Hoofcare and Lameness Magazine Archives -- UK Racing Injuries Report 2001

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FROM HOOFCARE & LAMENESS

British Conference on Racing Injuries
News Summary

Galloping racehorses for at least one furlong for every seven furlongs cantered during training should decrease the risk of injury on the racecourse, while shortening the length of National Hunt flat races and introducing schooling races for chasers could have a measurably beneficial impact on serious injury rates.

These are just some of the messages that 250 trainers, vets, breeders and owners took home with them after attending a seminar on preventing racehorse injuries at England's Cheltenham Racecourse on 15 November .

Sponsored by Intervet UK Ltd, the Horserace Betting Levy Board and British horse feed manufacturer Dodson & Horrell, the seminar was devised to present the very latest scientific research to identify how racing injuries can be minimised. Much of the research has been funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

Dr Peter Webbon, Chief Veterinary Adviser to the Jockey Club, who chaired the seminar, commented: "This seminar is a landmark in British racing. For forty years, the Horserace Betting Levy Board has supported veterinary research and education intended to benefit all horses, and Thoroughbreds in particular.

"Scientific research rarely provides instant answers. This seminar presents the early results of a programme of research that, over time, will help us get our horses fitter, maintain their fitness for longer and allow them to train and race at minimum risk to themselves and their riders."

Leading experts involved in the research programme in Britain from the Animal Health Trust, the University of Liverpool, the Royal Veterinary College and the University of Bristol presented papers at the seminar. Equine biomechanics expert, Dr Mikael Holmström, flew in from Sweden to introduce a new, ground-breaking method for objective analysis designed for predicting performance potential in racehorses from conformation and gait.

Key findings presented at the seminar

Galloping at least one furlong for every seven furlongs cantered during training is associated with a decreased risk of fracture on the racecourse compared with no gallop work (Tim Parkin).
Disappointments caused by horses that do not live up to and owner's or trainer's expectations may be avoided if the young prospect's biomechanical properties are evaluated more accurately during the pre-purchase examination. A ground-breaking objective method now exists to provide a more accurate measurement, which is supported by new research on US racehorses running on dirt. The research shows that some of the world's most successful horses are all characterised by a very similar conformation (Mikael Holmström).
Horses react to changes in surface conditions in a way fundamentally different from that of human athletes and the properties of the track surface have a significant effect on the incidence and type of injury that occur, as well as overall race performance. Scientific investigation can address whether an optimum surface can be produced for racing and /or training (Jeremy Burn).
80% of fractures in British flat racehorses occur during training. Studying training injuries will enable us to evaluate the likely benefits for injury rates of 'optimal' training programmes and provide advice on the construction and surfacing of training gallops. More than half of UK fractures diagnosed are stress fractures so a high degree of veterinary involvement in training yards is needed for early and accurate diagnosis to avoid later, more severe injury (Kristien Verheyen).
Bone markers provide a simple, reliable method for studying bone cell activity during training to help identify training programmes that stimulate fracture resistant bone, compared to those that may have harmful effects. Results show substantial differences between regimes used to train two-year olds. More balanced training regimes, with more emphasis on work-speed, induce a more consistent decrease in bone turnover with fewer days lost from training and lower incidence of fracture. Training for long distances at the same speed may not be good for bone, with more varied patterns of loading likely to be more effective for strengthening bone (Joanna Price).
Excessive, high-intensity exercise in young racehorses causes bone fatigue and stress fractures, while slightly lower-intensity sustained exercise produces new bone more quickly than it can be incorporated into healthy bone structure resulting in sore shins. To prevent these injuries, short high-speed sprints should be introduced twice a week with distances slowly increased from a furlong to half a mile. If the speed is increased, the distance should be initially reduced and then built up once again. The quality of tendons should be maximised before the skeleton reaches maturity by the early introduction of exercise. Degeneration after maturity should be reduced by avoiding training regimes designed solely for 'strengthening' the tendon (Roger Smith).
If the factors that increase or decrease the risk of horses falling in National Hunt racing can be identified, then changes can be introduced to reduce the incidence of falls and injury. In steeplechasing, the age and previous racing history of the horse, the distance of the race, the size of the field, the going and the season all appear to be independently associated with the risk of a horse falling. In hurdling, the sex and previous racing history of the horse and the jockey's experience appear to be associated with the risk of a falls. (Gina Pinchbeck).
A nine-year study of UK racing fatalities showed that two major contributory factors were the age at which the horses started racing and the distance run where horses are racing for the first time. There are reductions in the risk per start associated with different ways of shortening National Hunt flat races and studies have also demonstrated that first races are associated with increased risk of injury. The introduction of more race-specific training, or schooling races for chasers, could have a measurably beneficial impact on serious injury rates (James Wood).
Many of the studies presented at the seminar relied, for the first time in racehorse research, on a true partnership between scientists, trainers, vets and the Jockey Club, and used the extensive records routinely amassed by Weatherbys, Raceform and Racetech. The success of this type of approach, which has solved problems in other species, has been remarkable. It provides an excellent foundation and model to use in future research, not only to reduce racehorse injuries, but also to improve a wide range of other health and welfare conditions (Kenton Morgan).

Peter Webbon concludes: "The first steps in the research programme that we heard about today have allowed us to define the problems and understand the basics. The next steps will be to propose and implement ways in which we might make improvements, and then to measure the effect of those improvements.

"We are determined to see that racehorses receive all the help we can give them to do their job as safely as possible."

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