A major new study is hoped to improve the safety and welfare of racehorses in training. Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have launched the research project to provide evidence to help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury, one of the leading causes of mortality in racehorses.
Despite significant advances in understanding of injuries that occur in horses on a racecourse, there is currently limited information on injuries that happen during training. By addressing this gap, the study aims to identify modifiable risk factors and inform practical, evidence-based recommendations for trainers and equine vets.
Funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board and the Racing Foundation, and endorsed by the British Horseracing Authority, the Training Injury Prevention Study will directly support the Horse Welfare Board’s Best Possible Safety strategy, contributing to long-term improvements in racehorse welfare and industry sustainability.
Over a three-year period, the team will conduct studies in flat and national hunt (jump) thoroughbreds in training. The researchers will estimate the incidence of the most common types of musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses in training, develop measures of training workload that can be used to monitor training over time and investigate how training regimes can be optimised to reduce the risk of exercise-induced injury.
Additionally, the study will trial the use of wearable technology to establish its usefulness for large-scale application in measuring horses’ training workload.
“This large-scale study will fill key knowledge gaps on injury occurrence in racehorses in training,” said Professor Kristien Verheyen, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Epidemiology at the RVC. “Its findings will directly impact racehorse welfare by identifying opportunities for intervention based on ‘best practice’ in current training regimens to reduce the likelihood of injury.”
Racehorse trainers can register their interest in being involved in the study here.
