ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE HORSE WELFARE BOARD
- A collaboration between British racing’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons (ARVS) and the Racecourse Association (RCA) to deliver enhanced practical training to racecourse veterinary and medical teams
- Total investment of £65.5k will deliver 10 state-of-the-art horse mannequins based regionally to serve all 59 racecourses in Britain
- Cheltenham Racecourse receives first mannequin to allow for specialist on-course training to take place ahead of the Festival
- Video available to embed via YouTube here. Download imagery here.
British racing’s Horse Welfare Board, in partnership with the Racecourse Association (RCA), have led an investment in 10 life-size, fully articulating training mannequins to support the welfare of horses through the enhanced training of racecourse veterinary and medical teams in the safe and timely movement of horses on course.
An investment of £50k from the Racing Foundation, with additional support of £15.5k from the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons (ARVS) has allowed the sport to purchase the mannequins from specialist manufacturer, Resquip, to facilitate better understanding, safety and welfare in the moving of horses on the racecourse. The models are meticulously designed to match the weight distribution and joint articulation of a horse, which can be as heavy as 600kg.
The mannequins will be strategically located at 10 of Britain’s 59 racecourses, to ensure all courses have access to them. An enhanced training plan will be rolled out by the RCA to facilitate hands on scenario planning and ‘moulage’ using the new equipment. 500 vets and medical personnel including doctors and nurses will have received enhanced training using the mannequins within 12 months as part of mandatory training guidelines set by British racing. In addition to this, the mannequins will be used to support the training of Point-to-Point teams around the country as early as this Spring.
Barry Johnson, Independent Chair, Horse Welfare Board, said:
“Incidences that require the safe and timely movement of racehorses on course are rare. Nevertheless, the opportunity to be able to practice realistic full-scale scenarios in a controlled environment is a fantastic step forward. Managing a fallen horse can be complex and challenging, as well as emotive for the team, so the better prepared we are, the better the outcome.”
The training will include ‘moulage’, a technique used to simulate injury, disease, ageing and other physical characteristics specific to a scenario, often used in human health and emergency worker training. This simulation-based training applied to the mannequins allows those involved in equine care to practice skills, decision-making, and critical thinking in a safe, supervised environment. It also supports training for the prompt and appropriate care of jockeys if trapped under a horse involving the on-course medical teams and service providers.
Caroline Davies, Racecourse Services Director, Racecourse Association (RCA) said:
“I welcome this investment which will support and enhance the significant ongoing work at British racecourses to ensure that fallen horses are supported as best as possible on race days, alongside any jockeys involved. We look forward to facilitating the roll-out and training programme to those involved in the care of our fantastic horses.”
Simon Knapp is a senior veterinary surgeon at Ascot, Kempton Park, Sandown Park and Epsom Downs, veterinary advisor to the Racecourse Association (RCA) and member of British racing’s Horse Welfare Board.
“Following on from the one-off training events that took place last year, we felt that continuous access to this equipment would improve the training that racecourse teams receive, in both the frequency and realism of that training. In addition, equine vets support the wider horse population in clinical practice, so the enhanced knowledge that this training provides will, in the longer-term, benefit the entire horse population.”
Tansy Challis, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, said:
“The Racing Foundation is pleased to support this important project, which forms part of our multi-year funding commitment to the Horse Welfare Board of £3million over a three-year period. With a number of stakeholders working together in its delivery, this project exemplifies the power of collaboration across the racing industry to ensure the highest standards of horse welfare.”
Reducing falls and improving safety is a key strategic priority of British racing. A number of safety improvements have been delivered as a result of the sport’s five-year welfare strategy ‘A Life Well Lived’. These include the changing the colour of obstacle markings from orange to white to improve clarity for horses, a new specification for hurdles and the phasing out of traditional birch hurdles by the sport. Since 2000, £56m has been invested by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and the Racing Foundation, two major funders within the sport, into equine welfare projects.
Cheltenham Racecourse received the first mannequin on 20 January 2025, with a further 9 racecourses set to obtain the equipment by 31 March 2025 as they come out of production.
Once the racecourse roll-out is complete, the sport will look to incorporate the mannequins into further ‘off-course’ training such as on training gallops. As part of the support, the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons (ARVS) will also utilize the mannequins for enhanced training and scenario management around the mandatory racecourse training programme.
For more information on British racing’s work to improve safety, minimize risk and continuously improve welfare standards for the horses that power our sport, please visit www.horsepwr.co.uk.
Notes to editors:
For further information, please contact:
Gabi Whitfield, Head of Welfare Communications
[email protected]
Lauren Stanley, Welfare Communications Manager
[email protected]
Once the roll-out is complete, the mannequins will be based at the following racecourses:
- Cheltenham Racecourse
- Haydock Park Racecourse
- Sandown Park Racecourse
- Hamilton Park Racecourse
- Warwick Racecourse
- Newcastle Racecourse
- Wincanton Racecourse
- Ripon Racecourse
- Nottingham Racecourse
- Newmarket Racecourse
As required by BHAGI 11 and 12, medical and veterinary personnel must carry out on-course training at least every 12 months.
About the Horse Welfare Board
British racing’s goal has always been to lead the way in setting the best welfare standards in the world, both on and off the racecourse. The independently chaired Horse Welfare Board was established in 2019 and is responsible for overseeing the single overarching strategy for equine welfare in the racing industry. The five-year strategy, “A life well lived”, was launched in February 2020 and considers the whole of the racing industry, including sectors not currently fully regulated by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and looks across the lifetimes of all horses bred for racing. Multiple workstreams are underway covering projects ranging from traceability, training, obstacle improvement and development, through to welfare funding. Link to the full strategy HERE.
About the Racecourse Association (RCA)
The Racecourse Association (RCA), formed in 1907, is the representative body for British racecourses. 58 racecourses are members and have equal voting rights. The RCA serves the interests of its 58 British racecourse members both inside and outside the sport, empowering them to be the best venues that they can be.
The RCA works on behalf of racecourses to represent their views within the sport. Outside of horseracing, the RCA works alongside the Government, other sports and leisure venues, and national charities to meet the needs of racecourses.
Additionally, the RCA encourages and facilitates racecourse community engagement, involvement in horse welfare initiatives, responsible drinking campaigns, and various other partnerships within the sport. The Showcase & Awards, the marquee event of British Racecourses to celebrate and reward excellence and innovation, is hosted by the RCA annually in November.
Since 1998, the RCA has owned RaceTech, the dedicated technical facilities provider that has maintained British Racing at the forefront of global broadcast technology.
For more information, please contact Paul Swain 07791 414027 or 01344 873536.
www.racecourseassociation.co.uk
About the Racing Foundation
In 2012 the Racing Foundation was established to oversee the distribution of funds to charitable causes within the racing and thoroughbred industry following the sale of the Tote. Since inception it has awarded over £39million in grants. Equine welfare, racing’s people and ESG are the key areas of focus in its 2025 – 2027 strategy. The Trustees of the Racing Foundation are Julia Budd (Chair), Linda Bowles (SID), Jim Boyle, Louise Kemble, Alice Page, Rishi Persad and Algy Smith-Maxwell. The British Horseracing Authority, the Thoroughbred Group and Racecourse Association are the three joint Members of the Racing Foundation, which is registered with the Charity Commission as a charity under the law of England and Wales (no. 1145297).
www.racingfoundation.co.uk
@RacingGrants
About the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons (ARVS)
The Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons (ARVS) was formed in 1993 and aims to promote and safeguard the safety and welfare of horses at race meetings and to provide a forum for discussion and the exchange of ideas on the management of injury and disease on racecourses. ARVS provides education and training for all equine vets, but especially those attending Racecourses.
ARVS are proud to be involved in helping to provide these mannequins for use around the UK. They will also be an important part of our Casualty Management Seminar (a prerequisite of all Racecourse Vet’s training) and scenario training.
