A horse race is a competition of speed between horses that are either ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies and drivers. A horse race can be a flat race (one that has no hills) or an uphill race.
Whether they’re in a field of 100 or four, horse races require an extraordinary amount of precision and skill from the riders and their mounts. The more exacting the course, the closer the contest. A ‘hand ride’ refers to a jockey urging the horse by scrubbing his hand up and down its neck, rather than whipping it as in other forms of riding.
The sport of horse racing has a long and distinguished history, dating back to its origins in ancient civilisations around the world. Its popularity as a spectacle has grown throughout the centuries, and it has been a part of popular culture and art in many countries. Despite its famed elegance, however, horse racing can be an extremely dangerous sport. Horses can be severely injured and even killed when a mistake or miscalculation is made. It is also a very expensive activity, and the financial risk of betting can be enormous.
As a result, many people avoid placing bets on horse races. Some people even feel that the sport is inhumane, with many of the equine athletes subject to cruelty and abuse. One study estimates that 3 thoroughbreds die every day in North America because of catastrophic injuries sustained during a race. Others are bred too early and pushed beyond their limits, suffering from the grueling demands of racing on hard tracks at high speeds. They often bleed from the lungs in a condition known as exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, and they are routinely given cocktails of legal and illegal drugs to mask their pain and enhance their performance.
In addition to its widespread popularity as a spectator sport, horse racing has become a major industry in which a number of bettors make money. Betting on horse races is done through a parimutuel system, in which winning bettors receive all the money that has been wagered on their selections, minus a percentage taken by the track.
In recent years, scholars have begun to investigate the impact of a particular type of horse-race journalism, a practice in which journalists focus mainly on polling data that suggests who is leading instead of policy issues. This updated collection of research demonstrates that voters, candidates and the news industry itself suffer when this style of reporting is employed. It also reveals how third-party candidates and the use of probabilistic forecasting can be used to correct this problem.