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What's Going On Here: An Eye on the Summit

The racing industry has challenges...but health and safety come first

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Bramlage: Rest Needed to Keep Horses Sound

The skeleton a Thoroughbred is born with isn't the finished product it needs to be a successful competitor. The animal must develop and strengthen it through training and then maintain it.

Corticosteroids: Beneficial But Controversial

The use of corticosteroids in racehorses has created controversy, but the medications are beneficial when used appropriately. That was Dr. Wayne McIlwraith's message during the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit IV.

TAA One of Main Topics at Welfare Seminar

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which recently announced a new funding plan, was a main focus during a session entitled "Totally Aftercare" that closed out the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit.

Education, Communication Can Improve Safety

Educating trainers about the warning signs of catastrophic injury and having committees focus on racetrack safety are two ways safety can be improved at the racetrack.

Trainer Panel Tackles Controversial Topics

The use of racehorse medications and importance of owner education were among the topics discussed among trainers Kellyn Gorder, Tom Proctor, and Phil Sims at the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit at Keeneland.

Data: Slight Drop in Fatal Racehorse Injuries

Synthetic surfaces still have the lowest number of catastrophic breakdowns per 1,000 starts, but overall fatalities for all surfaces didn't change much from 2009 to 2011, according to Equine Injury Database statistics.

Proactive Approach Sought on Racing Surfaces

Regular testing and proactive investment are keys to improving the safety records of racetracks, a co-founder of the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory said Oct. 16 at the fourth Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit.

Racehorse Welfare Summit Scheduled Oct 16-17

A fourth Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit will be held Oct. 16-17 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, K.Y., the Jockey Club and Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced July 24.

Document Looks at Racing, Training Surfaces

The Racing Surfaces Committee formed at the inaugural Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit in 2006 has published a 34-page "Racing Surfaces White Paper."

Rider Injury Database a Summit Priority

Participants in welfare and safety meeting commit to collecting information about racing's human participants.

Protecting Racehorses for Second Careers

A panel on transitioning Thoroughbred racehorses to second careers during the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit June 28 stressed the importance of protecting horses while they're on the track.

Nicholson: Expand Safety and Welfare Efforts

Nick Nicholson, the president and CEO of Keeneland, called for the Thoroughbred industry to expand its efforts to protect its participants--both human and equine--from injury.

Data: Fatalities Similar Across All Surfaces

An initial analysis of equine injury data released earlier this year shows no statistically significant difference in the risk of fatalities in Thoroughbreds on different racing surfaces, officials said June 28.

Video Streaming of Welfare and Safety Summit

The third Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit on June 28-29 at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion in Lexington will be available via a live video stream.

Preliminary Equine Injury Data Released

A preliminary analysis of equine injury data over a one-year period shows 2.04 fatal injuries in Thoroughbreds per 1,000 starts, The Jockey Club said March 23.

Keeneland to Host Welfare and Safety Summit

The third Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit is set for June 28 and 29. Previous summits have helped launch initiatives like the Equine Injury Database and the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory.

Welfare and Safety Summit Releases Hoof DVD

The Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit's Shoeing and Hoof Care Committee is now offering a free educational DVD entitled, "The Hoof: Inside and Out" that examines the physiology of the equine hoof and demonstrates proper care and shoeing techniques.

Equine Welfare Key No Matter the Outcome

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association is prepared for "every potential outcome" on Preakness Stakes (gr. I) day, but no matter the result, developments in the area of equine health and welfare in the coming weeks and months are of the utmost importance, the organization's president and chief executive officer said.

Jockey Club, NTRA Act on Derby Death

In the wake of the fatal breakdown of the filly Eight Belles in the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), The Jockey Club has commissioned a seven-member Thoroughbred Safety Committee, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association board of directors has scheduled a special meeting May 9 to discuss a course of action.

Review: Racetrack Fatality Ratio Changes

The number of catastrophic injuries on dirt tracks has gone up while the corresponding number on synthetic surfaces has gone down, according to a revision of a report first given at the March 17 Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit.

Welfare and Safety Summit Approaching

The second Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, slated for March 17-18 at Keeneland, will be a time of learning new approaches to solving industry issues, as well as continuing the discussion of progress on topics brought up at the first meeting in October 2006.

Grayson-JC Research to Fund $1.2 M

On Feb. 15, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation approved a record allocation of $1,226,457 for equine research in 2008.

Summit Will Examine Progress

The second Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, set for March 17-18 at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion, will feature wide-ranging discussions of critical equine health- and safety-related issues, including progress reports from the working committees established coming out of the original summit in October 2006.

'Welfare and Safety' Summit Update Released

Organizers of the 2006 "Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit" have released an update outlining the work of various committees. A second summit could be held in early 2008.

Committee Calls for Ban on Certain Toe Grabs

A commmittee that sprung from last year's Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit is calling for a ban of toe grabs with a height greater than four millimeters.

Helping the Horses

By Ray Paulick - The proposed strategic plan that came out of last month's Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit is one of those documents or white papers that most likely will land in one of two places: the Thoroughbred industry's dust-gathering burial ground of so many other good ideas; or the hands of a leader with the energy, influence, and personal commitment to make a difference.

Welfare Summit Opens With Scientific Data, Frank Discussions

The public session that opened the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit Monday in Lexington didn't provide just food for thought. The speakers and panelists served up a huge banquet of data, ideas, anecdotes, and opinions while kicking off the two-day event.

Racehorse Safety Summit Scheduled for October

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation will sponsor a two-day workshop for presentations, panel discussions, and strategic planning concerning the welfare and safety of the Thoroughbred racehorse Oct. 16-17 at Keeneland in Lexington.