The Impact of Horse Racing on Animal Welfare

Every year, hundreds of racehorses fracture one of the countless bones in the lower part of their legs while training or competing in races, which means they must be euthanized. Although this represents a relatively small fraction each year (in 2024, 99.91% of races did not result in a fatality), these deaths have sparked public scrutiny and outrage from those who view these animals as magnificent, sentient beings. This has triggered a debate about whether the sport has outlived its time, as argued by The Washington Post editorial board following a major doping scandal in 2020. When I learned about CNN reporter Katie Bo Lillis's new book, Death of a Racehorse: An American Story, I was eager to read it. Lillis is not on a crusade, but rather analyzes a tumultuous sport from a journalistic perspective and forensically documents the root of its problems, offering a hopeful path for both the animal and those who make a living working with it. Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Death of a ...