Jump Horse Safety: Reconciling Public Debate and Australian Thoroughbred Jump Racing Data, 2012–2014

Abstract

Simple SummaryThis paper documents the dynamics of Australian thoroughbred jump racing in the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons with the aim of informing debate about risks to horses and the future of this activity. We conclude that the safety of Australian jump racing has improved in recent years but that steeplechases are considerably riskier for horses than hurdle races.AbstractThoroughbred jump racing sits in the spotlight of contemporary welfare and ethical debates about horse racing. In Australia, jump racing comprises hurdle and steeplechase races and has ceased in all but two states, Victoria and South Australia. This paper documents the size, geography, composition, and dynamics of Australian jump racing for the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons with a focus on debate about risks to horses. We found that the majority of Australian jump racing is regional, based in Victoria, and involves a small group of experienced trainers and jockeys. Australian jump horses are on average 6.4 years of age. The jump career of the majority of horses involves participating in three or less hurdle races and over one season. Almost one quarter of Australian jump horses race only once. There were ten horse fatalities in races over the study period, with an overall fatality rate of 5.1 fatalities per 1000 horses starting in a jump race (0.51%). There was significant disparity between the fatality rate for hurdles, 0.75 fatalities per 1000 starts (0.075%) and steeplechases, 14 fatalities per 1000 starts (1.4%). Safety initiatives introduced by regulators in 2010 appear to have significantly decreased risks to horses in hurdles but have had little or no effect in steeplechases. Our discussion considers these data in light of public controversy, political debate, and industry regulation related to jump horse safety.

Look Before You Leap: What Are the Obstacles to Risk Calculation in the Equestrian Sport of Eventing?

“…No central record system exists for eventing horses, other than their competition record. In the current climate of strong public antipathy to the perceived cruelty to animals [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ], combined with ambivalence about the use of animals for entertainment [ 61 , 79 , 80 ], the issue of horse fatalities in the sport of eventing will undoubtedly soon attract public attention, as it has in the sport of jumps racing [ 75 , 76 , 78 ]. The unpublished reports of Harrison and colleagues [ 67 , 68 ] found a total of 113 horse deaths in jumps racing in the Australian State of Victoria between 1995 and 2005, an average of 10 a year.…”

“…The unpublished reports of Harrison and colleagues [ 67 , 68 ] found a total of 113 horse deaths in jumps racing in the Australian State of Victoria between 1995 and 2005, an average of 10 a year. The recent report [ 78 ] on Australian jumps racing, conducted now only in Victoria and South Australia, reveals 10 horse deaths in jumps racing between 2012 and 2014, an average of five a year. The fate of thoroughbred racehorses, whether flat racers or jumps racers, has until very recently also been unknown once the horse leaves the racetrack for the last time.…”

“…The fate of thoroughbred racehorses, whether flat racers or jumps racers, has until very recently also been unknown once the horse leaves the racetrack for the last time. In 2015, Racing Victoria Ltd changed its rules to require trainers to notify them of the death of a horse in training [ 78 ]. No such requirement currently exists for eventing horses.…”

The External Workload of Thoroughbred Horse Racing Jockeys

“…At an industry level, much of the appeal of the thoroughbred industry is based on tradition and the maintenance of traditional practices. Attention on the sustainability of the industry has primarily focused on the impact of these traditional practices on the horse, rather than a broader context of all industry participants [5][6][7]. Indeed, there appears to have been limited focus on how the workplace practices and physiological challenges of jockeys (high perceived workload and maintenance of low body weights) are sustainable within the industry, both from a health and safety and economic perspective.…”

Responding to Risk: Regulation or Prohibition? New Zealand Media Reporting of Thoroughbred Jumps Racing 2016–2018

“…Due to these factors, jumps racing is controversial primarily because, compared to flat racing, it involves a higher risk of accident or fatality to both horse and rider [5,6]. Worldwide fatality rates for jumps racing range from 3.9–8.3 per 1000 starts in contrast to that for flat racing of 0.44–1.9 per 1000 starts [7,8,9,10,11,12]. Fatalities in jumps racing continue to occur, and with the wide accessibility of the media, graphic images and videos of falls reach a wide audience, not just racing enthusiasts and those present on race day.…”