How Can a Horse Race Save Itself?
A horse race is a competitive event between a number of horses. The winners are awarded a set amount of prize money depending on the particular race. This sport has a long history and it is very popular worldwide. Horse racing is a thrilling and exciting experience for fans and it can also be very lucrative for those that place bets on the races. There are a number of different rules and regulations that must be followed to ensure the safety of horses and the integrity of the sport.
The first thing that must be done in order to help the sport is to address the issue of the welfare of the horses that are used in it. These horses are forced to run at incredibly fast speeds and they are often subjected to whips, pain inducing drugs, and other abusive practices. This leads to a lot of injuries, gruesome breakdowns, and even death. The industry needs to take a hard look at itself and make some changes in order to protect these animals that are used for their profit.
This may be the only way that racing can save itself. If the horse racing industry doesn’t start to do its part in protecting these animals and making it safe for them to live a good life, this will be a sport that dies out for good. This is what happened with other for-profit industries that have not seen the light. The best way to save horse racing is to change the culture and start to see these animals as something that deserves a good life.
Another way that the race can save itself is to start to invest in an industry-sponsored wraparound aftercare solution for all horses that leave the track. This should include financial support, medical care and housing options. Until this happens the sport will continue to hemorrhage ex-racehorses into slaughter pipelines in Mexico and Canada where they are subjected to unimaginable horrors. This is what has happened to Eight Belles, Medina Spirit, Keepthename, Creative Plan and thousands of other once-adored, once-beloved horses who are now in the graveyard of this for-profit business that treats them like a commodity.
This election cycle has felt less like a horse race than many other elections have. With all of the mudslinging, name calling and attack ads it is easy for the real issues at stake to get lost. When journalists focus on who is winning or losing instead of reporting on the actual policy issues it can cause voters, candidates and the news industry itself to suffer. When this happens it is known as horse race coverage. This collection of research demonstrates that horse race coverage negatively impacts the quality of political journalism.