Source: AVMA
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) reported continued improvements in Thoroughbred racing safety, with the fatal injury rate declining 47% since 2009 and falling 3.6% from 2024 to 2025. However, HISA’s 2025 Annual Metrics Report identified several ongoing concerns, including higher fatality rates among 2-year-old horses, increased fatalities near the end of racing seasons, and elevated risks among horses subjected to intense high-speed exercise. Musculoskeletal injuries accounted for most racing- and training-related fatalities.
HISA also highlighted that approximately 20% of racing and training fatalities involved horses that had been identified as unsound, recently scratched by regulatory veterinarians, or removed from the Veterinarians’ List within six months of death. To improve monitoring and prevention, HISA is encouraging the use of wearable biometric sensors to track horses’ health and performance. The organization is also reviewing and modernizing its Veterinarians’ List and Stewards’ List procedures to strengthen safety oversight and further reduce equine fatalities across the industry.
Read the full story HERE: https://www.avma.org/news/hisa-urges-wearables-veterinary-list-reforms