Fatal Injuries on Midwestern Racetracks (AAEP 2010)

In the Midwest there are several racetracks–featuring both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing–that sometimes slide under the radar of the mainstream racing community. But like all other tracks around the nation, these venues see wins, losses, and, unfortunately, catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries. Andrea L. Beisser, BA, and her colleagues analyzed the circumstances surrounding catastrophic
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In the Midwest there are several racetracks–featuring both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing–that sometimes slide under the radar of the mainstream racing community. But like all other tracks around the nation, these venues see wins, losses, and, unfortunately, catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries. Andrea L. Beisser, BA, and her colleagues analyzed the circumstances surrounding catastrophic musculoskeletal injury (CMI) at three tracks in these regions, and she presented the study results at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners' Convention, held Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore, Md.

Beisser and her team evaluated a wide range of variables in order to obtain the most complete data set possible from Prairie Meadows in Iowa, The Woodlands in Kansas, and Remington Park in Oklahoma. She noted that the team was able to secure necropsy reports and race records on 130 Thoroughbred fatalities and 50 Quarter Horse fatalities.

They found that the average CMI rate of the three tracks was 1.46 fatalities per 1,000 starts. The average CMI count for Thoroughbreds was 1.48 per 1,000 starts, and Quarter Horses averaged 1.36 CMIs per 1,000 starts. Individually, all three tracks delivered similar results. Only dirt tracks were used in the study.

Beisser's team found that at the Midwestern tracks the highest frequency of Thoroughbred CMIs occurred in claiming races, while the majority of Quarter Horse CMIs happened in stakes or handicap races

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Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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