capture two of her five starts at age four, and this fact can be contributed to the stretch run of the 2009 Woodward Stakes. Whether or not Rachel felt the sting of the whip became irrelevant. She left a part of herself on the track that day, and it was in response to the pleading from her jockey to run harder. In a case such as this, it would be beneficial to look at a country such as Canada, where the number of times a rider whips the horse is closely monitored, and aggressive riding is heavily penalized (Hersh).

While the pain is completely eliminated when using a ProCush whip, the chance of making a horse panic is not, and a panicking horse in the middle of a race can be deadly. In 2005, a horse called Scrappy T bolted sharply on the final turn of the Preakness Stakes, crossing the paths of several other horses, and bringing eventual winner Afleet Alex to his knees. Scrappy T was responding to a badly timed left-handed whipping, which caused him to move quickly to the right to escape the pressure. It was only through the winner’s athleticism that disaster was averted. Despite the danger when a whip is used carelessly by a rider, they can also correct unsafe situations. Often, young, inexperienced horses have a tendency to duck in or out during the stretch run of a race. This can often be avoided when a rider uses the whip; a strong left-handed urging can keep a horse from bumping a rival to the inside and causing them to hit the rail and get hurt. As whips obviously are beneficial in these types of situations, their use should not be eliminated, but the way they are used should certainly be closely monitored (Brunker).

With the risks and injuries associated with horse racing, it is amazing that there are still so many thoroughbreds in training to race. Every time a horse is led to the starting gates, there are incredible dangers awaiting them. A less than ideal surface, flawed breeding practices, demanding training programs, and improper use of whips are only a few of the many potential problems that can end a horse’s career or life. Millions of people devote their live to getting these powerful animals to the track, only to chance watching them fail or break down. If safety is not improved, the Sport of Kings may be too dangerous to continue. Racing needs more sound, fit animals to be run under more careful conditions on safer racetracks in order to keep the sport alive. Without these improvements, the United States could lose its status as a leading producer of quality thoroughbreds for both racing and breeding.

Request Removal

If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have the essay published on the UK Essays website then please click on the link below to request removal:

More from UK Essays