NEW HORSE MANNEQUINS ENHANCE TRAINING AT RACECOURSES

As part of the sport's continuous efforts to drive down risk to both human and equine athletes, British racing has invested in ten life-size horse mannequins to enhance the training of veterinary and medical teams at racecourses.  

Led by racing’s independently chaired Horse Welfare Board (HWB) together with the Racecourse Association (RCA) the initiative aims to improve the safe handling and movement of horses on race days, ensuring that veterinary and medical teams are better prepared in emergencies. 

As a result of the sport’s investment in safety and welfare, the faller rate in British racing has reduced to 2.08% of around 30,000 runners per year - the lowest rate on record. However, incidents do still occur and the sport’s preparedness for when they do will help protect horses and riders from injury.  

With ten mannequins strategically located across Britain, the dedicated teams that care for horses and jockeys on race-day 363 days a year will utilise the new equipment as part of mandatory scenario training, to ensure response teams are best prepared for when an incident occurs.  

Cheltenham Racecourse was the first to receive one of the new mannequins in January and nine other racecourses including Newmarket, Haydock Park and Wincanton will obtain the equipment. Watch the video below to see the Cheltenham team training on the new mannequin for the first time. 

Alongside the mannequins themselves, the RCA has rolled out an enhanced training plan to allow for more realistic and hands on scenario planning and ‘moulage’ techniques (a simulation-based training exercise, for practice to take place in a controlled and safe environment).  

Over 500 vets and medical personnel including doctors, nurses, paramedics/first aiders, physios and other external providers including Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) support both horse and rider on racecourses across Britain.  

Of course it is not only racehorses that can get into trouble. And since the vast majority of vets and doctors working on British racecourses also practice in their communities, this enhanced knowledge and preparedness will go on to benefit all horses in Britain. Additionally, the long-term ambition is to roll training out to Point-to-Point and ‘off-course’ locations – to increase the breadth of knowledge across all horse and rider touchpoints. 

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance safety and welfare standards in British racing. Funded by the the Racing Foundation, in partnership with the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons (ARVS) the project exemplifies the power of collaboration within the racing industry to ensure the highest standards of horse welfare. 

For more information on what happens when a horse is injured on a raceday, click here.