Identifying At Risk Racehorses

[Grits]

Its a start.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/86073/identifying-at-risk-racehorses-a-priority

[Grits]

More coverage...

http://www.drf.com/news/state-vets-relying-more-data-reduce-fatalities

Still, it is clear that obtaining results in reducing catastrophic injuries has been uneven across the racing industry. Although Mike Ziegler, the executive director of the Safety and Integrity Alliance and the moderator of the panel, opened with a statement contending that “all this data is helping to make racing safer for all of its participants,” the most recent release of fatality rates shows that the rate has not budged materially since the Equine Injury Database was launched in 2008, hovering at 2.00 fatal injuries per 1,000 starts. That rate is at least double the reported fatality rates for many other major racing jurisdictions, including Great Britain, Japan, and Australia. (All three jurisdictions primarily race on grass, which has been shown to be a somewhat safer racing surface in the U.S.)

In Massachusetts...

Durenberger said the focus on the use of bute is being driven by a concern that overuse of the medication is “taking the tools away” from regulatory vets by masking physiological problems during exams. But the focus is not just to penalize trainers, but rather to make them aware of the risks that the overuse of the drug is presenting to many horses.