British Horseracing Authority emphasises horse welfare and safety as Cheltenham gets underway
With the first few races of Cheltenham already completed, the BHA has reminded the public of the efforts that go into keeping the horses safe and well.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has published information regarding UK horse welfare and safety.
This has been posted alongside the opening of the Cheltenham Festival, a multi-day horseracing event – the biggest in racing.
As part of this, a spokesperson from the BHA said: “British Racing is committed to ensuring the welfare of all Thoroughbreds in England, Scotland and Wales.
“Across Britain, 6000+ people who are passionate about horses and racing dedicate their lives, daily, to caring for the 20,000+ horses who race across a year.
“Furthermore, we are proud of the high welfare standards that thoroughbreds receive on and off the racecourse pre, during and after their racing careers.”
The statement went on to explain that over the past two decades, £47m ($36.3m) has been spent on research and education into this matter.
As for The 2024 Cheltenham Festival, there will be nine vets, three veterinary nurses, six horse ambulances, six horse catchers and every runner will be checked by a vet prior to racing.
The BHA is responsible for creating the standards of horse welfare that others must adhere to, including regulations and disciplinary procedures.
Alongside the BHA, there is also an independently-chaired Horse Welfare Board that manages 26 projects aiming to improve all aspects of welfare.
Out of these, 21 are currently live with £5.5m in funding.
As for the horse’s retirement, the charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) deals with long-term and sustainable solutions for racehorses past their prime.
In other Cheltenham news, a new bingo game based on the races has been released by Oddschecker and Low6.
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