Horse Racing Welfare Reform | Animal Welfare Hub

Horse racing welfare reform is an ongoing effort to reduce injury and death rates on the track while improving training and stable management conditions for the thousands of horses in the racing industry.

Key Facts

Approximately 200 racehorses die on UK tracks annually, with more dying from training injuries or post-race complications
The BHA Horse Welfare Board oversees welfare standards for racehorses in training and competition in Great Britain
Equine fatigue and dehydration during long race days create additional welfare concerns beyond acute injury
Research into track surfaces, race scheduling and veterinary screening is informing evidence-based welfare improvement
Retired racehorse rehoming and retraining is supported through the Retraining of Racehorses charity

Welfare Considerations

Racehorse welfare reform is taking place within an industry with strong economic incentives to continue existing practices. The welfare case for reform is clear: unnecessary death and injury caused by premature training, inappropriate surfaces and overracing must be reduced. Evidence-based interventions including mandatory pre-race veterinary screening, improved track surfaces and minimum age regulations for racing are achievable and cost-effective for the industry. Post-career welfare — ensuring that horses which leave racing are rehomed into good conditions rather than neglected or slaughtered — is also a welfare obligation that the industry is increasingly taking seriously.

What You Can Do

Support Retraining of Racehorses at www.retrain.co.uk which rehomes retired racehorses
Advocate for raising the minimum racing age for horses to reduce skeletal injury
Engage with the BHA Horse Welfare Board consultations on racing welfare standards
Ask questions about welfare standards when attending race meetings
Support independent research into racehorse welfare and injury prevention