Your Jumps Season - Horse welfare and safety updates
By The Horse Welfare Board
As the new jumps season approaches, British racing’s Horse Welfare Board has outlined a series of updates designed to enhance safety, consistency of ground, and deliver best possible care for horses on and off the racecourse.
On the racecourse, from January Sleip gait-analysis technology will be incorporated into the BHA’s pre-race veterinary checks following a successful year-long trial, helping identify any irregularities in a horse’s movement. Racecourses across Britain are also improving obstacle safety by introducing padded timber toe boards, together with replacing traditional hurdles with padded versions (25 courses have already switched), and painting hurdle tops white to improve visibility for horses.
A new Turf Performance Quality Standard (PQS) has also been introduced to help racecourses manage and maintain consistent, high-quality ground conditions. Meanwhile, racecourse teams have been taking part in pre-season moulage training using 11 new life-size horse mannequins to prepare for emergency scenarios.
Off the track, a wide-ranging programme of research and sharing of best-practice continues. This includes the second phase of the Schooling Trials Pilot, trainer gallop surface assessments, and new yard staff training courses focused on gallops maintenance and surface safety. Researchers are also analysing every run by every horse this season through advanced Racing Risk Models, alongside projects on protective boots, fall analysis, and wearable technology for heart-rate monitoring.
In addition, ten new e-learning welfare modules have been launched to support racing staff in enhancing their equine care knowledge and professional development. Anyone working in racing can complete these for free at: www.racing2learn.com
These collective efforts reflect British racing’s ongoing commitment to evidence-led welfare improvements and to ensuring that horses receive the highest standard of care throughout and beyond their racing careers.
Please visit British racing’s welfare hub Horsepwr.co.uk for all the facts and updates on horse welfare within the sport.