Horse racing is a major global industry, but it imposes significant welfare costs: musculoskeletal injuries, overtraining, and what happens to horses when their racing careers end.
Racing horses at immature skeletal ages increases fracture risk. Training regimes and pre-race medications can mask pain, allowing injured horses to run until breakdown. Whipping causes pain and fear. The retirement pipeline for ex-racehorses is chronically underfunded — many horses face inhumane transport to abattoirs abroad. Welfare improvements include minimum age restrictions, whip bans, mandatory retirement funds, and post-racing traceability.