Due to the growing risks that come with climate change, many sports are beginning to look at things they can do better to do their bit to help the planet.
Horse racing is one of those sports that is taking extra steps to ensure that they are doing their utmost to care for the planet. However, just like every other sector, even more can be done. But, just how damaging is the sport on the planet, and is it leaving a negative impact on the environment?
Why Is Horse Racing Damaging?
Like any major sporting event, horse racing does leave a negative impact on the environment across the world with every race day that is staged. Many of which produce a great deal of waste, including animal and medical.
Many eco-warriors also claim that the animals drink far too much water at the most significant events on the calendar. Still, a great deal cannot be done about that.
The part that the racegoer plays in damaging the environment also can’t be understated, with many leaving pieces of litter around the tracks across the world. However, steps by race courses are now being made to ensure this problem can be addressed, with reusable cups now evident across all of the biggest tracks in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Travelling to and from the races is also a pressing concern, with many visitors still feeling that more can be done to help get people to and from the course without waiting for hours on end.
Transporting horses can also be dangerous to the environment, especially for the big international meetings, which will see horses from countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States travelling to the Middle East and back on multiple occasions throughout a 12-month period.
What Is Horse Racing Doing?
Steps are being made by racings governing bodies across the planet to address concerns, including the BHA, which has announced sustainability pledges for the future over the past few months. The BHA has vowed to invest more in green travel connections for Racegoers, including installing electric vehicles to transport fans to the track and back.
Meanwhile, the BHA also announced that there would be extra bicycle facilities available, as well as pushing car shares to limit the travel that Racegoers that go to meetings alone will do.
As well as this, it was also revealed that the organisation has pledged to install renewable energies and energy-saving technologies to limit the power used on track for a single meeting.
In the report, it was also declared that one racecourse in the United Kingdom is already monitoring its savings and carbon reduction after implementing changes that they believe will positively impact the environment.
Kentucky Derby in the USA, the biggest horse racing event in the country, also has a Go Green initiative to implement a more eco-friendly conscience on racegoers.
You can find more information about the Kentucky Derby results on the TwinSpires website.
Why Is It Important To Racing?
All going greener changes will not only have a better impact on the environment, but they will also have a considerable impact on the sport moving forward.
Like all living things, horses need to adapt to the environment that they are in, which means that adverse changes will have an impact on the future of the sport when it comes to keeping horses safe and the breeding of animals.
There are also growing fears that a new outbreak of a disease could be likely if the environment isn’t made greener, and there is also an additional risk of life-threatening injuries. The latter could come about with hotter summers, as horses may not have the shade or water required to cool them down.
Conclude
Despite the negative impact that horse racing has on the environment, it’s promising to see that governing bodies and racecourses are taking steps to address concerns and become more sustainable. By implementing eco-friendly initiatives, such as using renewable energy, encouraging green travel connections, and reducing waste, horse racing can help alleviate environmental damage. As a reader, we should also consider our own impact on the environment and what we can do to help make horse racing and other sports more sustainable for the future.
