Update: Thoroughbred Racehorse Safety Initiatives

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of EquiManagement. Sign up here for a FREE subscription to EquiManagement’s quarterly digital or print magazine and any special issues.

Among the organizations driving innovation in Thoroughbred racehorse safety, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) are leading the pack. Created in 2020, HISA’s purpose is to establish and enforce national uniform safety and integrity rules in a sport previously governed by individual state racing commissions. These rules are now applicable to 41 Thoroughbred racetracks across 19 states. Specifically, HISA’s Racetrack Safety Program includes operational safety rules and national racetrack accreditation standards focused on enhancing equine welfare and minimizing horse and jockey injury.  “HISA’s mission is to enhance the safety and welfare of horses and riders and improve the integrity of the sport,” explains Jennifer Durenberger, DVM, HISA’s Director of Equine Safety & Welfare and a member of the AAEP Racing Committee. 

HISA Success and the AAEP Safety Forum

Racetracks operating under HISA’s rules recorded an aggregate racing-related fatality rate of 0.90 per 1,000 starts for 2024, representing a 35% decrease from the rate of 1.39 reported by the Equine Injury Database in 2021—the last full year prior to the launch of HISA’s Racetrack Safety Program. It’s also a 27% decrease from the rate of 1.23 per 1,000 starts in 2023. This represents a 55% decline from 2.00 fatalities per 1,000 starts reported in 2009 when the Equine Injury Database first began reporting such fatalities.