Do Horses Enjoy Horse Racing?

I took my son out to the races for the first time the other day.

He’s always been excited about going, as he’s always loved horses, just like me.

I thought it would be a great way for us to bond together.

Pretty soon, after he had watched a couple of races, I could see he was ruminating on something.

I asked him what was up, and he said do horses enjoy the races?

It’s a question I’ve often thought about myself, so I gave him the best answer I could.

Then, I decided to do some more research.

So, do horses enjoy horse racing?

Horseraces are individuals, and all of them are different, but the fact is that running at very high speeds and jumping comes naturally to horses. Most horse riders and those involved would say you only need to see how excited the horses get before a race to know they like it.

So, horses do on the whole seem to enjoy horse racing.

Of course, we can’t simply ask them how they feel about the races, so many would argue that the question is actually subjective.

Let’s take a few different angles on the question for the most comprehensive answer.

Do horses actually like racing?

In plenty of cases, it’s quite clear to see that horses enjoy the racing they do.

Again, the important thing to remember is that running at high speeds comes very naturally to horses.

It’s just what they would do in the wild, though admittedly at their own whims rather than ours.

Nonetheless, though, racehorses are well trained, and like any work animal, most of them are eager to please—we wouldn’t have been able to train them, otherwise!

So, just like many working dogs love their jobs and get very excited about pulling a sled or herding sheep, so too do horses get very excited about racing.

Not only the running at high speeds, but also the being around other horses.

In case you were wondering, another important point is that most animal behaviorists agree horses do not understand that they are racing.

Being surrounded by other horses in a large pack, almost, is like running in the wild again.

So, plenty of horses love racing.

Understandably, there are some that are likely not as keen on it. But, for the most part, horses that don’t care for it aren’t likely to be used for racing.

Simply because they wouldn’t be very good at it.

So, is the practice ever cruel?

Is it cruel to race horses?

It is, unfortunately, the case that horse racing is so widespread that cruel and inhumane practices are far from uncommon.

Thoroughbred racing in particular, with its romanticized façade, does hide a great deal of less attractive practices behind the curtain.

Injuries are common, and often lead to immediate euthanasia.

Drug abuse, both for the horses and the jockeys, is common and can cause many long-term conditions in the horses.

One thing to realize is that horses are usually only raced for the first few years of their lives; most are retired by the time they’re five years old, and a horse’s usual lifespan is in the region of 15-20 years.

Trainers often don’t worry about the long-term effects of what they do as long as the horse performs when they need it to.

Horse racing is not inherently cruel, then. But the practices can be, when standards are allowed to slip.

It is incumbent upon the world of horse racing to crack down upon these kinds of practices and make sure that all racehorses are fully protected from abuse and cruelty.

Do horses understand they are racing?

Another question in this area is about what horses believe they are doing.

Again, it’s a complex one, but as I said, academics and animal behaviorists do not believe that horses have a real concept of what they’re doing—i.e., of winning or losing.

This is probably not a big surprise to most, but it does draw attention to an important point.

Horses can be well trained for such a wide range of tasks that we can certainly say for sure that most racehorses get used to the racing experience, even if they have no real concept of what’s going on.

They just know what they need to do instinctively.

Part of the reason jockeys use whips is not to make the horse flee from pain, but to simulate the sensation of a herd of horses running close behind.

So, really, the horse just thinks it is running, and knows to follow the directions of the jockey.

The question isn’t all that cut and dry, then.

Many horses clearly do enjoy racing, but the most important thing is that racing practices are maintained to the highest standard.

It is an unfortunate truth that horse racing is a very big industry, and so there are bound to be abuses and poor standards in some parts of the racing world.

What we need to do is maintain rigorous standards of care, and in this way, we can ensure that horses continue to enjoy the races.