The thrill of watching a horse race is what attracts many spectators to the tracks. But behind this romanticized facade is a world of injuries, drug abuse, gruesome breakdowns and slaughter. These sensitive animals pay a high price for this multimillion-dollar industry, whether they die in terrifying accidents on the track or in training, are euthanized after sustaining crippling injuries, or fail to win races and are shipped to an abattoir.
In the wild, horses love to run—and they are happiest when they can move in groups, keeping each other safe and running away from danger rather than towards it. But winning a race is a human construct, and to achieve it, a horse must be forced into a state of heightened anxiety and exhaustion. Moreover, because their natural instincts are inhibited by the unnatural training they undergo, these intelligent creatures often develop psychological and behavioral problems, including compulsive behaviors like biting, cribbing, pacing and kicking.
These days, horses are routinely trained at an early age to endure the demands of modern racing. The sport places too many stresses on young equine bodies and is particularly damaging to developing limbs. The use of performance-enhancing drugs, which was once a minor element in the sport but has now become ubiquitous, compounds these injuries and adds to the stress and pain that horses already suffer from being forced to compete before their bodies are fully matured.
The Palio di Siena, the most renowned horse race in Italy since the 13th century, is not just a race—it’s an event that reflects the pride and identity of the city of Siena’s seventeen Contrade (city wards). Every year, citizens and visitors crowd into the streets of Tuscany to watch the spectacle.
Media scholars have studied horse-race journalism for decades to better understand how it shapes elections, with the most coverage given to those who are ahead in polls and to those who are gaining ground. This is similar to the way that political campaigns frame their opponents as villains, despite the fact that voters’ interests are best served by candidates who seek to find common ground on policy issues and build relationships with voters. Sadly, this strategy also applies to the political world of horse racing.