An investigation of training and racing workloads in Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia and their relationship to performance and bone fatigue

Abstract

Bone and joint injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses typically originate in areas of intense loading and are attributable to fatigue damage accumulated under repetitive cyclical loading. This thesis will focus on an epidemiological understanding of the bone fatigue process as it relates to Thoroughbred training and racing. Factors investigated include workload, stride parameters, speed and distance worked. Specifically, this included an investigation of racehorse management, training and rest compared to previously published risk factors and how they relate to performance, stride characteristics of galloping horses during racing and how varying strides and race factors influence the estimated..