Thoughts On Banning Jumps Racing

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

But even that last point I just made is not really controversial, because this fits in with a horses instinctive behavior.  All horses understand the necessity of obeying the leader of the herd, and when humans do their job properly, horses will regard humans as defacto leaders.  So in a wild herd, if the leader suddenly decided it was time to go for a run, then the herd will do so, regardless of whether they had other plans for the day.  Being asked to race is not greatly different to that.

Now the point I am getting to via this long and winding path is that the horses you see in the picture would not be jumping over that hurdle if they did not want to.  There is nobody on their backs forcing them to run and jump.

Yes, it could be argued that they are completing the race out of habit, but that is a hollow argument.  The horse is quite aware that the rider is no longer present, and in fact some horses will go to quite extraordinary lengths to try and arrange such a situation!

The truth is that these horses are continuing to race because they enjoy it.  Just as humans enjoy physical activity once they are made to get up off their lazy backsides and do something, so too do horses.  And if anyone doubts the truth of this, then there is absolutely no question that when the three horses picture above reach the home stretch, they will begin to race each other in earnest.

But how do they know where the end of the race is?

Well, if you have ever watched a greyhound race then you will know that the dogs do not have jockeys on their backs urging them on.  It is a simple matter of dogs running around an oval shaped track, chasing a mechanical lure. 

What is surprising about the way these races are run is that not all of the dogs will be running at their top speed, which is what would happen in a situation with wild dogs chasing a real rabbit.  They would all be trying equally to be the one to catch it.

Some of the dogs are behaving just like horses with human riders, saving their top speed potential for use later in the race.  But this is the thing.... why would they do that, and how do they know when it is time to make their move?  And how can I even suggest such a ridiculous sounding thing?

The only thing I can say in defense of the theory is that if you watch enough greyhound races you will notice that many dogs that win with a come-from-behind effort will get their nose in front at just the right moment to win the race, winning by the barest of margins. 

This happens with amazing frequency, and can involve closely fought-out finishes with three or more dogs all swooping at the same moment to try and overtake the leader.  It seems very unlikely to me that this would happen under natural conditions.

I believe that dogs learn through experience where the winning post is, and their desire to get to it first has nothing to do with the lure.  The lure plays a part in getting the dog to the top of the stretch, but once the winning post is in sight, I believe that the lure takes on a secondary importance. 

Each dog has to learn the technique that will help it to get across the line first and that can only be done through experience.  But once they have perfected it, they will often use consistent tactics from race to race, which seems to confirm the theory.

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