A horse race is a contest on a track between horses, typically in which one or more bettors place bets. The first horse to cross the finish line is declared the winner. Depending on the type of race, there may also be a second or third place winner, as well as a group of runners that have tied for position. The horse race is often considered a popular spectator sport in the United States and many other parts of the world.
The earliest races were match races between two or at most three horses. The owner of a winning horse would provide the purse, or prize money. Bets were made on the outcome of the match and an agreement was recorded by a disinterested third party, who came to be known as the keeper of the match book. Eventually, these third parties consolidated the match books from different tracks and began publishing them, with varying titles. The collection of published matches became the basis for an historical record of all race results and bets.
To become a racehorse, a young colt must learn to run at the right pace and change leads on command. The runner will normally be on his right lead when going around a straightaway, and his left lead as he rounds a turn. As long as the runner can change his lead on cue, he will be able to channel his energy effectively throughout the entire race.
As the runner gets older, his trainer will start to gradually increase the pace of his exercise and work him. This process is called conditioning. The runner will build up his strength and endurance until he is ready to compete in a race. During this time, the trainer will usually have several different types of races lined up for him. Some of these races are conditioned, while others are not.
Those that are conditioned will be entered in the condition book, a schedule of races that must be completed before a runner can move up to higher class races. Those that are not will be entered into optional claiming races.
In the wild, horses love to run and they move fast naturally. But, despite being prey animals, they prefer to run as a group and keep each other safe. Winning a race is human construct, and horses are drugged, whipped, trained and raced too early, and pushed to their limits or beyond. As a result, the horse racing industry is condemned by animal rights groups.
Proponents of the horse race approach contend that it creates an environment where employees embrace competition for top roles and recognize that the company will benefit from a wide selection of highly talented leaders. However, critics argue that the horse race approach can be demoralizing for employees and that the board is risking the company’s future by focusing on succession planning issues.