Non-fatal injury occurrence in Southern California Thoroughbred racehorses 2009-2010.
Authors: Hill A E, Blea J A, Arthur R M, McIlwraith C W
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
# Editorial Summary Racetrack veterinarians in Southern California documented non-fatal injuries in Thoroughbreds over a 12-month period, establishing a baseline incidence of 2.29 injury events per 100 horse-months—notably lower than previous studies relying on trainer reporting, suggesting that veterinary-led recording may capture injuries more consistently or reflect differences in training populations and injury definitions. Among 477 recorded injuries, acute injuries predominated (72.1%), with fractures accounting for nearly half of all cases, whilst soft tissue injuries—particularly superficial digital flexor tendonitis (15.3%) and suspensory ligament desmitis (11.5%)—represented a substantial portion of the caseload. A concerning finding was the poor concordance between injuries documented by private-practice veterinarians and those logged in the existing regulatory Equine Injury Database, indicating that current recording systems are capturing incomplete injury data and masking the true burden of musculoskeletal disease in racing populations. With non-fatal injuries occurring 17–29 times more frequently than fatal injuries, the emphasis on fatal injury prevention alone substantially underestimates the welfare and economic impact of preventable musculoskeletal pathology. For practitioners involved in racing, these findings underscore the need for standardised, prospective injury documentation protocols and highlight opportunities for targeted intervention in the most prevalent injury categories, particularly stress fractures and soft tissue injuries affecting the distal limb.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Musculoskeletal injuries are substantially more common than fatal catastrophic injuries in racehorses; focus injury prevention strategies on the high-incidence soft tissue and stress fracture categories
- •Current injury recording systems are incomplete and inconsistent—track veterinarians should maintain detailed records independent of regulatory databases to accurately assess their own injury patterns and outcomes
- •Superficial digital flexor tendonitis and suspensory ligament injuries together account for over 26% of injuries; implement targeted prevention and early detection protocols for these conditions
Key Findings
- •Non-fatal injury incidence was 2.29 events per 100 horse-months in Southern California Thoroughbreds during 2009-2010
- •Fractures represented 47.6% of all injuries, with stress fractures accounting for 14% of the total injury burden
- •Soft tissue injuries were common, with superficial digital flexor tendonitis (15.3%) and suspensory ligament desmitis (11.5%) being predominant diagnoses
- •Non-fatal injuries occurred 17-29 times more frequently than fatal injuries, and agreement between private veterinary records and regulatory injury databases was poor