Horse race is a term used to describe any form of close competition. Its use is not limited to the world of sports, and it has been found in literature as well as political contests. In this article, the term is mostly used to refer to a close election, but it can also be applied to other contests.
In the horse racing industry, the phrase is often used to describe a tight contest for the top leadership position. While the board and current CEO may see the benefit of a competitive horse race for the top job, they must be sure to avoid allowing the competition to become too lengthy, or the company’s strategic direction could suffer.
The term is also sometimes used in a figurative sense to refer to a close political contest, and the same principles apply: the mudslinging, name-calling and attack ads that characterize many campaigns can cause important issues to get lost in the noise.
Historically, horse races have been run on various types of tracks and surfaces, including dirt and turf. They have been a central part of the human race since antiquity, and archaeological records show that horse races have been held in places such as Ancient Greece, Rome, Babylon and Syria. In modern times, horse racing is a multi-billion dollar business that includes betting by millions of people.
One of the primary challenges in a horse race is to ensure that the horses are healthy and ready to compete. This requires a rigorous schedule of training and veterinary exams. In addition, most horses are subjected to cocktails of legal and illegal drugs that are designed to mask injuries, increase performance and help them perform better under stress. These substances can also have serious side effects for the horses, such as pulmonary hemorrhage (bleeding in the lungs) and laminitis (a disease affecting the feet).
Horses are often trained to run fast, but running so quickly is not natural for them, or even safe. They are prey animals, and moving so rapidly increases their vulnerability to injury and predators. The speed of the race also forces horses to run as a pack, which is not what they naturally do in the wild. This can lead to fights among the horses and even to fatal accidents such as those suffered by this year’s Melbourne Cup winner, New York Thunder.
Terms and phrases commonly associated with horse races include: