A few years ago my family and I went to Del Mar Thoroughbred Racing Club outside San Diego to watch the races with my cousins. While hanging are arms over the rail, screaming for the horses to "Go, Go, Go!" my cousins asked me how I can watch this. I told them that the racetrack isn't what most people assume it to be...
By being any equestrian in the sport, beside a jockey, it is assumed that I am against "the racetrack". Most horse people not part of the racing profession find the racetrack as a cruel, abusive, and derogatory way to propagate the inborn talent of the equine. I may not be entirely for the racing of horses however I do enjoy some aspects of "going to the track". Here is a brief summary of some of the straight facts about the good and the bad of the racing industry.
Horses, especially thoroughbreds, have an inborn competitive nature. When two horses are put eye to eye (similar to Seabiscuit) their natural way of being is to race. In addition, the whips, more commonly known as crops in the horse world, are far from physical abuse to horses. So, when the horses are on the turf and the race begins, most of the performance is coming from the horse's heart and the horse's desire to be lead horse.
On the other hand, because of the racetrack horses are sometimes ridden before their growth bone is completely mature resulting in horrendous and usually, untreatable injuries. Once horses complete their racing career at the age of four they are usually turned into jumpers or show horses, however, ex-racehorses tend to be handfuls in the arena and also are accompanied with minor but many joint and ligament problems.
***Note***Beside the physical ailments, the horse racing industry does consist of many illegal performance enhancing drugs and training methods that can erratically destroy a horse both physically and mentally.
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