Animal rights non-profit organisation PETA has kicked off a campaign to replace the emoji used to depict horse racing. The organisation demanded an emoji that reflects the injuries that horses suffer while racing.
PETA demands a horse racing emoji reflecting fatal injuries
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, has begun a campaign to modify the emoji used to depict horse racing to one reflective of the injuries and deaths that horses suffer in the activity. In a post on X, the non-profit asked the Unicode consortium to effect the change.
PETA suggested an emoji with a horse lying prone with one of its forelegs broken at the knee. The organisation is demanding the change to raise awareness of the gruesome injuries that horses sustain while racing.
Prior to this campaign, PETA spotlighted the dangerous conditions the racing industry imposes on horses. It highlighted that horses suffer terrible injuries when their handlers force them to run at breakneck speed.
Moreover, the organisation tied the fatal injuries suffered by these horses to “under tack shows” where sellers force horses to race at high speeds to impress prospective buyers. Forced to run at breakneck speeds, the probability of injuries and accidents is extremely high.
“Every spring, 2-year-old Thoroughbreds are forced to sprint at breakneck speeds in “under tack shows” just to impress prospective buyers and inflate sales prices at auctions. They will never be forced to run this fast again in their future racing careers—if they survive.”
These tack shows are detrimental to a horse’s long-term career if it initially survives the activity. According to PETA, this activity is not necessary, as it is not predictive of the future success of a horse.
Dennis Brida, the president of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, also spoke against the tack shows. He labelled them “idiotic speed tests” that are killing the horses.
In 2025, Animal Aid reported that horses who work too hard early in their lives are usually slaughtered when they reach age 5, when they are deemed unprofitable.
Animals at risk of injuries due to sports
Extreme sporting activities pose severe health risks to participating animals. The overworking of these animals predisposes them to severe, life-changing injuries.
For instance, forcing horses to race at excessive speeds can cause a variety of injuries in limbs. These injuries could be bowed tendons, bucked shins, and chip fractures, among others.
However, associations like PETA and Animal Aid highlight the gruesome injuries that result from overworking animals in sports. The League Against Cruel Sports also spoke against sporting events that push horses to unnatural speeds and over fences that are too high.