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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Descriptive epidemiology of long-term injuries in jump racin...
Equine veterinary journal2025; doi: 10.1111/evj.70129

Descriptive epidemiology of long-term injuries in jump racing Thoroughbreds in Great Britain.

Abstract: Race-related injuries in horse racing, especially those requiring extended recovery, are a welfare concern and threaten the sport's social licence. Previous studies predominantly report on fatalities; however, serious non-fatal musculoskeletal injuries often end horses' racing careers or have a high recurrence risk. No recent studies have described or quantified long-term injuries (LTIs) in racing Thoroughbreds, which is essential to inform targeted risk prevention strategies. Objective: To describe the types, frequencies and incidences of LTIs in British jump racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Analyses included all starts made in British hurdle and steeplechase races between 1 May 2018 and 30 April 2024. An LTI was defined as any non-fatal musculoskeletal injury incurred during racing, following which the horse had a minimum 90-day break from racing. LTIs were described by clinical diagnosis(es), body region(s) and anatomical structure(s) affected. Incidence per 1000 starts was calculated overall, by race type and year. Stratified incidence rates were calculated for selected injury types by age, sex, season, going and faller status. Results: There were 918 LTIs recorded in 898 horses. The overall incidence of LTIs was 5.5 per 1000 jump starts (95% CI 5.2-5.9), with 5.2 per 1000 hurdle starts (95% CI 4.8-5.7) and 6.0 per 1000 steeplechase starts (95% CI 5.4-6.7). Tendon and ligament injuries (TLIs) were the most common, accounting for 72.9% of LTIs in hurdle starts and 70.6% in steeplechase starts. Firmer going, summer and falling in a race were associated with a higher LTI incidence. Conclusions: Classification of LTIs commonly relied upon presumptive diagnoses. Conclusions: The incidence of LTIs was higher in steeplechase than hurdle starts, and TLIs are an important cause of morbidity in British jump racehorses. This study provides a benchmark for ongoing LTI surveillance in jump racing, against which to monitor the effects of future interventions.
© 2025 The Author(s). Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2025-11-24 PubMed ID: 41285418DOI: 10.1111/evj.70129Google Scholar: Lookup
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APA
McDonald S, Verheyen KLP, Chang YM, Allen SE. (2025). Descriptive epidemiology of long-term injuries in jump racing Thoroughbreds in Great Britain. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70129

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

McDonald, Sophia
  • Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.
Verheyen, Kristien L P
  • Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.
Chang, Yu-Mei
  • Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK.
Allen, Sarah E
  • Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.

Grant Funding

  • The Racing Foundation through the Horse Welfare Board
  • The Royal Veterinary College's Mellon Fund for Equine Research

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