A sport that has been tarnished by corruption, drug use (both equine and human and animal cruelty has no place in the 21st century. The horse racing industry is animal suffering for human entertainment. While the horse racing industry markets itself as a glamour sport, there can be no doubt that horses suffer injuries, torment, and slaughtered on an industrial scale. According to Animal Aid, there has been 3172 horse deaths in 6991 days.
Research in Victoria into the risk of death in flat horse racing found approximately one fatality per 1000 horse starts. Horses are often under the threats of whips and even illegal electric-shocking devices at speeds so fast that they frequently sustain injuries and even haemorrhage from the lungs. Horses often start racing when they are just two years old, when their bones are still growing, and their bodies are not ready for the pressure of running at full speed on a hard track, so they can get injured more easily than older horses.
Horse racing goes against Jewish values. Under Jewish law, animals have similar rights to humans. The Torah requires us to take great care to ensure the physical and even emotional well-being of animals. Maimonides cites the act of Bilaam striking his donkey as an example of ‘tzaar baal chaim’ causing unnecessary pain and distress to an animal, which is prohibited by the Torah. This Torah-based teaching is found in many Jewish texts and occupies a central place in Jewish ethical practice. It is part of the Jewish vision of what it means to be tzaddik a (righteous individual) and to imitate God’s ways.