A horse race is a contest of speed between two or more horses that are either ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies and their drivers. The sport has a long and distinguished history and is practiced in many nations around the world. Horse races are often watched and bet on, especially in countries with large gambling populations.

The winner of a horse race is determined by the first horse to cross the finish line, but in some cases, a horse may be declared a “placed” horse if it finishes second or third. In this case, bettors who placed bets on the horse will receive the prize money that is awarded to the top-placed horses. This prize money is often referred to as the “placepot.”

There are several ways to place a bet on a horse race. The most common is to place a bet on the winner of the race. Other popular bets include placing a bet on a specific horse to win or a bet on the total number of places paid out by a particular bookmaker.

Horse racing is a dangerous game for the animals that take part in it, even with the best of care and training. The animals’ skeletal systems are still developing when they begin racing, and the stress of running at high speeds on hard tracks can strain their legs. Horses, particularly the larger ones, can also be injured by kicking themselves or each other when they’re startled or upset during a race.

Moreover, the physical demands of horse racing can be very tiring for horses, so that they sometimes need to be urged on by their jockeys to keep going when they’re tired. It is this need for encouragement, known as “encouragement,” that led to the widespread use of the whip in modern horse racing.

The pounding that racehorses’ lower legs endure can also lead to serious problems, including the formation of blood blisters on their feet. These sores are a source of pain and irritation for the horse, and can even cause lameness or death if they rupture. To prevent these injuries, some horses are given special padded shoes called splints. Other injuries that may occur are a broken toenail, an infection in the frog of a foot (called a spavin), and a fracture of the sesamoid bones, two small bones at the back of the fetlock joint.

To combat these dangers, most horses are injected with cocktails of legal and illegal drugs. A common medication is Lasix, a diuretic that decreases the bleeding caused by hard running. For decades, nearly every thoroughbred horse in the United States has received a dose of Lasix before each race.