Comparison of Reported Fatalities, Falls and Injuries in Thoroughbred Horse Jumps and Flat Races in the 2022 and 2023 Jumps Race Seasons in Victoria, Australia.
Authors: Jeppesen Angela, Eyers Rebekah, Evans Di, Ward Michael P, Quain Anne
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Jumps racing in Victoria, Australia presents substantially greater welfare risks to horses than flat racing, according to analysis of fatality, fall and injury data from the 2022 and 2023 seasons—the first comprehensive audit since 2012–2014. Researchers extracted incident records from Racing Victoria's published results and Stewards' Reports covering 150 jumps races and 157 flat races across 38 meets, documenting fatalities, falls and injuries with their clinical consequences. The findings paint a concerning picture: fatality rates reached 3.3 per 1000 starts in jumps racing (zero in flat racing), whilst fall rates were 24 per 1000 starts in hurdles and 41.6 per 1000 starts in steeplechase, with injuries occurring nearly four times more frequently in jumps (68.9 per 1000 starts) than flat racing (18.8 per 1000 starts). Injuries in jumps races were significantly more severe—horses were 5–7 times more likely to require veterinary clearance, 4–5 times more likely to sustain trauma, and 2.5–5 times more prone to lameness, depending on discipline. For equine professionals involved in the care, treatment and management of racing Thoroughbreds, these data substantiate long-standing welfare concerns and highlight the critical need for industry-wide safety interventions beyond current measures, particularly given that fall and injury rates have remained unchanged over the past decade.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Jumps racing presents substantially higher welfare risks to horses than flat racing; veterinary professionals should use this data when advising owners and riders on equine safety and welfare implications
- •Lameness and trauma are the primary injury concerns in jumps racing—physiotherapy and rehabilitation protocols may need to be more intensive and specialized for jumps race horses
- •Current safety measures in Victoria's jumps racing have not reduced fall and injury rates compared to historical data from 2012-2014, suggesting additional interventions are needed
Key Findings
- •Horse fatalities occurred at 3.3 per 1000 starts in jumps races compared with zero in flat races during 2022-2023 Victoria racing seasons
- •Fall rates were 24 per 1000 starts in hurdles and 41.6 per 1000 starts in steeplechase races, with no falls in flat races
- •Injury rates were 68.9 per 1000 starts in jumps races versus 18.8 per 1000 starts in flat races
- •Horses in steeplechase races were 7.2 times more likely to require veterinary clearance following injury and 5.1 times more likely to develop lameness compared with flat racing horses