Published: 13 Dec 2024 | Last Updated: 13 Dec 2024 14:27:19

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have determined several factors that could reduce the risk of fatality in Jump racing and substantially improve racehorse welfare. The findings were drawn from new risk factor models developed by the RVC, in collaboration with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), to support better understanding of the reasons for and risk of horse fatalities and injuries in Jump racing.

Undertaken as part of a project led by the BHA and the Horse Welfare Board (HWB), and funded by the Racing Foundation, this research will enable the industry to consider possible changes to improve the welfare of racehorses, with the models able to also determine the potential impact of those changes.

Developing the new Racing Risk Models (RRMs), the researchers analysed data from all Jump race starts made on British racecourses over the last 14 years. This included modelling information from nearly 400,000 horse performances, including factors such as a horse’s age, their racing history and the conditions of the race, along with trainer and jockey experience. This was then combined with data on any race-related fatalities over the same study period.  

From these analyses, the RVC research team, led by Kristien Verheyen, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Epidemiology and Dr Sarah Allen, Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Epidemiology, was able to identify areas of increased risk. These findings were then shared with British racing’s Equine Safety Group (ESG), a group comprised of racing industry experts tasked with combining the RRM’s findings with their deep practical knowledge to make evidence-based recommendations that will enhance the safety of the sport.

The RVC’s work identified several risk factors for fatality, one of the key findings being that falling in a race heightened this risk. Whilst perhaps not surprising, quantifying this association has prompted the ESG to initiate further work to better understand why horses fall. Additional research into fallers included the development of RRMs for falls in Jump racing, which has demonstrated that the risk of falling was lower for starts made over padded style hurdles and has led to the recommendation that all birch hurdles be replaced with padded hurdles by October 2026. In addition, detailed analyses of video footage of all races in which a horse falls is being conducted to better understand how conditions within a race influence fall risk. 

The RVC team also identified some horse-related factors associated with fatality risk, which has led to the introduction of enhanced pre-race veterinary inspections for horses that may potentially be at greater risk of injury or fatality.  Ground condition was also found to influence fatality risk, and further work is ongoing to better understand how weather factors and racecourse maintenance, including watering, play a role in this finding.  

By identifying multiple risk factors for fatality, this work highlights the importance of adopting a multi-faceted approach to risk mitigation.

Kristien Verheyen, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, said:

“We’re pleased to be working in collaboration with British racing to improve our understanding of the causes of negative outcomes in racehorses and enhance racehorse safety. This research will greatly help the industry in making scientifically backed decisions that will benefit the welfare of the sport’s equine participants, which must be the number one priority of all involved in racing.”

James Given, Director of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare at the British Horse Racing Authority and member of the Horse Welfare Board, commented:

“The Royal Veterinary College Epidemiological Team have academic expertise and independence that delivers scientifically rigorous evidence that enables recommendations and actions to be based on indisputable data. Reduction of risk and injury is one of the core pillars of our welfare strategy and informed evidence-based decision making is integral to this.”

Notes to Editors

Reference:

Allen SE, Taylor S, Given J, Verheyen KL. Risk factors for fatality in jump racing Thoroughbreds in Great Britain (2010–2023). Equine Vet J. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14450

The full paper can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14450

For further information on welfare in British horse racing, you can visit: www.horsepwer.co.uk

About the RVC

• The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a Member Institution of the University of London. 
• It is one of the few veterinary schools in the world that hold accreditations from the RCVS in the UK (with associated recognition from the AVBC for Australasia, the VCI for Ireland and the SAVC for South Africa), the EAEVE in the EU, and the AVMA in the USA and Canada. 
• The RVC is ranked as the top veterinary school in the world in the QS World University Rankings by subject, 2024. 
• The RVC offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences. 
• The RVC is a research-led institution, with 88% of its research rated as internationally excellent or world class in the Research Excellence Framework 2021. 
• The RVC provides animal owners and the veterinary profession with access to expert veterinary care and advice through its teaching hospitals and first opinion practices in London and Hertfordshire.