The word horse race evokes images of a high-octane contest between horses — one, and only one — with the winner taking home the prize money. Behind this romanticized facade of Thoroughbred racing is a world of injuries, drug abuse, gruesome breakdowns, and slaughter.

In their natural environment, horses love to run fast — but “racing” and winning are human constructs. As prey animals, horses prefer to synchronize their running with other members of their herd and keep safe from danger. While some stallion breeders and trainers encourage this herding behavior, other stallions are trained to run individually or to compete in races against other horses — regardless of whether the horses have anything in common.

Despite repeated attempts at reform, the exploitation of horses in horse racing is so severe that the only way to truly save these magnificent creatures from suffering and death is to stop them from being forced to race. The only other alternative is to allow the sport to die a slow, painful death as it continues to lose popularity. A growing number of tracks are closing worldwide because they consume vast amounts of space for entertainment that may not be warranted in the face of housing crises and other space demands.

A more promising alternative to the racetrack is the harness track. Seeing standardbreds vying to be the first to pull their driver’s cart across the finish line is a spectacular sight, but the thrill isn’t nearly as intense as that of watching two jockeys fight it out for the top spot. The fact is, a harness track requires only a fraction of the land occupied by a thoroughbred racetrack.

To truly act in the best interests of the horses, the industry needs to undergo a radical ideological reckoning. This would include an overhaul of the entire business model from breeding to aftercare, caps on the number of times a horse can be run, and integrating a more natural and equine-friendly lifestyle for racehorses. It would also involve a profound cultural shift within the sport, wherein the horses are prioritized over profits and prestige.

The classic succession horse race pits several senior executives in an overt competition to be named the company’s next CEO, but some governance observers are uncomfortable with this approach because it can distract attention from the real issues facing a company and potentially skew its results. But if done properly, the horse race can be an effective tool for choosing the right leader at the right time.

A new study suggests that a horse race is more than just a game of chance for the participants – it can also be a game of sex discrimination, with women being more likely to be beaten. The research was published this month in the journal PLOS ONE. The study is based on an analysis of newspaper coverage of state elections between 2004 and 2008 in Oregon. Researchers compared the coverage of news stories in major chain newspapers to those in small, locally owned papers.