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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2024; 14(5); 804; doi: 10.3390/ani14050804

Comparison of Reported Fatalities, Falls and Injuries in Thoroughbred Horse Jumps and Flat Races in the 2022 and 2023 Jumps Race Seasons in Victoria, Australia.

Abstract: Jumps racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing that involves hurdles and steeples and typically longer distances, and heavier weights compared with flat racing, which does not incorporate obstacles. In Australia, jumps racing is carried out only in Victoria, one of eight states and territories. The continuation of jumps racing is contentious due to the higher risk of fatalities, falls and injuries for horses, compared with flat racing. While measures have been introduced by the industry to improve the safety of riders and horses, the rates of fatalities, falls and injuries in horses participating in jumps races have not been collectively reported in Australia since the 2012 to 2014 race seasons. Although information on individual horse fatalities, falls and injuries is published by Racing Victoria in Stewards' Reports, the data are not aggregated, and so cannot readily be used to assess trends or evaluate the efficacy of safety measures introduced by the industry. The aim of this study was to determine the fatality, fall and injury rates for horses participating in hurdle and steeplechase races in Victoria in the 2022 and 2023 Thoroughbred horse jumps racing seasons compared with horses participating in flat races at the same race meets. Data on horse fatalities, falls and injuries were extracted from the published Racing Victoria race results and Stewards' Reports for the jumps races ( = 150) and corresponding flat races ( = 157) held at the 38 jumps race meets in Victoria in 2022 and 2023. Overall, horse fatalities, falls and injuries occurred at higher rates in jumps races compared with flat races during the study period. The rate of horse fatalities in jumps races was 3.3 per 1000 starts, with no fatalities in flat races. The rate of horse falls in hurdle races was 24 per 1000 starts and 41.6 per 1000 starts in steeplechase races, comparable with rates previously reported in the 2012 to 2014 seasons. There were no falls in flat races. Horse injuries occurred at a rate of 68.9 per 1000 starts in jumps races compared with 18.8 per 1000 starts in flat races. In hurdle and steeplechase races, veterinary clearance being required following horse injury was 5.4 times (OR 5.4, 95% CI 2.8-10.2) and 7.2 times (OR 7.2, 95% CI 3.3-15.6) more likely, respectively, compared with flat races. The risk of trauma was 4 times more likely in hurdle and steeplechase races (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.7-13.3 and OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.2-13.4, respectively) and the risk of lameness was increased by 2.5 times in hurdles (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.2) and 5.1 times in steeplechase races (OR 5.1, 95% CI 2.3-11.5), compared with flat races. These findings support concerns about the welfare of horses involved in jumps racing and of the need for further safety measures to reduce these risks.
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Publication Date: 2024-03-05 PubMed ID: 38473189PubMed Central: PMC10931299DOI: 10.3390/ani14050804Google 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.

Overview

  • This study compared rates of fatalities, falls, and injuries of Thoroughbred horses in jumps races versus flat races in Victoria, Australia during the 2022 and 2023 racing seasons.
  • The research found significantly higher risks for horses in jumps races, supporting ongoing welfare concerns and the need for improved safety measures.

Background and Context

  • Jumps racing involves horses navigating hurdles and steeplechase obstacles, typically at longer distances and carrying heavier weights.
  • Flat racing involves no obstacles and is run over shorter distances.
  • In Australia, jumps racing is only conducted in Victoria.
  • Jumps racing is controversial because it poses higher risks of horse fatalities, falls, and injuries compared to flat racing.
  • Despite industry safety measures introduced over the years, comprehensive reports combining all fatality, fall, and injury data had not been published in Australia since the 2012-2014 seasons.
  • Previously, data on incidents are published individually in Racing Victoria’s Stewards’ Reports but are not aggregated to analyze trends or policy impact.

Aims of the Study

  • To determine overall rates of horse fatalities, falls, and injuries during jumps races (both hurdle and steeplechase) in Victoria for 2022 and 2023 seasons.
  • To compare these rates to horses participating in flat races held at the same race meets.
  • To assess the effectiveness of previously introduced safety measures by evaluating current incident rates against historical data.

Methods

  • Data was extracted from Racing Victoria’s published race results and Stewards’ Reports.
  • The study analyzed 150 jumps races and 157 corresponding flat races conducted at 38 jumps race meets in Victoria across 2022 and 2023.
  • Incidents recorded included horse fatalities, falls, and injuries, with injury severity partially indicated by whether veterinary clearance was needed.

Key Findings

  • Fatalities:
    • Jumps races had a fatality rate of 3.3 per 1000 starts.
    • No fatalities were recorded in flat races during the same period.
  • Falls:
    • Hurdle races had a falls rate of 24 per 1000 starts.
    • Steeplechase races had a higher falls rate at 41.6 per 1000 starts.
    • No falls occurred in flat races.
    • These fall rates were similar to those reported in the 2012-2014 seasons, indicating no substantial improvement.
  • Injuries:
    • Injuries occurred at a rate of 68.9 per 1000 starts in jumps races, compared to 18.8 per 1000 starts in flat races.
    • Jumps race injuries were more severe, as shown by higher odds of requiring veterinary clearance (5.4 times higher for hurdles and 7.2 times higher for steeplechase compared to flats).
  • Types of Injuries:
    • Trauma to horses was 4 times more likely in hurdle (OR 4.8) and steeplechase races (OR 4.1) versus flat races.
    • Lameness was more frequent as well, 2.5 times higher in hurdles and 5.1 times higher in steeplechase races compared to flats.

Interpretation and Implications

  • The study confirms that despite safety interventions, jumps racing continues to have substantially higher risks for horse welfare than flat racing.
  • Fatalities, falls, and injury rates remain notably elevated and have not decreased significantly since previous reported periods.
  • The increased risk of trauma and lameness highlights specific welfare challenges associated with jumping over obstacles and carrying heavier weights over longer distances.
  • These findings reinforce the ongoing controversy over the ethics and safety of jumps racing in Victoria.
  • The authors suggest further safety measures and stricter regulations may be necessary to reduce these risks and improve the welfare of horses involved in jumps racing.

Summary

  • This research provides a robust, updated analysis of horse fatality, fall, and injury rates in jumps versus flat racing in Victoria, Australia.
  • The jumps racing format poses significantly greater welfare risks to Thoroughbred horses.
  • Safety improvements implemented in the past decade have not sufficiently lowered incident rates.
  • Greater attention to horse welfare and enhanced safety protocols are strongly recommended moving forward.

Cite This Article

APA
Jeppesen A, Eyers R, Evans D, Ward MP, Quain A. (2024). Comparison of Reported Fatalities, Falls and Injuries in Thoroughbred Horse Jumps and Flat Races in the 2022 and 2023 Jumps Race Seasons in Victoria, Australia. Animals (Basel), 14(5), 804. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050804

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 5
PII: 804

Researcher Affiliations

Jeppesen, Angela
  • School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia.
Eyers, Rebekah
  • RSPCA South Australia, Stepney, SA 5069, Australia.
Evans, Di
  • RSPCA Australia, Deakin, ACT 2600, Australia.
Ward, Michael P
  • School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia.
Quain, Anne
  • School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors acknowledge that Di Evans is employed by RSPCA Australia and Rebekah Eyers is employed by RSPCA SA, which are animal welfare organizations.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Morrice-West AV, Thomas M, Wong ASM, Flash M, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL. Linkage of jockey falls and injuries with racehorse injuries and fatalities in Thoroughbred flat racing in Victoria, Australia. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1481016.
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  2. Allen SE, Taylor S, Given J, Verheyen KL. Risk factors for fatality in jump racing Thoroughbreds in Great Britain (2010-2023). Equine Vet J 2025 Jul;57(4):870-877.
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