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The manner in which race horse have been treated over the last century is despicable. All racing breeds - Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, Arabians, and Quarter Horses - are subject to inhumane treatment. The abuse ranges from neglect and simple lack of education on the part of the trainers, to violence against the horses, as well as dangerous - sometimes deadly - drugs.
Horses - especially Thoroughbreds - are started under saddle around the age of two; this can be up to five years before a horse's skeleton is fully developed. (The human equivalent to this would be for an eight-year-old child to run around with a 50 pound sack of coal.) Thoroughbred, Quarter Horses and Arabians who race under saddle are not taught how to listen to their rider, or do anything but gallop at top speed, WHICH CAN CAUSE SEVERE LEG DAMAGE.

The constant pounding of the legs on a hard track can often cause tendons to bow. If left untreated, a damaged tendon can cause chronic pain and permanent unsoundness. The two main ways that a lame racehorse is dealt with are pin firing and nerving, both of which are extremely cruel to the horse.

Pin Firing is a process in which acid is injected into the injured tendon (and often the nerve), causing the area to swell and sometimes bleed. The theory is that the increased blood flow to the region will cause more rapid healing. In reality, pin firing can cause the injury to become chronic; it can also temporarily relieve pain, allowing the horse to further injure himself.

Nerving is a very dangerous and cruel method of treatment. Acid is again injected into the injured area, but it is intentionally injected into the nerve. This numbs the nerve, allowing the horse to move without pain. Horses that cannot feel pain do not know that they have been injured, and they will run until they completely shatter the bones in their legs. When this happens, owners have no choice but to sell the horse to slaughter, or have him destroyed.
Many race horses who have second careers after they race are very sensitive to a rider because of the permanent damage inflicted on their spines (caused by being ridden at too young of an age). A racehorse's career is normally finished by the time he is 5, and if he was not fast, he will not be retired to stud. As a result, the majority of ex-race horses are sent to public auctions to be sold. Many of these horses end up at the slaughter house, because race horses are considered by many to be unsuitable for anything but racing.

There are some horses that enjoy racing, but many do not, and are punished by their owners and trainers. For many owners, the race horse is a financial investment, not a living animal (the way many people see their trucks or cars). Many owners do not have the money to buy another horse if theirs is not fast enough, so their horse is forced to run even if he is unwilling or in pain.
Most horses are sent to slaughter houses by the time they are 5 - not yet fully grown.