EQUINE WELFARE
EQUI-ED
Improving equine welfare standards and outcomes has always been at the centre of The Jockey Club’s focus. There are two cross- functional working groups whose sole task is to define and oversee Jockey Club Racecourse’s provisions and strategy in areas pertaining to equine welfare, to ensure these areas continue to remain at the forefront of the organisation’s thinking. In the past decade, The Jockey Club has invested tens of millions of pounds through ongoing upgrades as well as ringfenced funds for over 200 distinct workstreams and projects in line with the current core objectives of our ongoing Equine Welfare Strategy:
In March 2025, The Jockey Club announced it was committed to funding 100 opportunities for racing staff to participate in a tailored training course with our new education partner Equi-Ed. The course will offer opportunities to enhance already well- established skill sets, while also giving those working across the racing industry an opportunity to gain an accredited qualification in equine welfare. The commitment comes following a successful pilot held at Cheltenham, when five staff from Fergal O’Brien Racing undertook a one-day course to help them boost their scientific and physiological understanding of the thoroughbred as well as specific processes to help them in the ongoing care of the horses they look after. Topics included stride length analysis, palpation (physical examination) and skeletal instruction to equip the staff with specialist knowledge to help them monitor their horses’ physical condition and wellbeing on an ongoing basis. Among other topics, the following will be covered in the newly accredited Jockey Club programme:
◆ Provide industry-leading facilities at JCR racecourses ◆ Continually improve equine safety during our races ◆ Enhance understanding from a comprehensive evidence base, and evolve/discover new insight ◆ Educate and communicate ◆ Contribute to, influence and support Racing’s industry-wide strategy for equine welfare
Full details on Horse Welfare at Cheltenham and across the Jockey Club can be found here: https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/ cheltenham/owners-and-trainers/horse-welfare/ HORSEPWR Anyone who works in racing knows that the horses come first. It’s why we do what we do, and it is important to be able to share all the facts about welfare in racing.
Every single horse matters to racing. That’s why we’ll never be done in making our sport the safest and best it can be for them.
Understanding race day injuries
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Find out More here: https://horsepwr.co.uk/
Muscle Management
Travel stress and recovery prep
Racing staff as injury prevention champions
More information on the Cheltenham training day can be found here.
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