RESEARCHERS from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have launched a major new study to improve the safety and welfare of thoroughbred racehorses in training. The project will provide vital evidence to help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury, one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in racehorses worldwide.

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 knowledge gap, this study will identify modifiable risk factors and inform practical, evidence-based recommendations for trainers and equine vets. The findings will enable data-driven decisions to help reduce injuries, enhance welfare outcomes and strengthen public confidence in the sport.

Long-term improvements

Funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board and the Racing Foundation, and endorsed by the British Horseracing Authority, the Training Injury Prevention Study represents a much-needed large-scale investigation in Britain, which focuses on injuries sustained during training rather than on the racecourse. The research 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 RVC-led research team will conduct prospective cohort studies in flat and National Hunt thoroughbreds in training. By doing so, the researchers will estimate the incidence of the most common types of musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses in training, including fracture and tendon and joint injuries; develop novel 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 practical usefulness for large-scale application in measuring horses’ training workload.

Professor Kristien Verheyen, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Epidemiology at the RVC, said: “This large-scale study will fill key knowledge gaps on injury occurrence in racehorses in training. 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.”

For more information about the Training Injury Prevention Study, please scan the QR code.