Do Race Horses Get Treated Well

There is much concern recently over the welfare of professional race horses. It has always been true that some organizations want to prohibit horse racing because they think thoroughbreds are treated poorly. Do race horses get treated well? We’re going to try and answer that question.

Animal Welfare and Horse Racing

There are many organizations such as PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, that keep a close eye on horse racing. In their opinion the sport is a barbaric form of entertainment that should probably be banned. They think the horses are forced to compete against their will and are abused by their handlers.

Incidents like the one that happened at the 2019 Santa Anita race meet do not help matters much. The 2018–2019 winter/spring meet brought a cluster of fatal injuries during racing and training. The California Horse Racing Board investigation provides case reports and exercise histories, rather than a simple explanation based on one statistic. It was a sad thing for horse racing, and it prompted the US government to take a closer look at racing to determine which measures should be taken to improve the safety of animals.

Comparisons with Del Mar need the same reporting period and definitions. A meet with no racing fatalities would not establish that no training deaths occurred, or prove that another track’s losses were an isolated exception. Rates per start, training exposure, surface and case histories give a more useful comparison than raw totals alone. Nevertheless, measures have been taken to evaluate racing surfaces as well as the use of race day medications which may contribute to injuries.

The Truth About How Race Horses are Treated

EZ Horse Betting thought that it would be useful to explain how the average race horse is treated in America. We can only provide details from our limited experience with US horse racing. There are members of our staff who have worked in the industry as grooms, jockey agents, and in other positions that allow them to observe first hand how race horses are cared for.

Race horses may be stabled at a racetrack, private farm or training center. A 12-foot-square stall is a familiar example, but dimensions and facilities vary; it is not a universal minimum established here. Large barns may contain dozens of stalls, and trainers may operate across several locations. Space, ventilation, bedding, movement and daily observation all matter when evaluating the actual environment.

Trainers entrust the primary care of a race horse to a groom. The groom provides much of the daily hands-on care, working alongside the trainer, veterinarian, farrier and other staff. The groom feeds the horse, brushes it, tends its feet, and applies bandages when necessary. The groom may also give the horse medications when they are needed, under the direction and supervision of the horse’s trainer or veterinarian.

Some grooms live in backstretch accommodation close to the horses; arrangements differ by track and employer. This allows the groom to be close at hand when any issue occurs that needs to be taken care of immediately. Grooms can be called upon to wake up in the wee hours of the morning, or they can have to stay up all night tending a sick horse.

How Race Horses are Fed

Feeding should reflect the individual horse’s workload, body condition and health, with the trainer and qualified veterinary or nutrition advice guiding decisions. Forage and access to water are fundamental; concentrate feed and supplements are not interchangeable with a balanced ration. More supplementation does not automatically mean better care or performance.

Sometimes the first feeding will occur in the morning hours before dawn and before training. The horse will be given time to eat and begin digesting its meal before it is sent to the track to train. In most cases, however, the horse is permitted to have hay or some minor food before it is sent to train. The main feeding of the morning will happen after the horses has returned from training.

In the evening hours a second feeding will occur. This can often be the largest feeding of the day. Most horses are also provided with additional nutrition in the night with hay. This can be a regular type of hay or something like alfalfa.

What About Medical Care Required by Horses?

Horses can require medical care from time to time. They may need to have examinations done to assess an injury to their legs, or they may experience intestinal problems. Some health issues can be handled easily while others require more serious care. Some issues can threaten the life of the horse.

Colic means abdominal pain, not one particular intestinal disorder. Causes include gas, impaction and conditions that obstruct or compromise the intestine; a twist is only one possibility. Severity varies, and an owner cannot determine the cause from a brief description. Suspected colic requires prompt veterinary contact. The Merck Veterinary Manual’s colic overview explains why examination and diagnosis matter.

Laminitis damages the sensitive structures that connect and support the hoof and the bone within it. Severe cases can allow displacement of the coffin bone and become life-threatening, but outcomes differ by cause and severity. It is an urgent veterinary problem, not a condition to diagnose or treat from an online article. See the Merck Veterinary Manual’s explanation of laminitis. Barbaro’s widely reported complications brought particular attention to this disease.

Race horses need access to appropriate veterinary care, but the quality, speed and resources available should be assessed in each case. Trainers work with attending veterinarians, while regulatory veterinarians have separate oversight responsibilities. The owners of each horse are required to pay for any medical treatments that are necessary. Sometimes the cost of a medical treatment can run into the thousands of dollars.

The Industry’s Ongoing Commitment to Horse Welfare

Horse welfare in professional racing has become one of the sport’s most actively debated and actively reformed areas in recent years. The deaths of multiple horses at Santa Anita Park in 2018 and 2019 prompted an unprecedented public and regulatory response that accelerated welfare reforms across American racing. Track surfaces were upgraded, medication protocols were tightened, veterinary oversight was increased, and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act established a uniform national framework for safety and anti-doping standards for covered U.S. Thoroughbred racing. Its scope should not be extended to every breed, venue or jurisdiction, and state responsibilities also remain.

International racing bodies have pursued similar reforms with varying degrees of urgency and comprehensiveness. The British Horseracing Authority, the Racing Victoria authority in Australia, and the Japan Racing Association have all implemented welfare frameworks that go beyond simple injury prevention to address the full lifecycle of thoroughbreds — including retirement, retraining, and rehoming programmes for horses that leave the sport. These initiatives describe an institutional commitment that the long-term social licence to operate depends on demonstrating that the horses at the centre of the sport are genuinely well cared for, not just during their racing careers but throughout their lives. For more on what happens to horses after racing, our article on what happens to race horses when they stop racing covers the post-career landscape in detail.

Why Bettors Should Care About Race Horse Treatment

Many handlers devote substantial skill and effort to their horses. That observation does not establish how well every horse is treated, and serious failures require scrutiny rather than reassurance. As a horse racing bettor you should always care about the care and treatment of race horses.

If race horses are not cared for in a proper way then it is possible measures could be taken to end the sport of horse racing as we know it. That means that you would no longer be able to make bets on racing at your favorite online racebook.

If you would like to bet horses online we suggest that you check out the online racebooks we recommend. You can receive a nice bonus just for signing up and making your first deposit. You’ll also get access to free handicapping tools to help you win.  Check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. All great choice if you are in the US. online racebook comparison for folks anywhere!

A practical welfare checklist

A clean barn or a compelling promotional video cannot answer every question. Compare the written policy with documented practice, and distinguish a single visit from an independent welfare assessment. The same approach helps readers take both favorable accounts and troubling incidents seriously without turning either into an unsupported verdict about every stable.