Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) has committed $185,000 over four years to fund research aimed at improving the prediction and prevention of racehorse injuries.
According to the University of Calgary (U of C), the money will support research by Dr. Thilo Pfau and his team at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Kinesiology.
"Dr. Pfau’s research mobilizes cutting-edge wearable technology to monitor the stride length and speed of Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse and Standardbred racehorses during races, correlating these metrics with track surface properties," the media U of C release reads. "The ultimate goal is to develop reliable injury prediction models that can help trainers and owners safeguard their horses’ health without altering their routines. This research is first of it’s kind for Standardbred racehorses."
The donation will also fund a PhD student, the purchase of essential equipment, and other related costs such as travel to “A” racetracks in Alberta, it says.
"The research team plans to collect and analyze a comprehensive data set of racehorse stride parameters and track surface characteristics," the U of C media release states. "This work not only aims to improve injury prediction but also to inform best practices in track surface maintenance."
It is intended that the initiative will foster better collaboration with key industry stakeholders, further enhancing the credibility and impact of the findings.