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<p>Defra is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their
racing lives and afterwards and any race horse fatality is one too many.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>In their report, Cheltenham Festival Review 2018, the British Horseracing
Authority (BHA), who are responsible for the safety of racehorses at race tracks,
made seventeen recommendations to make horseracing safer. The recommendations included
that the industry must support a major research project to develop a predictive model
for identifying risk factors for all jump racing and that rules relating to pulling
up fatigued runners must be appropriately scrutinised and enforced, to encourage positive
and responsible behaviour.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government considers
that whilst the BHA have made improvements to the welfare of racehorses, there is
still more work to be done. That is why I am keeping in regular contact with the BHA
to see what further measures can be taken to reduce the number of racehorse fatalities.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Percentage of racehorse fatalities (as provided by
the British Horseracing Authority)</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>
</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Fatal injuries</p></td><td><p>% of
horses</p><p>as fatalities</p></td><td><p>Runners</p></td><td><p>% of runners</p><p>as
fatalities</p></td><td><p>5-year average</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>189</p></td><td><p>0.98%</p></td><td><p>86,456</p></td><td><p>0.22%</p></td><td><p>0.22%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>156</p></td><td><p>0.79%</p></td><td><p>88,377</p></td><td><p>0.18%</p></td><td><p>0.21%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>171</p></td><td><p>0.86%</p></td><td><p>89,975</p></td><td><p>0.19%</p></td><td><p>0.21%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>167</p></td><td><p>0.82%</p></td><td><p>91,360</p></td><td><p>0.18%</p></td><td><p>0.20%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>201</p></td><td><p>0.96%</p></td><td><p>94,439</p></td><td><p>0.21%</p></td><td><p>0.20%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
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