A horse race is a competition between horses that are either ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies. The contest is usually held on a racetrack and involves betting on which horses will cross the finish line first. The term horse race also refers to a political race between competing candidates or parties. The horse race has been an important part of human culture since the early days of civilization and continues to play an integral role in modern society.

Like other industries, sectors and sports, horse racing has experienced significant technological advances in recent years. Some of these innovations have impacted the sport’s safety standards and overall health and welfare for both horses and jockeys. Thermal imaging cameras, MRI scanners, and 3D printing can detect a variety of minor or major health issues before they exacerbate.

Injuries are common in horse racing and can range from minor to catastrophic. Some horses may even die from their injuries. Injuries may be caused by a variety of reasons, such as a collision with another racehorse or with the starting gate. Other reasons include training and racing conditions, poor diet, and medication.

Most horses are pushed far beyond their physical limits, often for decades. They are given cocktails of legal and illegal drugs designed to mask injury and enhance performance. Horses that are forced to run too hard often bleed from their lungs in a condition known as exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. They are also given powerful painkillers that can be used to conceal the injury so trainers can retrain the horse for future races.

Those who work in the horse racing industry are a diverse bunch. There are the crooks who dangerously drug and otherwise abuse their horses, the dupes who labor under the illusion that the industry is broadly fair and honest, and the masses in the middle, honorable souls who know the truth about the industry’s shady underbelly but don’t do enough to fix it.

The most prestigious races are called “conditions” races and offer the largest purses. In a conditions race, each horse is assigned a certain amount of weight to carry for the sake of fairness. Weight is based on the horse’s age, sex, and training level. Those who are older or have had more extensive training are assigned heavier weights.

When a horse is injured during a race, it is likely to lose a lot of money. Injuries are not only costly for the racehorses but also for their owners. Jockeys, who must ride the horses at speed, are often injured in falls. A 2013 analysis of five years of data from California’s horse races reported 184 jockey injuries from 360 recorded falls. Almost half of these occurred during races and most were the result of a catastrophic fall or the death of the horse. The majority of the injuries were to the neck, back, and legs.