Fatal musculoskeletal injuries incurred during racing and training in thoroughbreds

Abstract

Objective: To characterize and contrast data from Thoroughbreds that incurred a fatal musculoskeletal injury (FMI; injury resulting in death or euthanasia) during racing or training and data from all California race entrants during a 9-month period in 1991.

Design: Case-control study.

Animals: Thoroughbreds that incurred a FMI during racing or training at a California race-meet and all California race entrants from January through June and October through December 1991.

Procedure: Age and sex were compared with chi 2 and Fisher's exact tests among horses fatally injured while racing and training. A log-linear model was fit to assess the relationship between race-meet and age and sex of California race entrants. Incidence risk of racing FMI was estimated per 1,000 race entrants, and the relationship between the occurrence of FMI during racing with race-meet, age, and sex was evaluated by logistic regression.

Results: Injury type and sex-specific age distributions differed among the horses fatally injured during racing and training. Age and sex distributions of the race entrants were not independent and varied among race-meets. Overall incidence risk of racing FMI was estimated at 1.7/1,000 race entrants. Risk of racing FMI in male horses was about twofold that in female horses, and in 4-year-olds was twofold that in 3-year-olds.

Clinical implications: Age and sex-related differences in risk of incurring a FMI during racing should be considered when comparing fatal injury rates among race-meets.