The effect that standardbred racehorse training has on the horses’ limbs from an animal welfare aspect

Abstract

The prevailing thought regarding limb injuries in STBRs when focusing on their animal welfare is that the welfare of such horses could be of a better standard. There are many methods which can be applied to improve the animal welfare norms such as well managed racetracks, the use of protective limb wear and proper shoeing of the racehorses [14]. With the use of a questionnaire which targeted a specific demographic, that being equine veterinarians who have worked in the STBR industry, it was possible to bring forth the thoughts of such veterinarians regarding the animal welfare of these horses. The findings revealed that 73% of the respondents agreed that there is a certain amount of negligence concerning the animal welfare of the STBRs.