B R Sharan Kumar

      Horse Welfare Needs Clearly Defined Rules   By Sharan Kumar   Horse racing often speaks in glowing terms about its heroes. The jockey’s skill, the trainer’s judgement, the owner’s ambition. Yet the most important participants in the spectacle remain voiceless. The horses themselves. They carry the sport on their backs, but when it comes to welfare standards, they depend entirely on the vigilance and foresight of those who run the game.   A response to my earlier article raised a point that deserves wider reflection. In modern sport, safety protocols have evolved steadily. Cricket offers a useful example. Today, umpires rely on a light meter to determine whether visibility is adequate for play. Decades ago, matches often continued if the pitch was dry even when the outfield was wet. Over time, however, the thinking changed. The entire playing arena had to be safe, not merely the central strip.   Horse racing in many parts of the world has followed...