Horse races are an entertaining form of competition involving horses running against each other in an arena or racetrack environment. The first horse to cross the finish line first is considered to have won, as long as it followed an established course and hurdle (if present). Prize money for first, second, and third place finishers typically differs accordingly. Unfortunately, racing has gained a bad rap due to doping practices associated with human sports drugs being widely available for horseracing too – with no equivalent developments from veterinary industry for doping control; additionally exaggerations of results in order to increase crowd attendance and generate additional revenues.
Early horse races were simple contests between two horses for speed and endurance. By the 19th century, however, horse racing had evolved into an expansive public-entertainment business and rules were put in place regarding eligibility such as age, sex, birthplace and previous performance; additionally there were rules created regarding training of horses and qualification of jockeys.
Horse racing, despite its glamorous image, can be an extremely cruel sport for horses. Under threat from whips or illegal electric shock devices, horses must sprint at speeds often leading to serious injuries such as pulmonary hemorrhage. Many are then subjected to legal or illegal drugs designed to hide these injuries and artificially enhance performance.
Horses are trained to run at their fastest in the home stretch to create separation from other horses in their field and increase chances of victory. Trainers use “pacing” techniques that vary the horse’s speed throughout a race – this determines its viability as an entry.
Before entering a race, a trainer will walk their horse around a walking ring for training purposes and bettors will observe its coat to check its brightness and moisture content; if it appears bright with sweat rippling down its backside then that indicates readiness to run. A horse that balks at starting gates could be scared or upset.
Beyond pacing, horse racing’s primary strategy involves knowing when and whether to race. Each horse runs at different speeds so it’s crucial that race organizers understand which races best suit individual horses.
If two or more horses cross the finish line at close quarters and it becomes impossible to determine who crossed first, photo finishes may be declared and studied by race stewards to decide who finished in first place.