Association of high-speed exercise with racing injury in thoroughbreds.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between high-speed exercise and risk of injury while racing among Thoroughbreds in Kentucky.


METHODS
Matched case-control study.


METHODS
206 Thoroughbreds that sustained a musculoskeletal injury while racing and 412 Thoroughbreds that were not injured during the same races.


METHODS
Data regarding official timed workouts and races and the Beyer's numbers for the 3 races before the race during which injury occurred were extracted from past performance charts and compared between injured horses and control horses.


RESULTS
For injured horses, cumulative distance of high-speed exercise during the 1- and 2-month periods prior to the race in which injury occurred was significantly less than that of control horses; for either period, a difference of 10 furlongs was associated with approximately 2-fold greater risk of injury. Beyer's numbers were significantly higher for injured horses than for control horses. These effects remained significant after adjusting for age and results of prerace physical inspection.


CONCLUSIONS
In Kentucky, injured horses had significantly less cumulative high-speed exercise than did control horses during the 1- and 2-month periods prior to the race in which injury occurred. These results differ from those observed in California. The association of injury with cumulative high-speed exercise appears to vary among regions in the United States.
Cohen
N D
ND
Department of Large Animal Medicine & Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-3143, USA.
Berry
S M
SM
Peloso
J G
JG
Mundy
G D
GD
Howard
I C
IC
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006736:Horses / Q000293:injuries*; D007629:Kentucky / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000293:injuries*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012420:Running / Q000293:injuries; D013997:Time Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary