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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2022; 12(4); 433; doi: 10.3390/ani12040433

Race-Level Reporting of Incidents during Two Seasons (2015/16 to 2016/17) of Harness Racing in New Zealand.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to describe the incident and non-incident reporting of harness racing in New Zealand, the primary injury and reporting outcomes, and to examine horse- and race-level variables associated with the odds of these outcomes. Retrospective stipendiary stewards' reports of race day events during the 2015/16 to 2016/17 racing seasons were examined. The number of incident and non-incident events and binomial exact 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated per 1000 horse starts. Most reports were for non-incidents and an examination was requested for poor performance (11.06 per 1000 starts (95% CI = 10.23-11.89). Races with more than eight participants were 1.9 (95% CI = 1.13-3.4) times more likely to have an incident than races with eight or less participants. The low incidence of significant injuries such as fractures (0.13 per 1000 starts (95% CI = 0.03-0.23) reflects the lower risk of injury in harness racing compared to Thoroughbred racing. The high incidence of poor performance reports highlights the steward's role in maintaining animal welfare to a high standard.
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Publication Date: 2022-02-11 PubMed ID: 35203141PubMed Central: PMC8868463DOI: 10.3390/ani12040433Google 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 conducted research on incident and non-incident reports of harness racing in New Zealand, focusing on aspects such as primary injury and reporting outcomes. It discovered that most reports were for non-incidents requesting examinations for poor performance, while races with more than eight participants had a higher likelihood of an incident occurring. Interestingly, significant injuries, such as fractures, were quite low, highlighting the lower risk of injury in harness racing.

Objective and Methodology

  • The purpose of the study was to analyse the reports of incidents and non-incidents during the harness racing seasons of 2015/16 and 2016/17 in New Zealand.
  • The researches used retrospective stipendiary stewards’ reports of race day events to collect data.
  • The two primary aspects they focused on were primary injury outcomes and reporting outcomes.
  • They used a race-level approach to examine the odds of these outcomes based on horse- and race-related variables.

Incidents and Non-incidents

  • The research found that most of the reports were for non-incidents with an incidence of 11.06 per 1000 starts.
  • These were primarily requests for examinations for poor performance, suggesting a need for reviewing horse health and racing conditions.

Participants in Races and Incidents

  • The study also found that races with more than eight participants were 1.9 times more likely to record an incident than races with eight or less participants.
  • This indicates that having more participants in a race can lead to a higher probability of incidents.

Injury Outcomes

  • The incidence of significant injuries like fractures was relatively low, standing at 0.13 per 1000 starts.
  • This suggests that compared to Thoroughbred racing, harness racing in New Zealand poses a lower injury risk.
  • However, the high incidence of non-incident reports for poor performance highlights the importance of ensuring high standards of animal welfare in the sport.

Cite This Article

APA
Gibson MJ, Roca Fraga FJ, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Rogers CW. (2022). Race-Level Reporting of Incidents during Two Seasons (2015/16 to 2016/17) of Harness Racing in New Zealand. Animals (Basel), 12(4), 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12040433

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 4
PII: 433

Researcher Affiliations

Gibson, Michaela J
  • School of Veterinary Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Roca Fraga, Fernando J
  • School of Veterinary Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Bolwell, Charlotte F
  • School of Veterinary Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Gee, Erica K
  • School of Veterinary Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Rogers, Chris W
  • School of Veterinary Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.

Grant Funding

  • 9/2017 / The New Zealand Equine Trust

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no real or perceived conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Gibson MJ, Legg KA, Gee EK, Rogers CW. Race-Level Reporting of Incidents Using an Online System during Three Seasons (2019/2020-2021/2022) of Thoroughbred Flat Racing in New Zealand. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 3;12(21).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12213028pubmed: 36359152google scholar: lookup
  2. Gibson MJ, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Legg KA, Rogers CW. Race-Level Reporting of Incidents during Two Seasons (2015/16 to 2016/17) of Thoroughbred Flat Racing in New Zealand. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 15;12(8).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12081033pubmed: 35454278google scholar: lookup
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