The Election Is a Horse Race: A Guide to How You Can Win It
As politicians spar and pundits debate, people keep referring to the 2020 race for president as a horse race. But what does this mean? Is it a competition in which a single horse is crowned winner after a series of races, just like a real-life equestrian event? Or is it a contest in which voters can optimize their choice by following specific horses in the lead, just as they might follow individual runners in a horse race?
A common practice is to use a specialized padded cradle, called a trough or bar, in which to rest a racing horse. This trough can be used as a resting place before, during and after races, and it helps prevent injuries to the horse by providing support in key places. These padded troughs are also referred to as jockeys’ stools, and they allow the rider to be positioned closer to the horse. This is important because it allows the rider to communicate with the horse better and control it.
The troughs are often covered with rubber to reduce friction and prevent the horses from slipping. They are also sometimes heated to help warm up the horses before a race, which can be beneficial for their health. After a post parade and a warm-up, the horses are loaded into a starting gate, which is comprised of small metal stalls that open at the sound of a buzzer. Injuries in the starting gate are very common, and they can include lower limb injuries as the horse is pushed into the walls or upper limb injuries when the horses are flipped and pinned.
During the race, a jockey uses a whip to control his or her horse and direct it through turns. The horse is forced to sprint-often in very tight quarters-at speeds that are far too fast for the animals, which can cause serious injuries such as hemorrhaging from the lungs and other catastrophic breakdowns. This is why it is so important for spectators to watch the race carefully and speak out against cruelty in horse racing.
It is no secret that horse racing is a brutal industry in which horses are subjected to extreme physical and psychological stress, drug abuse and gruesome breakdowns and slaughter. The best way to learn more about the problems facing horse racing is to visit PETA’s website, which exposes many of these issues, including abusive training practices, a culture of drug addiction among jockeys, overbreeding, and transporting injured horses to slaughterhouses around the world.
A short workout done a day or two before a race to improve the horse’s breathing and endurance. A race in which horses compete against each other for a fixed amount of money paid to the owners after the race.