Racing has a clear and moral responsibility for the racehorse at the heart of the sport. Racing is one of the most regulated animal activities in the world and strict measures are in place to ensure the welfare of horses.

British racing has made huge strides to continuously improve safety, welfare, and transparency. More than £47 million has been invested over the past 20 years to advance veterinary science, research, and education. This work benefits all breeds of horses.     

In 2019, the sport created an independently chaired Horse Welfare Board which published a five-year strategic plan for the welfare of horses bred for racing. 26 projects were identified and are underway to drive continuous improvement across the sport.  Racing’s clear ambition is for every horse bred to race to lead “a life well-lived”.  

Examples of progress include an industry-led aftercare review, the creation of a new Welfare Data Unit to use cutting-edge data and analytics to identify and drive down risk, and an equine vision research project that led to all markers on jumps and hurdles on every British racecourse changing from orange to white to drive improved safety.

Alongside these major research and development projects, the sport adopts an approach of ongoing review and improvement, with data and evidence constantly being evaluated. This process results in changes frequently being made to racecourse and stable design and standards, ranging from minor adjustments to major overhauls, if needed. 

British racing also works with welfare organisations such as World Horse Welfare. They describe themselves as “critical friends” to the sport, which means they provide honest, frank views on how we can improve our safety and welfare record.

British racing is relentless in the continuous improvement of safety and welfare for horses in our sport. 99.8% of all horses that run in races return home safe, and 99.5% of horses complete their race without sustaining any form of long-term injury.

Racing does involve risk, but fatalities in British racing as a proportion of runners is extremely low.

In 2023, 0.2% of all runners in both flat and jump racing experienced fatal injuries (158 horses from 87,619 runners).

Extracting just jump racing, the fatal injury rate is 0.42% (2023: 112 horses from 29,947 runners).

In flat racing the fatality rate is 0.08% of runners (2023: 46 from 57,672 runners)

Every single fatality matters, and racing investigates each and every one. There is also a raft of safety-focused work ongoing from in-depth data analysis of fallers through to a review of the hurdles used on tracks.

Multiple research projects are also underway with experts from top-flight, independent institutions like the Royal Veterinary College to identify areas where risk can be reduced.

As an example of this work, racing’s research into equine vision with Exeter University showed that horses could see white more clearly than orange against a fence. As a result, in 2022, all markings on all jumps across Britain were changed from orange to white. Data is now being collected to analyse the impact of the colour change on faller numbers. 

In actual fact the data shows that the softer the ground, generally, the safer jump racing is. This is because the soft ground reduces speed and cushions falls.

Data collected from 2013 – 2023 for jumps races shows the following fatality rates for races on different types of going.

Heavy: 0.22%

Soft: 0.33%

Good to Soft: 0.43%

Good: 0.51%

Good to Firm: 0.58%

Sometimes jump races on heavy going might see fewer horses complete the race, but this is simply good welfare practice. Jockeys will pull up tired horses to ensure they are not stretched beyond their limits.

Thoroughbred horses are powerful, weighing half a tonne and capable of reaching speeds of up to and over 40 miles per hour.

To ensure the safety of both horse and rider, and to ensure that horses can give their best, jockeys use a lightweight, foam-padded whip, designed in collaboration with industry experts and external welfare advisors.

It is used to guide, focus, encourage, and maintain control and safety during races, acting as a means of communication between rider and racehorse.  Use is extremely limited and there are strict rules which are rigorously enforced and include disqualification.   

The rules are that jockeys can use the whip a maximum of six times in a flat race or seven times in a jump race. A jockey’s arm cannot go above shoulder height, and it can only be used on two places on a horse’s body – the shoulder and hindquarters. When being used on the shoulder the whip can only be used in the backhand position. 

Since the new rules were introduced in 2023, they have been breached in 0.75% of rides, significantly less than one in every 100 rides.  

The whip used in racing was designed in collaboration with industry experts and external welfare advisors. It is a foam-padded, energy-absorbing "ProCush" design that comprises a composite spine with a polymer surround, encased in dense foam padding. It is designed to be lightweight and create a loud noise on impact.

While studies have taken place around the welfare impacts of the whip, scientific evidence remains inconclusive.

Therefore, in order to ensure welfare is safeguarded, strict regulations govern the frequency, force, jockey technique and where on the horse’s body the whip can be used. The whip must also never be used to coerce a horse. Stringent penalties are in place and enforced for any breaches of the rules.

More independent research is being commissioned in regards to this question.

The latest faller rate in jump racing is 2.14% of all runners. This figure has decreased substantially in the last 20 years due to ongoing safety initiatives.  

In the event of a horse falling during a race, immediate veterinary attention is available within 60 seconds if needed.

Most falls do not result in injuries. However, when a horse falls, green screens are often put up around them or around the rider to give them and the attending medical professional privacy and space to carry out their assessments.

If a horse does need further assistance, specialist equipment is on hand to stabilise and make the horse as comfortable as possible, and equine ambulances are available for immediate transportation to veterinary facilities at the racecourse or to an equine hospital for the necessary evaluation and care. 

Because horses cannot stay off their feet for long periods due to risk of serious illness and other welfare concerns, broken bones often do not have a chance to heal. As a consequence, sadly, the kindest way to help a horse with a broken limb is often to put them down.

Vets carefully assess each situation and, in consultation with owners and trainers, may recommend euthanasia if it is deemed the most humane option.

The decision prioritises the horse's welfare so that they do not suffer unnecessarily.

Maintaining a suitable quality of life is a key consideration when considering future options for a horse that has had a serious injury or condition.

If a horse does have to be put down, it is done in a quick and painless way, by a trained veterinary surgeon. The only permitted method is by injection.

Any decision is taken by the team of veterinary surgeons. Where appropriate this will be done in consultation with the owners and trainer of a horse.

The Grand National is Britain's most famous horserace, run over unique, specially-designed fences at Aintree Racecourse, and is a spectacle watched by millions of people worldwide.

The race is run over a distance of 4 miles 2 ½ furlongs and 30 iconic fences, which were redesigned in 2012 with a plastic core which is designed to make them more forgiving to horses who make a mistake when jumping.

Over £2m has been invested on horse welfare measures at Aintree in the past decade alone, including modifying every fence on the course and reducing the number of horses taking part.

Find out more about safety in the Grand National here.

Britain’s most popular race is also its most demanding. So ahead of each Grand National race, the team work continuously to drive down preventable risk.

Before running in the race, the Grand National Review Panel meticulously analyses every horse entered from their past performance to their jumping style, to ensure every equine athlete at the start line is up to the challenge.

In addition, veterinary assessment of each runner commences months before the running of the race, culminating in a final, thorough check by vets on raceday.

The race has continuously evolved over time and in 2024 the latest changes include reducing the number of runners to 34, moving the first fence closer to the start, using a standing start to reduce speed approaching the first fence, and running the race earlier in the day to ensure the best ground possible.

There have been five fatal injuries from the previous 10 runnings of the race, which included a total of 395 runners. Between 2013 and 2018 there were six consecutive Grand National races with no fatalities. The last four runnings of the race have, unfortunately, witnessed fatal injuries. Aintree racecourse has, as a result, taken further steps to improve safety in the race.

Find out more about safety in the Grand National here

Yes, horses can race in hot weather. Their physical adaptations, which make them well suited to racing, assist with handling hot temperatures and given time horses acclimatise very well to rising temperatures.

This, along with extra precautions put in place by racecourse officials and the oversight of veterinary professionals, ensures that horses can race safely and recover effectively even in hot conditions.

In countries like Australia and the Middle East racing often takes place in temperatures hotter than would be experienced at any point of the year in Great Britain.

Data from recent years during which there were periods of extreme temperatures in Britain showed no evidence of an increased risk of welfare concerns as a result of horses racing in these periods.

If Government issues a red weather warning for heat then racing does not take place.

For context the total horse population of all breeds in Great Britain is estimated to be around 1million. 

In 2023 the total number of British foals bred for racing was 4,510, down by 2% compared to 2022. This figure has remained stable for the last 13 years.

Approximately 20,000 individual horses race in Britain each year. Indeed, the British breeding industry alone would not be sufficient to sustain the British racing industry, and horses are imported to race from other nations, in particular local neighbours such as France and Ireland.

69% of foals bred for the sport in Britain who were born in 2015 entered training, with further up-to-date studies currently underway.

Breeding figures are published annually by Weatherbys General Studbook and can be accessed here: Weatherbys Fact Book 2023 [Weatherbys Fact Book 2023 by Weatherbys - Issuu}

Racing’s commitment to horses extends far beyond the track.

Following on from the sport’s 2023 Thoroughbred Census racing can say with confidence that over 80% of British Thoroughbreds that have been retired from racing are active and identifiable.  

More than 40% of the estimated 33,600 former racehorses in Britain are members of the sport’s aftercare partner Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and the ambition is to grow this significantly.  Data shows that the most popular second careers for thoroughbreds are general leisure riding, dressage, eventing, showing and show jumping.   

Our ambition is to achieve 100% traceability of racehorses when they retire from the sport, and to better tailor any support that might be needed for them to thrive as they transition into their next career.

For horses for whom euthanasia is required, which can occasionally be the most humane outcome, we are here to help those responsible make difficult but timely decisions. We emphasise that horses must be allowed to retain their dignity to the end, ideally at home.

In addition, British racing introduced a rule in 2022 that all racehorses that run in Great Britain must be signed out of the food chain, meaning they cannot be sold for slaughter to abattoirs.

In 2023 just 83 Thoroughbred passports were returned from British abattoirs, 80 of which had been sent from overseas to Britain to be put down.

Only one horse that had raced in Great Britain in the last four years had its life ended at an abattoir in Great Britain in 2023, this horse had raced prior to 2022 when the new rules were introduced.

British racing has a strict zero-tolerance policy on performance enhancing drugs.

Moreover, horses will not be allowed to race with any substances or medications in their system at levels which might affect their physiology and overall wellbeing, even if they are substances which are legal and permitted to be given to horses when they are at home. 

All trainers are required to keep records of any medicines being administered to a horse in their care.

Racing’s medication standards are underpinned by extensive testing, both on the racecourse and at home in training.

The vast majority of positive samples are returned due to a perfectly legal substance which had been administered at home having not yet left a horse’s system in time for raceday. In addition issues such as accidental contamination can result in positive samples.

Cases of intentional doping are extraordinarily rare in British racing.

Every September British racing opens the doors to studs, training yards, and aftercare centres across the country during the nine days of National Racehorse Week.

Over 16,000 free places are made available giving a unique opportunity to witness the realities of life as a racehorse, ask questions of staff, and to help address misconceptions.

However, you do not just have to wait for that one week. Racing is open and transparent and many yards, studs and aftercare centres would be happy to speak to those who wish to learn more about the sport.

They are many and varied. This is because horse racing is not only a sport but also a large and prosperous industry with far-reaching economic benefits.

Racing is the second-largest spectator sport in Britain. With 5 million attendees at races, the sport contributes over £4 billion annually to the economy, generates £300 million in tax revenue, and creates employment opportunities with over 16,000 full-time-equivalent jobs in the breeding and training sectors alone, many of which are in rural communities.

Including ancillary industries connected to the sport, the employment contribution rises to over 80,000 people. 

Despite all of this economic benefit, the approach taken by the industry is that if there is an issue that is wrong for the horse, then the horse’s needs take priority. 

There is robust scientific evidence to support controlled exercise at a young age in thoroughbreds. It has been shown that exercise has a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system because it stimulates development with a resultant increase in strength and density of bones.

Enhanced levels of tissue maturity have been shown to have been attained in racehorses before their two-year-old racing career usually commences.

The evidence shows that horses that raced as two-year-olds had significantly more race starts during their careers from three-years-old upwards than those who did not race until they were three-years-old or older.

Not every thoroughbred will be ready to race at two-years-old and a trainer would identify those who might need more time.

The racing of thoroughbreds at two-years-old only takes place in Flat races.