Horse race is a sport in which horses compete against each other by running at high speeds. This race requires a lot of physical exertion, and the horses can suffer from many injuries. Some of these injuries are life threatening. The most common injuries are lameness and fractures. Other injuries include pulmonary hemorrhage and internal bleeding.

Horse racing has taken some commendable steps to improve the lives of its horses in recent years. However, the sport still kills a large number of animals every year. Racing needs to make a fundamental ideological reckoning with its treatment of animals and change its business model to better protect them. This will likely require a complete restructuring of the industry from top to bottom that prioritizes horses at all levels. It should also establish a comprehensive system of care for racehorses that includes everything from breeding to aftercare and caps on the number of times a horse can be run and the age at which it retires.

The first races were match races between two or at most three horses, with owners providing the purse and taking bets. These were regulated by agreements recorded by disinterested third parties, known as keeper of the match books. John Cheny began recording such matches at Newmarket in England in 1729, establishing An Historical List of All Matches Run (1729). Similar consolidated match-book records were maintained elsewhere.

These early races were standardized, with six-year-olds carrying 168 pounds at four-mile heats and a winner being declared after winning two of the four heats. By the mid-18th century, the demand for more public racing had resulted in open races. Eligibility rules were established based on age, sex, and birthplace, as well as the qualifications of riders. This was the beginning of a process that ultimately repudiated the classic idea that the best horse should win, and led to the development of handicaps.

Today, horse racing is a global industry with hundreds of tracks and millions of horses. In the United States, horse racing is one of the most popular spectator sports. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, and attracts millions of spectators. In addition, it is an important source of employment for many people in the horse industry.

Despite its popularity, horse racing is struggling to sustain its popularity in the modern world. There are fewer and fewer people attending tracks, while television coverage of the sport has declined. Moreover, the industry is losing ground to major professional and college team sports. In 2000, only 1 to 2 percent of Americans listed horse racing as their favorite sport.

The most significant issue facing horse racing is the fact that it creates and profits off of these magnificent animals and then sends them into a future full of drugs, injury, slaughter, and loss of life. If it wishes to retain its popularity, it must face this reality and take action. This must be done by recognizing that it is a for-profit business that can profit from the horses in its own industry, but that these horses have rights of their own once they leave tracks and are sold into unknown situations.