Horse races are an athletic competition in which multiple horses run through an established course while jumping hurdles (if present). The top three finishers receive prize money. There are various kinds of races, ranging from an overnight race to mile-and-a-half stakes races; weight requirements depend on age, distance, gender and time of year.

Before any race, horses go through an intensive warm-up routine of jogging and galloping to prepare their muscles and lungs for racing. On race day, horses may receive injections with Lasix –a diuretic used to prevent pulmonary bleeding–that will make them thirsty while producing 20-30 pounds’ worth of urine at once! Yet this drug is considered performance enhancing by every thoroughbred racing stable worldwide for decades.

Starting from a starting gate, horses will run through an obstacle-laden course made up of dirt, grass or synthetic surfaces – such as dirt. There may be one or several turns depending on the race; in a dirt race they run on an undulated surface which provides ample gripping surface. A bad trip means being boxed-in by other runners or having poor track conditions which makes for difficult journeys; on the contrary a smooth and effortless race would constitute a good trip.

Modern technology has transformed horse racing, adding many advancements. Thermal imaging cameras can detect overheating; MRI scanners and X-rays detect minor or major injuries or illnesses; 3D printing technology creates casts, splints and prosthetics for injured horses; but perhaps most significantly is its introduction of drugs designed to boost health and performance of horses.

Painkillers and anti-inflammatories marketed to humans filtered over into horse racing, where officials frequently had insufficient testing capacity to catch trainers using them. Penalties for breaking rules were often weak; trainers could easily move jurisdictions if caught breaking them.

Racehorses cannot negotiate contracts or walk away from bad situations like human athletes can, so research on horse race industry treatment of its animals is of utmost importance. When we gain more information, the more effectively we can protect them and create an environment more similar to their natural one which provides peace and stability rather than running for human gain. Our updated collection of research on horse racing provides an in-depth examination of this complex issue.