These are desperate times for the horseracing industry. Even people who pay no attention to racing—which is just about everybody—are aghast by the carnage on America’s racetracks, where horses are collapsing and dying in shocking numbers. But some tracks are in such dire financial straits that they’re resorting to even more gratuitously cruel promotions to try to get customers through the gates: forcing ostriches, camels and zebras to race with human jockeys on their backs.

Ever wondered what could possibly possess someone to abuse an animal or why otherwise kindhearted people can turn a blind eye to practices that cause suffering? Check out Our Symphony With Animals to learn how the well-being of humans and other animals is “entwined.”