Racehorse injuries

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Racehorse injuries and fatalities are a side effect of the training and competition of horse racing. Racehorse injuries are considered especially difficult to treat, as they frequently result in the death of the horse.^[1][2] A 2005 study by the United States Department of Agriculture found that injuries are the second leading cause of death in horses, second only to old age.^[3]

Two years after Secretariat's record-breaking US Triple Crown took the sport in the United States to a new level of popularity, the breakdown and death of Ruffian brought on a new era of safety concerns. The breakdown and death of racehorses at races had been known of for centuries, but had never before been witnessed in an event so widely seen as the great match race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park, with 18 million viewers.^[4] The horse racing industry has been trying to adapt to increased safety concerns ever since.^[5]