Horse races are competitions in which horses race around an oval track with jockeys mounted, competing to cross the finish line first and win. One of the oldest forms of sport worldwide, this event has evolved over time from an individual competition between horses in speed or stamina contests into a spectacle spectator event that attracts millions each year.

Over centuries, however, the fundamental concept of horseracing has remained the same: winner is determined by which horse finishes first in each race. While technology has advanced to become more sophisticated over time and larger fields have emerged with complex electronic monitoring equipment and large amounts of money at stake; nevertheless the basic rule still stands: first horse that finishes will always win!

There are three basic categories of people involved with horse racing: criminals who drug and otherwise mistreat their horses illegally; dupes who believe horse racing to be generally honest sport; and honorable people who recognize that racing may be more corrupt than it ought to be yet fail to put forth adequate efforts toward rectifying its injustices.

Growing awareness has led to some improvements, yet more must be done to combat the inherent cruelty in sports like horse racing. Good people who donate time and money in support of horses deserve better than to see their contributions stolen by a small minority who exploit them for profit, all the while neglecting the wellbeing of thousands more young running horses who will soon enter this deadly industry.

Animal rights activists continue to expose egregious examples of industry cruelty, including abusive training practices for young horses, the use of dangerous drugs and transportation of horses from racetracks to slaughterhouses. But racing fans tend to disregard such concerns, instead dismissing their concerns and dismissing how this industry’s business model precludes animal welfare altogether.

As a result, horse races have seen their numbers gradually diminish as fans and wagering interest migrate to alternative forms of entertainment. Partly responsible is increased popularity of sports that pose less danger for horses such as football and soccer; also contributing is more gambling options available at casinos floors.

PETA’s recent video (PETA Charges Two Trainers of Cruelty) offers viewers an eye-opening glimpse into the harsh treatment of some of America’s top thoroughbred racehorses by trainer Steve Asmussen and Scott Blasi from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.

These videos have provoked widespread backlash within the horse racing community, including from some of its most esteemed voices. Yet despite this backlash, their message remains clear: There can be no justification for cruelty that occurs within racing’s elite camps.