A horse race is a competition in which horses are ridden by jockeys (riders) and compete for prize money. The sport has a long history and was practiced in ancient civilizations including Greece, Rome, Babylon, Syria, and Arabia. The sport is renowned for its elegance and spectacle, and has many traditions steeped in time-honored customs that draw spectators and wagering enthusiasts around the world. It is a sport that has an enormous global following and continues to attract attention for its beautiful horses, intricate breeches, and ceremonial pageantry.
The rules of horse racing vary widely from country to country, though the majority have in common a system wherein winning horses are determined by determining who crosses the finish line first. This determination is often made by observing the horses from various vantage points and analyzing photographs of the finish; it may also be based on the number of laps completed or the total distance of the race, depending on the rules of each individual event. In cases where it is impossible to determine a winner, the results are usually declared a dead heat.
Horse races are typically run on a flat track. They can be short sprints or longer, grueling races that test a horse’s endurance. The fastest acceleration is generally required to win sprint races, while stamina is the primary requirement for longer distances.
Despite the glamorized image of horse racing, this is an industry riddled with animal cruelty and exploitation. The horses are pushed to sprint — often under the threat of whips and illegal electric shock devices — at speeds that can cause injuries and breakdowns, and lead to heart failure or pulmonary hemorrhage. Injuries and breakdowns are incredibly common among Thoroughbreds, who spend much of their lives in confined spaces and are frequently subjected to abusive training methods.
Some horse races are handicapped, meaning that bettors place their bets on the chance that a particular horse will win the race. This is often done in an attempt to even the playing field for competitors. The most famous handicapped race is the Palio di Siena, which takes place twice a year on July 2 and August 16 in the city of Siena, Italy. The horses and riders are chosen to represent one of the seventeen contrade, or city wards, and the resulting magnificent pageant attracts visitors from all over the world.
In some cases, a horse is sold to a new owner immediately after the end of its race. This process is known as claiming, and it gives previous owners little control over the fate of their animals. Some of these horses are re-claimed several times during their racing careers. This is particularly common in races that are close in the weeks leading up to elections. A study conducted by media scholars found that news stories framed elections as a competitive game, and that newspaper ownership was associated with the likelihood of such coverage. These findings are comparable to those of other studies in political science and communication, and suggest that news outlets should avoid such biased framing.