The incidence of fatal and non-fatal injury in thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racehorses in Louisiana (2014-2022).

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to report the incidence of race-related injuries and equine fatalities in racehorses at the Louisiana racetracks from 2014 to 2022 for both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racehorses. Additionally, this study evaluated several factors that may be related to the occurrence of race-related injuries in racehorses in Louisiana. The average rates of equine fatal injuries (euthanized on or off track within 72 h of the race) were 1.70 ± 0.76 and 1.94 ± 0.89 per 1000 starts in Thoroughbred and Quarter racehorses, respectively. The average rates of non-fatal injuries were 4.81 ± 1.97 and 4.47 ± 2.34 per 1000 starts in Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racehorses, respectively. The number of starts, the number of injuries, the racetrack location, the breed status, and the seasonal changes were not associated with the number of equine fatal injuries. Location and seasonal changes were significantly associated with the number of equine non-fatal injuries. The results of the current study indicated that the average incidence of equine fatal and non-fatal injuries in Louisiana were within the range reported for Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racehorses at some racetracks while these incidences were lower than in some other racing jurisdictions in North America.