Horse racing raises significant welfare concerns including musculoskeletal injuries, fatigue, and management practices, and the industry is under increasing pressure to demonstrate improved welfare standards.
Racehorse welfare encompasses multiple domains. The biomechanical demands of racing at high speed on hard surfaces cause high rates of musculoskeletal injury, some of which result in euthanasia on or near the track. The selection for speed has created horses with skeletal frames not fully proportionate to their body mass. Welfare concerns begin at training - young horses often begin breaking and racing before skeletal maturity. Management conditions vary widely in quality. The breeding-to-racing pipeline creates surplus horses whose welfare in retirement is inconsistently supported. Industry-led welfare initiatives have made progress but critics argue pace of change is insufficient.