Role of bone microdamage in racehorse leg fractures highlighted in study

By HorseTalk NZ Risks arising from microdamage and tissue remodelling in a leg bone prone to fracture in racehorses have been highlighted in American research. The recent University of California, Davis, study sought to characterize bone abnormalities that precede proximal sesamoid bone fractures and determine if pre-existing abnormalities are associated with these fractures. Sarah Shaffer,…

Santa Anita leads California in horse racing deaths

Well, no surprise to us about Santa Anita and the rate at which they kill racehorses. And they do not have this grisly distinction just in California. A New York Times report released March 24, 2012, states: Even some of America’s most prestigious tracks, including Belmont Park, Santa Anita Park and Saratoga Race Course, had…

Deaths on dirt revive debate about merits of synthetic tracks

The new dirt track at Santa Anita can be a death trap for the horses who train and race on it, and a danger to their jockeys and exercise riders. Why the switch from the somewhat safer synthetic? Times are faster on dirt than synthetic, and it appears the chief reason leading trainer Bob Baffert…