Horse racing-AI, wearable tech and lifetime tracking to improve lives of racehorses

Résumé détaillé

LONDON, Nov 10 : British horse racing's welfare board on Tuesday unveiled a five-year strategy that will use AI, wearable technology and lifetime tracking of horses to prevent injuries, reduce falls and improve horses' well-being away from the racetrack.

The new strategy sets out 20 priorities to improve welfare and safety of thoroughbred horses throughout their lives, spanning areas including veterinary research, injury prevention, the training environment and aftercare and extending the scope of oversight from foaling through training to life after racing.

Horse racing is Britain's second most-watched sport but concern for equine welfare remains its biggest reputational challenge, with falls, fatalities and the treatment of horses at key racing festivals like Cheltenham and Aintree under constant public scrutiny.

Fatality rates in jumps racing were largely unchanged at 0.47 per cent in 2025 even after measures to improve the safety of fences like changing the colour of markings in 2022.

The British Horseracing Authority says it extended the scope of its reporting to cover more horses in 2021 and that it would take time for the safety improvements to take full effect.

The rate of fallers dropped below 2 per cent on a five-year average for the first time in 2025, BHA data shows.

Work to improve safety and reduce fatalities is ongoing and a priority for the sport, Minette Batters, independent chair of the Horse Welfare Board, told reporters.

Collecting more data on all aspects of a horse's life will enable trainers, vets and racecourse officials to spot issues like weakness or heart problems before they lead to on-racecourse injuries, racing experts said.

This can start as early as birth by educating breeders on how antibiotic use in foals can impact soundness or in training by using heart monitors and wearable tech to detect equine illness or underperformance.

Début de l'article, extrait de CNA. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.