Descriptive analysis of Thoroughbred horses born in Victoria, Australia, in 2010; barriers to entering training and outcomes on exiting training and racing.
Abstract: The reasons for Thoroughbred (TB) horses not entering training or exiting the racing industry, are of interest to regulators, welfare groups and the broader community. Speculation about the outcomes of these horses threatens the community acceptance, or social license, of the TB breeding and racing industries. A representative survey of the 2010 Victorian born TB foal crop was used to determine the outcomes and reasons for exit for horses that had not entered training, or had exited training and racing by eight years of age. Horses exported for racing or breeding (4%), or that were still actively racing (7%) at the start of the follow up period were excluded from the study. An online questionnaire was sent to breeders or trainers of 3,176 TB horses eligible for enrolment in the study. Of the 2,005 (63%) responses received, the two most frequent outcomes were that the horse had either been retired or rehomed (65%), or deceased (16%). For the 1,637 TB horses that had entered training, the majority of retirements were voluntary (59%), followed by involuntary retirements due to health disorders (28%). For TBs that did not have an industry record of entering training (n = 368), death (34%), or retirement or being rehomed (27%), were the most frequent barriers to entering training. The median age of retirement for TBs that raced was five (Q1 4; Q3 6) years regardless of sex, or whether their first race start was at two, three or four years of age. Relatively large numbers of horses voluntarily retiring at five-years of age suggests that industry-level, rather than individual horse-level factors are the predominant influences on racing career duration.
Publication Date: 2020-10-28 PubMed ID: 33112903PubMed Central: PMC7592779DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241273Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study looks into the reasons for Thoroughbred horses in Victoria, Australia, either failing to undergo training or exiting the racing industry before turning eight. The research indicates that voluntary retirement and death are the primary outcomes for horses who have not begun training or have stopped racing and training.
Study Overview
The researchers conducted a representative survey on Thoroughbred horses born in Victoria in 2010. Horses that were exported for breeding or racing, or were still actively racing were not part of the study. An online questionnaire was circulated among breeders or trainers of 3,176 Thoroughbred horses that were eligible for participation in the study.
- The response rate was 63%, and data from 2,005 respondents were considered valid for study purposes.
- The research primarily revolved around horses not entering training or those that have withdrawn from training and racing by eight years of age.
Study Findings
The study revealed that the two most recurrent results for horses that had either not entered training or had exited training and racing by eight years were the following:
- The horse had been retired or rehomed (65%)
- The horse had passed away (16%)
For the horses that had gone through the training process:
- The primary reason for retirement was voluntary decision-making (59%);
- 28% had to involuntarily retire due to health problems.
Horses that never appeared on the industry record of entering training experienced:
- Death (34%);
- Consequent retirement or rehoming (27%) as the most common obstacles to entering training.
Observations and Analysis
The study also found that:
- The median age of retirement for Thoroughbred horses that raced was five years, regardless of sex or age at the first race.
- The substantive numbers of horses voluntarily retiring at age five suggested that industry-level factors influence the duration of a racing career more than individual horse-level factors.
Cite This Article
APA
Flash ML, Renwick M, Gilkerson JR, Stevenson MA.
(2020).
Descriptive analysis of Thoroughbred horses born in Victoria, Australia, in 2010; barriers to entering training and outcomes on exiting training and racing.
PLoS One, 15(10), e0241273.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241273 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Breeding
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses / physiology
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Sports
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Victoria
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have read the journal’s policy and have the following competing interests to declare: Racing Victoria Ltd. provided support for MLF in the form of a thesis stipend as part of a research contract (Racing Vic 045083 15/16). This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products associated with this research to declare.
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Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Legg KA, Gee EK, Breheny M, Gibson MJ, Rogers CW. A Bioeconomic Model for the Thoroughbred Racing Industry-Optimisation of the Production Cycle with a Horse Centric Welfare Perspective. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 30;13(3).
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