Track Surfaces Used for Ridden Workouts and Alternatives to Ridden Exercise for Thoroughbred Horses in Race Training

Abstract

Simple SummaryMusculoskeletal injury rates for Thoroughbred racehorses in training and racing differ between racing jurisdictions. The aetiology of these injuries is multifactorial, but one potentially important and modifiable risk factor is the track surface on which horses train. However, the extent to which different track surfaces are used by trainers has not been clearly established. Similarly, the extent of use of alternatives to ridden exercise between different jurisdictions is unknown. Trainers in Victoria, Australia, use a combination of turf, sand, synthetic and dirt training track surfaces. Sand or synthetic surfaces were most commonly used for slow workouts and turf or synthetic tracks for fast workouts. A high proportion of trainers raced horses on surfaces that were not regularly used for training, and 89% of trainers used alternative exercise methods in addition to overground ridden workouts. Determining types of surfaces and alternatives to ridden exercise used during training, and to what extent they are used, is the first step in understanding their association with the risk of injury. The future aim is mitigating injury risk by recommending safer track surfaces.AbstractLittle is known about the types of surfaces used during training of Thoroughbred racehorses or methods of exercise used in addition to ridden track-work. Our aims were to (1) describe the types of surfaces used in the training of Thoroughbred racehorses and to (2) identify alternative approaches used to exercise horses in addition to, or in place of, ridden overground track-work. Information regarding surface and alternative exercise methods was collected as part of an in-person survey of training practices of 66 registered Thoroughbred trainers in Victoria, Australia. Sand and synthetic surfaces were used by 97% and 36% of trainers respectively for slow-workouts, with galloping on turf training tracks used in training regimens by 82% and synthetic by 58% of trainers. Of those trainers utilising turf tracks, only 34% of gallop training was completed on turf despite turf being the predominant racing surface. Almost 90% of trainers used alternatives to ridden exercise. There is substantial variation in training surface used and alternative types of exercise undertaken by Victorian trainers. Future research should focus on how such practices relate to injury risk, particularly as it relates to the importance of musculoskeletal adaptation to specific race-day surfaces.

The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature

“…Racing authorities in the US record timed works, which are almost exclusively held at the racetrack [ 19 , 24 , 31 , 66 ]. Similarly, Australian racing authorities record official race trials, which are frequently held on training tracks rather than on racetracks [ 26 , 67 , 68 ]. However, a large proportion of HSE is performed during unofficial trials or training, which is not recorded [ 26 , 67 , 68 ].…”

“…Similarly, Australian racing authorities record official race trials, which are frequently held on training tracks rather than on racetracks [ 26 , 67 , 68 ]. However, a large proportion of HSE is performed during unofficial trials or training, which is not recorded [ 26 , 67 , 68 ]. Similarly, a large proportion of HSE in the UK is performed at training centers or private training yards and is not recorded [ 43 , 44 , 69 ].…”

A Prospective Study of Training Methods for Two-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia, and Analysis of the Differences in Training Methods between Trainers of Varying Stable Sizes

“…In the current study, non-ridden exercise modalities were used increasingly as stable size increased. Other studies have reported similar use of non-ridden training modalities in racehorses training in New Zealand [ 64 ] and in Victoria, Australia [ 84 ]. Incorporating non-ridden exercise modalities into race training programs may be beneficial in reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries [ 64 , 65 ].…”

Survey of trainers on the use of swimming exercise for Standardbred racehorses in Australia

“…Differences between interviewed trainers and survey participants were evaluated using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests. Based on a prevalence of use of swimming exercise by Victorian Thoroughbred trainers of 67%, 18 using a confidence interval of 90% with 80% power and a 5% margin of error, we determined that 213 survey respondents were required to estimate the proportion of trainers swimming in the total registered population.…”