Horse racing is one of the most culturally entrenched uses of animals in sport. Welfare concerns span the racing career and extend to the fate of horses after retirement from competition.
Horse racing welfare problems span the entire life cycle: intense training beginning before skeletal maturity, medication to mask pain and extend racing careers, catastrophic injuries on track, and inadequate retirement pathways. High-profile fatalities like those at Santa Anita Park in 2019 triggered regulatory responses and public debate. Reform movements within racing have achieved some improvements, but structural incentives that compromise welfare persist.