THE ARVS is a not-for-profit organisation with over 800 members. At the meeting a number of speakers gave presentations looking at ways to reduce the risk of injury in racehorses. A lot of the information is also applicable to high performance horses.

The majority of injuries suffered by racehorses, in training or on the racetrack, are musculoskeletal injuries, such as bone fractures or chips, and soft tissue injuries. This has a financial and welfare impact on all involved in the sport. Research and studies are ongoing in an effort to reduce injury risk. Respiratory health problems are another common cause of poor performance in racehorses.