EQUINE welfare is a hot topic and a key area in Horse Racing Ireland’s Strategic Plan. So how do racecourses play their part in ensuring our racehorses are kept as safe as possible on racedays?

One of the most important things racecourses must do is provide safe ground for summer jumping. Putting the correct amount of water on the track can be a challenging and expensive operation but racecourses, their groundstaff and clerks of the course are generally held to do an excellent job.

There is plenty of detail on racecourse requirements in a 45-page manual supplied by Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. This document sets out the operating guidelines and standards which are expected of licensed racecourses.

Topics covered range from the racing surface itself (road crossings, running rails, hurdles and fences, starting stalls, et cetera) to the racecourse stables and horsebox park, veterinary and medical facilities, parade ring and betting ring specifications, weighroom layout and facilities for racehorse owners.

What’s noticeable is that every rule is written with the horse’s welfare in mind. For example, the racecourse stables must be in a suitably quiet and secure area, with adequate supplies of hot and cold water, electricity, and non-slip walkways.

There is a repeated emphasis on providing sufficient space for the same management of horses in all the key areas, such as the wash-down area. As has been widely reported, all racecourse stableyards now have CCTV, and the stables themselves must meet very specific criteria –with no protruding fittings or wires that could lead to an injury.

Racecourses must provide facilities for the pre- and post-race sampling of horses, a trot-up area, a veterinary treatment box, and a discreet casualty management area in the event of an equine fatality. The Irish Blue Cross vehicles must be able to easily access all horse areas of the racecourse.

The manual is very detailed – right down to the type of brushes and dustbins which must be provided in order to keep the horse areas as clean and safe as possible. To comply with these requirements and to ensure that horses’ safety is prioritised, racecourses invest significant sums and it is increasingly important that they do, so that injuries are minimised.