Santa Anita Horse Fatalities Linked To Pre-Existing Injuries, Pressure To Race, Poor Knowledge Of Anatomy

In the wake of the unusual media attention paid to horse deaths at Santa Anita Park in the 2018-2019 season, the California Horse Racing Board launched an investigation into the park’s practices. Today, the results of that investigation were released.

In a 77-page document, investigators found that while no laws appear to have been broken, 21 of the 23 horses that died at Santa Anita during racing or training had pre-existing injuries. All of the pre-existing injuries were associated with high exercise intensity.

Here are some other key takeaways:

• 16 of the 23 horses who died during racing or training were in the care of trainers who had at least one other fatality in a one-year period
• Many of the horsemen involved in the fatalities “did not display good working knowledge of [equine] anatomy”
• Many trainers felt pressure to let their horses race, regardless of the animals’ health

READ MORE:

• Santa Anita Park Averages 50 Horse Deaths A Year. This Year Is Nothing New. (LAist)
• What We Know About The 30 Horses That Died At Santa Anita In The 2018-2019 Season (LAist)