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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(16); 2572; doi: 10.3390/ani13162572

Anomalous Incidence of Fatal Musculoskeletal Injury in North American 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in the Year 2020.

Abstract: Racehorse training and racing schedules in many parts of the United States and Canada were interrupted or otherwise reduced during the first three to six months of 2020. This was an indirect consequence of mitigations to prevent the spread of the pandemic virus COVID-19. Data from the Equine Injury Database, a census-level survey of all race starts made in the USA and Canada, were used to analyse the incidence of fatalities in 2009-2022 among three age cohorts of racehorses within each year. There was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of musculoskeletal fatalities among 2-year-old Thoroughbreds in 2020, compared to the period 2009-2019. In 2021 and 2022, the training schedules of 2-year-old horses returned to pre-2020 levels, as did the incidence of fatalities. The delayed start to training for 2-year-old horses was associated with an increase in risk of fatal musculoskeletal injury for those horses during 2020, but the risk for the same horses in 2021-when they were 3 years old-was not significantly different to the risk for 3-year-olds in any other year. The increased risk of fatal musculoskeletal injury in 2020 was only found among horses that were 2 years old in 2020-horses aged 3 years or more in 2020 were not at increased risk.
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Publication Date: 2023-08-09 PubMed ID: 37627362PubMed Central: PMC10451381DOI: 10.3390/ani13162572Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study reveals a significant rise in fatal musculoskeletal injuries in two-year-old racehorses in North America during 2020, a period marked by disruptions in regular training due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The risk level returned to normal when the horses’ training schedules resumed in 2021.

Research Data and Methodology

  • The research is based on data from the Equine Injury Database, which records every racing start in the US and Canada. The team scrutinized trends in equine fatalities from 2009 to 2022 among three different age groups of racehorses to understand variance across years.
  • The primary focus was on two-year-old Thoroughbreds in 2020, a year when most racing and training activities were halted or substantially decreased as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19. The researchers then compared the 2020 data with the period between 2009 and 2019.

Findings and Analysis

  • The research revealed a significant rise in the frequency of fatal musculoskeletal injuries in two-year-old Thoroughbreds in 2020. This rise was statistically significant and was attributed to the interrupted training schedules due to COVID-19.
  • In 2021 and 2022, the training schedule for two-year-old racehorses returned to normal levels, leading to a decrease in fatal incidents, implying a strong correlation between the training interruptions and the rise in fatalities among two-year-old Thoroughbreds in 2020.

Additional Observations

  • The study noted that the heightened risk of fatal musculoskeletal injury in 2020 was exclusively noticed in horses that were two years old in that year. In contrast, horses aged three years and above in 2020 did not carry an increased risk.
  • Although the two-year-old horses faced an increased risk in 2020, the study found no significant difference in the risk factor for the same cluster when they turned three years old in 2021 compared to three-year-old horses in other years.

Implications of the Study

  • The findings stress the importance of continuous, uninterrupted training for young racehorses, particularly two-year-olds, to minimize the risk of fatal injuries.
  • The study could play a pivotal role in formulating guidelines for racehorse training, especially during unforeseeable interruptions, ensuring the well-being of the animals and the smooth functioning of the industry.

Cite This Article

APA
Bennet ED, Parkin TDH. (2023). Anomalous Incidence of Fatal Musculoskeletal Injury in North American 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in the Year 2020. Animals (Basel), 13(16), 2572. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162572

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 16
PII: 2572

Researcher Affiliations

Bennet, Euan D
  • School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, Garscube Campus, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK.
Parkin, Tim D H
  • Bristol Veterinary School, Langford Campus, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK.

Grant Funding

  • Not applicable / Grayson Jockey Club Foundation

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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