A horse race is an exciting and grueling sport, but the sport can also be dangerous for horses and humans. Injuries and death are common in horse racing, as well as a host of other health issues. When journalists cover elections primarily by focusing on who’s in the lead or behind instead of policy issues — a practice known as horse race reporting — voters, candidates and the news industry suffer, research suggests.
The most common injury is a quarter crack, an injury to the hoof on the front feet of a horse. This can be caused by a sharp object, excessive exercise or improper shoeing. Other injuries can include a bruise, lameness or a spiral fracture (fracture that goes around bone). Some horses can be prone to heart attacks as well.
Another common injury is a splinter, which occurs when a horse tries to break a fall and gets caught in the stirrups. The injury can result in blood loss and the horse may die as a result. Occasionally, horses can be killed by other means, such as when they run into a concrete barrier or through a wire fence at speed.
Jockeys are also at risk of falling off or being injured by other horses, and if they are not careful, they can be bitten, kicked or headbutted by another horse. Some jockeys use the whip as a tool to urge their mount on, while others prefer to train horses using only the hand ride. The hand ride involves the jockey stroking his or her hands up and down the neck of the horse in order to give it a little extra encouragement without resorting to the whip.
Track conditions can also significantly impact the outcome of a race, as some tracks are more difficult to run on than others. If a track has recently rained, it may be muddy, which can slow down the horses. Dry tracks are considered optimal racing conditions.
A horse’s training regimen can also have a significant impact on its chances in a race. Trainers often use legal corticosteroid injections to help their horses withstand the physical stress of racing. Unfortunately, these drugs can mask pain and allow at-risk thoroughbreds to continue running until they collapse or die.
In addition, trainers also have to consider the ages and genders of the horses they run against. For example, male horses cannot run in races restricted to fillies and mares.
Finally, it is important for racegoers to be familiar with the rules and regulations of a particular track before they attend a horse race. For instance, most tracks have a condition book that includes all the races that are scheduled for a given period of time, such as a few weeks or a month. This schedule is used to develop training regimens for the horses that will compete in those races. Some tracks will also include substitute races in the condition book, which are races that can be used in the event that there are not enough horses to fill a certain race.