Horse races are competitions held between horses ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies with drivers. They have long-held traditions and draw audiences from around the globe; such events also celebrate both human and equine cultures and heritages.

Behind this idyllic facade lies a world of injuries, drug abuse, gruesome breakdowns and slaughter. Racing Thoroughbreds are forced into racing against their will at breakneck speeds where they suffer horrific injuries that often lead to lung hemorrhaging and are subjected to painful and humiliating treatments that would be illegal if done to dogs in public parks; often being whipping with tools which cause them to feel as if they are suffocating–causing fearful horses to become aggressive or even violent when provoked into racing careers.

Flogging aside, horses are doped with various drugs that alter their health and behavior, with over half of all racehorses having had some history with doping. Once their racing careers end, unwanted horses often end up being slaughtered for meat as quickly as they became athletes; thousands are slaughtered annually just from athlete to meat in one swift move.

Even with all this evidence of horse suffering, American spectators have long been socialized to view horse races as entertaining entertainment, with media reinforcing this perception of them as glamorous events.

Horse races refer to political campaigns and elections where the emphasis is more on who’s winning or losing than on policy issues or candidate qualifications; this phenomenon is known as horse-race coverage and it can have devastating repercussions for voters and press alike.

Research suggests that when journalists focus on who’s leading or trailing in polls and predictions, they engage in horse race reporting – something which endangers voters, politicians, and the news industry alike.

This election has been more of a horse race than an honest discourse on our nation’s most pressing problems. Amidst all the mudslinging, name calling, and attack ads, real issues at stake often get lost in the mix – yet for our country to advance successfully we need an open discussion on future challenges; furthermore if democracy is to flourish it must go beyond simply covering horse-race coverage in media outlets.