The risk of severity of limb injuries in racing thoroughbred horses.
Abstract: A retrospective study was carried out to identify factors which predisposed Thoroughbred horses to severe injuries, as compared to less severe injuries, while racing on New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks during the period of January 1986 to June 1988. A severe injury was defined as an injury which led to humane destruction of the horse. A less severe injury was defined as a horse which didn't race within 6 months following a muscular, ligament, tendon, or skeletal injury on the racetrack. The data were obtained from the Horse Identification Department records kept by the Chief Examining Veterinarian of NYRA and included 55 severely injured horses and 245 less severely injured horses. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the risk of severe injuries compared to less severe injuries in those horses. There was a significant association between track and the risk of severe injury (horses raced on Belmont and Saratoga were more likely to develop a severe injury compared to horses raced on Aqueduct Main). The track surface was also associated with the risk of severe injury (horses raced on a firm turf had a significantly lower risk of severe injury associated with the track was significantly modified by the track condition (horses raced at Belmont when it was muddy had a significantly increased risk compared to Aqueduct dirt). Horses were more likely to experience severe injury in the early part of the race (less than or equal to 6 furlongs) than the latter part of the race (greater than 6 furlongs). The risk of severe injury decreased with the age of the horse.
Publication Date: 1992-07-01 PubMed ID: 1643884
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article investigates the factors that lead to severe limb injuries as opposed to milder ones in Thoroughbred racehorses on New York Racing Association tracks from 1986 to 1988.
Study Methodology
- The researchers used a retrospective study approach, meaning they looked back at existing records and data to examine possible correlations and trends.
- Data was gathered from the Horse Identification Department records kept by the Chief Examining Veterinarian of the New York Racing Association (NYRA).
- They distinguished between severe injuries, which led to the euthanization of the horse, and less severe injuries which prevented the horse from racing for six months following a muscular, ligament, tendon, or skeletal injury.
- The dataset included 55 severely injured horses and 245 less severely injured ones.
- The researchers used multiple logistic regression analysis, a statistical method for examining the relationship between one outcome (severity of injury in this case) and several independent variables (the different factors examined in the study).
Significant Risk Factors Identified
- One of the most significant factors observed was the association between the racing track and the risk of severe injury. Horses raced on Belmont and Saratoga tracks were more likely to sustain severe injuries than those raced on Aqueduct Main track.
- The condition of the track surface was another crucial factor associated with the risk of severe injuries. Horses raced on firm turf surprisingly had a lower risk of severe injury. But track condition affected the risk considerably — if Belmont was muddy, it induced a significantly higher risk of injury compared to running on Aqueduct’s dirt track.
- Horses were also more prone to severe injuries in the earlier stages of a race (up to 6 furlongs) than in the latter portions.
- Age was another influential factor — the risk of severe injury tended to decrease with the horse’s age.
Implications and Conclusions
- This study potentially offers guidance for race organizers on how to improve track conditions to reduce injury risk in horses.
- It can also provide information and tips for trainers regarding the likelihood of injury, based on a horse’s age and different race stages.
Cite This Article
APA
Mohammed HO, Hill T, Lowe J.
(1992).
The risk of severity of limb injuries in racing thoroughbred horses.
Cornell Vet, 82(3), 331-341.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Ithaca 14853.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Breeding
- Extremities / injuries
- Fractures, Bone / epidemiology
- Fractures, Bone / etiology
- Fractures, Bone / veterinary
- Horses / injuries
- New York / epidemiology
- Regression Analysis
- Retrospective Studies
- Risk Factors
- Seasons
- Sports
- Wounds and Injuries / epidemiology
- Wounds and Injuries / etiology
- Wounds and Injuries / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Ikeda Y, Ishihara A, Nakajima M, Yamada K. Risk factors for superficial digital flexor tendinopathy in Thoroughbred racing horses in Japan.. J Equine Sci 2019;30(4):93-98.
- Maeda Y, Hanada M, Oikawa MA. Epidemiology of racing injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses with special reference to bone fractures: Japanese experience from the 1980s to 2000s.. J Equine Sci 2016;27(3):81-97.
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