Addressing "Aftercare": NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance Forms Retirement Subcommittee

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Safety and Integrity Alliance announced today that it has formed a special subcommittee focusing on the aftercare of retired Thoroughbreds.

The goal of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance Subcommittee on Aftercare will be to work towards a national solution to issues surrounding retired Thoroughbred racehorses, including enhancement of aftercare funding and improvement of compliance and best-practice standards for racetracks and other industry participants.

“Our aim is to bring together the many outstanding leaders who do so much on behalf of our retired equine athletes,” said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. “Through cohesiveness and cooperation among all parties, we think we can create a model that can make it easier for racetracks, owners and others to provide retired Thoroughbreds with a happy and productive life after their racetrack days are over.”

Members of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance Subcommittee on Aftercare include: Madeline Auerbach, California Retirement Management Account (CARMA); Anna Ford, New Vocations; Liz Harris, Churchill Downs, Inc.; Lucinda Mandella, CARMA; Diana Pikulski, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation; and Mike Ziegler, NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.

Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at www.NTRAalliance.com.

The committee members and links in this blog post represent only a few of the organizations working hard to help racehorses find new jobs and new homes after their racing careers are over. Organizations can be found in most areas of the United States.

Are We Asking Too Much of Event Horses? New Study Looks at Statistics

Blogger's Note: in the shadow of the death of the beloved Call Again Cavalier at an indoor speed eventing spectacle in Wales on Saturday, the following report seems especially timely. This is a press release.

Research funded by The Horse Trust, a British charity devoted to horse welfare, has shown that some course designers are putting horses at risk of damaging falls by incorporating potentially dangerous fences in cross-country competitions.

The study, undertaken by Dr Ellen Singer at the University of Liverpool, is the first such epidemiological survey; previously, suggested changes to course design were based on anecdotal or descriptive information.

Perhaps surprisingly, fences posing the greatest threat are those with a base spread greater than 2m (6ft 6in) which are faced straight on. Analysis shows that these cause most rotational horse falls -- which in turn pose greatest risk of injury to both horse and rider. Reducing the width of these fences would make a greater contribution to safety than reducing the number of fences jumped at an angle.

The study also revealed that horses competing in one-day eventing competitions are at greater risk of falling at a drop landing compared with those competing in three-day competitions.

Speed of approach is also significant, with falls occurring both when the horse is allowed to approach an obstacle too quickly and when the rider is over-cautious.

"The challenge of the cross-country course is an essential element of the competition, but we would urge designers to take account of this research when preparing their courses and riders to think more carefully about their speed of approach," said Horse Trust chief executive Paul Jepson. "It seems that, every year, there is the tragic death of a horse or rider. If taking account of this survey can prevent one of these tragedies, it will have more than proved its worth."