Do Race Horses Like to Run?

When horses are in the middle of a race, they're likely viewing it as being part of a herd of horses in motion and it's in their natural instinct to run, whether it's on a racetrack or just when they're let out into pasture.

Do horses understand they are racing?

An equine behaviorist weighs in. ... It's not that horses cannot understand winning or losing a chase in natural circumstances, just that so much about racing is not at all natural. In natural social contexts, horses do seem to “race” one another.

Is it cruel to race horses?

Some racehorses are mistreated and abused; they are drugged, whipped, and even shocked during races. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) went undercover to document some horrible practices carried on by trainers. ... Horses are commodities in the horse racing industry. Their sole purpose is to win races.