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Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association2000; 216(8); 1273-1278; doi: 10.2460/javma.2000.216.1273

Association of high-speed exercise with racing injury in thoroughbreds.

Abstract: To determine the association between high-speed exercise and risk of injury while racing among Thoroughbreds in Kentucky. Methods: Matched case-control study. Methods: 206 Thoroughbreds that sustained a musculoskeletal injury while racing and 412 Thoroughbreds that were not injured during the same races. Methods: Data regarding official timed workouts and races and the Beyer's numbers for the 3 races before the race during which injury occurred were extracted from past performance charts and compared between injured horses and control horses. Results: For injured horses, cumulative distance of high-speed exercise during the 1- and 2-month periods prior to the race in which injury occurred was significantly less than that of control horses; for either period, a difference of 10 furlongs was associated with approximately 2-fold greater risk of injury. Beyer's numbers were significantly higher for injured horses than for control horses. These effects remained significant after adjusting for age and results of prerace physical inspection. Conclusions: In Kentucky, injured horses had significantly less cumulative high-speed exercise than did control horses during the 1- and 2-month periods prior to the race in which injury occurred. These results differ from those observed in California. The association of injury with cumulative high-speed exercise appears to vary among regions in the United States.
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Publication Date: 2000-04-18 PubMed ID: 10767969DOI: 10.2460/javma.2000.216.1273Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 research article is about a study conducted to understand the correlation between high-speed exercise and the risk of racing injuries in thoroughbreds in Kentucky.

Objective of the Research

The primary objective of this study was to understand the association between high-speed exercise and the risk of injuries in thoroughbreds while racing, specifically in Kentucky. The team conducted a matched case-control study with a sample size of 206 injured thoroughbreds and 412 non-injured thoroughbreds that participated in the exact races.

Methods of the Study

  • The research was based on official timed workouts and races, and it included data from the Beyer’s numbers of the three races preceding the race where the injury occurred.
  • The data was extracted from previous performance charts and compared between the injured horses (the cases) and the non-injured horses (the controls).

Study Results

  • Among the injured horses, the cumulative distance of high-speed exercise during the one- and two-month periods before the injury-occurred race was significantly less than the control horses.
  • The difference of 10 furlongs (approximately 2 kilometers) of exercise in either period was found to be associated with roughly a twofold greater risk of injury.
  • Injured horses had significantly higher Beyer’s numbers than the control horses.
  • The above observations retained their significance even after adjusting the variables for age and the results of prerace physical inspection.

Conclusion of the Study

The study concluded that in Kentucky, injured horses had undergone significantly less cumulative high-speed exercise than the control horses in the one- and two-month periods leading to the race in which they got injured. Interestingly, these observations differed from findings from a similar study conducted in California. Hence, the researchers proposed that the association between injury and cumulative high-speed exercise might vary among different regions in the United States.

Cite This Article

APA
Cohen ND, Berry SM, Peloso JG, Mundy GD, Howard IC. (2000). Association of high-speed exercise with racing injury in thoroughbreds. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 216(8), 1273-1278. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2000.216.1273

Publication

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
ISSN: 0003-1488
NlmUniqueID: 7503067
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 216
Issue: 8
Pages: 1273-1278

Researcher Affiliations

Cohen, N D
  • Department of Large Animal Medicine & Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-3143, USA.
Berry, S M
    Peloso, J G
      Mundy, G D
        Howard, I C

          MeSH Terms

          • Age Factors
          • Animals
          • Case-Control Studies
          • Confidence Intervals
          • Horses / injuries
          • Kentucky / epidemiology
          • Multivariate Analysis
          • Musculoskeletal System / injuries
          • Odds Ratio
          • Physical Conditioning, Animal / adverse effects
          • Physical Conditioning, Animal / methods
          • Risk Factors
          • Running / injuries
          • Time Factors
          • Wounds and Injuries / epidemiology
          • Wounds and Injuries / etiology
          • Wounds and Injuries / veterinary

          Citations

          This article has been cited 15 times.
          1. Bennet ED, Parkin TDH. Anomalous Incidence of Fatal Musculoskeletal Injury in North American 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in the Year 2020. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 9;13(16).
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            doi: 10.3390/ani11102807pubmed: 34679829google scholar: lookup
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          9. Crawford KL, Ahern BJ, Perkins NR, Phillips CJC, Finnane A. The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 11;10(11).
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          14. Pfau T, Forbes B, Sepulveda-Caviedes F, Chan Z, Weller R. Exploring Monthly Variation of Gait Asymmetry During In-Hand Trot in Thoroughbred Racehorses in Race Training. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 20;15(16).
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            doi: 10.1111/evj.14503pubmed: 40134143google scholar: lookup
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