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Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare through the Lens of ‘Social License to Operate—With an Emphasis on a U.S. Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Camie Heleski

    (Department of Animal and Food Sciences and UK Ag Equine Programs, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA)

  • C. Jill Stowe

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA)

  • Julie Fiedler

    (Central Queensland University, Norman Gardens, Queensland 4701, Australia)

  • Michael L. Peterson

    (Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA)

  • Colleen Brady

    (Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

  • Carissa Wickens

    (Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA)

  • James N. MacLeod

    (Department of Veterinary Science, Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA)

Abstract

This review addresses the question of whether Thoroughbred horse racing is sustainable in the context of current social values. A recently acknowledged framework, known as ‘Social License to Operate’ (SLO), provides us with a lens through which to view and assess racehorse welfare. In multiple surveys of the general public, the horse owning public, and university students, the primary topics of concern regarding Thoroughbred racing show considerable concordance: concern about catastrophic injuries—particularly as related to track surfaces, concern over the racing of two-year-olds, whip use by jockeys, drug/medication policies, and aftercare opportunities for retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Legitimacy of an industry, consent from industry stakeholders, and trust between the community players, are all essential to have and maintain SLO. In the current era of 24/7 global media access, and the proliferation of social media providing an interactive platform for all interested parties, a dramatic change has occurred in commentary related to racehorse welfare concerns. The situation at Santa Anita (California, USA) from late December 2018 through mid-November 2019 demonstrated just how tenuous the SLO for horse racing is. This article will provide a brief review of what ‘Social License to Operate’ is, along with a brief literature review of five of the areas of primary concern voiced by stakeholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Camie Heleski & C. Jill Stowe & Julie Fiedler & Michael L. Peterson & Colleen Brady & Carissa Wickens & James N. MacLeod, 2020. "Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare through the Lens of ‘Social License to Operate—With an Emphasis on a U.S. Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:5:p:1706-:d:324878
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Morrison, 2014. "The Social License," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-37072-3, October.
    2. David Evans & Paul McGreevy, 2011. "An Investigation of Racing Performance and Whip Use by Jockeys in Thoroughbred Races," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(1), pages 1-5, January.
    3. John Morrison, 2014. "The social license," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Social License, chapter 0, pages 12-28, Palgrave Macmillan.
    4. Juho Hamari & Mimmi Sjöklint & Antti Ukkonen, 2016. "The sharing economy: Why people participate in collaborative consumption," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 67(9), pages 2047-2059, September.
    5. Mercer-Mapstone, Lucy & Rifkin, Will & Moffat, Kieren & Louis, Winnifred, 2017. "Conceptualising the role of dialogue in social licence to operate," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 137-146.
    6. Constantino Stavros & Matthew D. Meng & Kate Westberg & Francis Farrelly, 2014. "Understanding fan motivation for interacting on social media," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4), pages 455-469, October.
    7. Marion Robert & C. Jill Stowe, 2016. "Ready to run: price determinants of thoroughbreds from 2 year olds in training sales," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(48), pages 4690-4697, October.
    8. Stavros, Constantino & Meng, Matthew D. & Westberg, Kate & Farrelly, Francis, 2014. "Understanding fan motivation for interacting on social media," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 455-469.
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