Collaboration across academia, government and industry can help reduce racehorse and jockey injuries and fatalities through an Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program. The program aims to exchange information and resources, develop education, and train students, veterinarians, trainers and officials. Research shows the most common causes of jockey falls are racehorse catastrophic injuries, behavior issues and inexperience. Factors like track surfaces, medication and pre-race exams present opportunities for intervention. Mutual benefits of collaboration include greater impact, faster progress towards safety goals, and implementation of recommended changes.

1. The power of collaboration:
Improvements to safety and welfare in racing
Dr Peta Hitchens
People.Horses.Culture
National Conference for Workplace Safety,
Horse Welfare & Cultural Dimensions
24 May 2018

2. Google Dictionary, 2017

3. Equine Limb Injury Prevention ProgramEquine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program

4. UniMelb
UC Davis
State
Gov
RVL
CHRB
academia
government
industry
Racing
Safety &
Welfare
Programs
Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
→ exchange of information
→ sharing of resources
→ development of continuing education modules
→ training of graduate students, veterinary residents, trainers, race officials

5. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
The problem
• Racehorse fatalities are prevalent
• Racehorse fatality rates stagnant
• Most common reason for jockey injury or fatality1
• Lack of and/or conflicting evidence base
1 Hitchens et al. 2013, 2016

6. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
A common goal
To reduce jockey and racehorse injuries and
fatalities, because of these reasons:
• Ethical
• Social
• Financial

7. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
What do we need to achieve this goal?
goal achieved!
resources
buy-in
driver

8. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Ensuring buy-in to the change
• Understand each groups needs and priorities
• Work in or with industry (collaborate)
• Have a leader or motivator
• Communicate openly and transparently
• Be prepared to compromise

9. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Resources

10. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
JOCKEY SAFETY

11. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Research goals achieved through
collaboration
Research has determined:
• Incidence of jockey falls and injuries
• Modifiable risk factors

12. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
3.1 to
4.2
1.6
(during
race ony)
2.3
2.8
4.2
Jockey falls per 1,000 race rides by country
Hitchens et al. 2009; Bolwell et al. 2014; Oikawa 2004; McCrory et al 2006; Turner et al. 2004

13. Cumulativeriskprofile
Apprentice jockey
Inexperienced apprentice jockey (<250 race rides)
Riding a less accomplished (maiden) horse
Riding a less experienced horse (<5 race starts)
In a sprint race
On a dry fast track
Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Cumulative risk of jockey injuries
Hitchens et al. 2010, 2012

14. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Pre- and post-race falls
During Race
24%
Starting Gate
11%
Leaving Gate
10%
After the
Finish
11%
Paddock & Post Parade
44% Hitchens et al. 2009

15. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Causes of jockey falls: racehorse
catastrophic injury
32%
18%13%
11%
11%
8%
7%
Catastrophic injury/death of horse
Horse behavior
Stumbled
Clipped heels
Shifted ground abruptly
Hampered by fallen horse
Other/not specified
Hitchens et al. 2013

16. Jockey falls associated with racehorse
injury
Note: Figures are for jockey falls in Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing in California from 2007 to 2012.
* Axial includes pelvis, and cervical, lumbar and sacral spine.
Distal
Forelimb
23 falls/yr
Axial*
5 falls/yr
Hindlimb
2 falls/yr
Proximal
Forelimb
4 falls/yr
Hitchens et al. 2016

17. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Causes of jockey falls: other
Hitchens et al. 2013
32%
18%13%
11%
11%
8%
7%
Catastrophic injury/death of horse
Horse behavior
Stumbled
Clipped heels
Shifted ground abruptly
Hampered by fallen horse
Other/not specified

18. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Horse behaviour
97% of pre-race falls as a result of horse behaviour
• Horse may also
become injured if loose
• Lead ropes and safety
equipemtn for barrier
attendants
• Lead horses
Hitchens et al. 2009

19. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Severity of jockey falls
>170 times more likely to be
injured when riding a horse that
dies in a race
2/3 of such falls result in an
injury to the jockey
Other types of falls are normally
not as serious in nature
Benoit Photography/Arcadia, CAHitchens et al. 2013, 2016

20. rider
inexperience
 education
 restriction
horse
inexperience
/ behaviour
 education
racehorse
fatality
 address
modifiable risk
factors
jockey
injury

21. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
RACEHORSE FATALITIES

22. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Potential solutions to the problem
• What are the risk factors?
• Can they be modified?
• If they can, is it practical or feasible?

23. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Meta-analysis of racehorse injury
• 1990 to 2017
• 424 original research articles;
• 21 in a synthesis of incidence rates
• 65 in a synthesis of risk factors
The pooled incidence rate of CMI was
1.17 (95% CI 0.90, 1.44) per 1000 race starts

24. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Which of these factors
are modifiable?

25. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Interventions
• Ambulance access to all areas where riders are mounted
• Restriction of inexperienced jockeys from riding
inexperienced horses
• Focus on horse injury prevention strategies
• Identifying ‘safe’ training programs
• Medication restrictions
• Pre-race examinations
• Track management
• Ensure standardised record keeping and regular analysis

26. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Mutual benefits of collaboration
1. Potentially greater impact
2. Faster progress towards goals
3. Larger scale projects can be tackled
4. Exchange of information
5. Sharing of resources
6. Training (academic and industry)
7. Implementation of recommended change

27. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Buy-in from all parties is crucial.

28. Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program
Peta Hitchens
Research Fellow
U-Vet Equine Centre
250 Princes Hwy, Werribee
03 97312268
Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program