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Racehorse Injuries Studied in AustraliaBy Kentucky Equine Research Staff · June 20, 2011
A research project currently under way at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, Australia is investigating racehorse performance and injuries. Brian Spurrell, Ph.D., from the university's School of Biomedical Sciences leads the project. The aim is to develop a system to be used for in-the-field measurements regarding how hard the hoof hits the ground, the way the limb moves, and the biomechanics of joint movement and muscle activity. Other goals are ways to measure fatigue progression and recovery after exercise.
The equine industry in Australia contributes up to $6.3 billion annually to the economy, according to figures released by Charles Sturt University. Of this total, racing contributes around $3.9 billion and equestrian events account for $87 million.
Spurrell said that up to 70% of two-year-old Thoroughbreds in race training lose training time due to stress-related limb injuries, and up to 35% of racehorses are not able to resume racing because of these injuries. Increased knowledge about equine management and injury detection could offset losses in training time and income. It is hoped that research about the relationship between a horse's gait and the performance surface may help to minimize the incidence of lower limb injuries.
