Racehorses deserve a fair go
Australia’s horse racing industry is riddled with systemic animal welfare issues, from overbreeding and 'wastage' to whip use, poor living conditions and high injury rates. Despite growing community concern, industry profits continue to be prioritised over the welfare of horses because of how the animal welfare system is designed.
To truly protect animals like horses, we need systemic reform. The Fair Go for Animals campaign outlines six key reforms to build a governance system that prioritises animal welfare.
Prioritising horse welfare with ministerial recognition
Right now, the welfare of racehorses falls under the portfolio of the Ministers for Racing, Sport, and Gambling. In addition to welfare, these ministers are responsible for promoting the racing industry–a clear conflict of interest. In most cases, industry interests outweigh concerns for animal welfare. Overbreeding, the discarding of the unwanted or unsuccessful horses, and lack of action to fix high injury and death rates, all highlight the industry’s lack of concern for animal welfare.
Every year, around 13,000 foals are bred in pursuit of the next racing champion. Yet only 30% of these horses ever make it to the racetrack. Those who fail to meet performance standards are discarded, with many ending up in knackeries. Those who do race are typically used for 2 to 3 years before being discarded, despite having natural lifespans of 25-30 years. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Welfare Working Group’s (TAWWG) analysis of available data estimated around 8,500 thoroughbreds leave the industry each year, with just 2% of retired horses entering a retraining or rehoming scheme.
On the tracks, thousands of horses suffer from injuries ranging from shin soreness and lameness to bleeding lungs, cardiac issues, and broken legs. Independent analysis of all races has found that one horse dies every two days on Australian racetracks.
The solution:
Separating the welfare of animals from other Ministerial portfolios and creating dedicated Ministers for Animal Welfare, will reduce conflicts of interest and elevate the importance of animal welfare in government. Horses will benefit from having proper representation in the decision-making process, to ensure policies and standards meet their welfare needs and respect their sentience.
Red Cadeaux being euthanised at the 2015 Melbourne Cup.
Image: AAP
Creating consistency across states and territories with a National Animal Welfare Commission
Australia currently lacks national animal welfare leadership. Although there are national standards and guidelines, state and territory governments are responsible for implementing and enforcing standards. Racehorses commonly move between states for breeding, racing, and rehoming, and with no national leadership, horses are left vulnerable to uneven levels of protection.
In 2021, the TAWWG released its report ‘A Framework for Thoroughbred Welfare’, which recommended establishing “a single, national organisation dedicated to the development, and implementation, of a national welfare strategy”. Despite conducting this inquiry on behalf of the industry and highlighting the benefits, the recommendations have not been adopted.
The solution:
A National Animal Welfare Commission would help create national standards that cover horses throughout their lives–even when they leave the industry. This commission would also monitor industry practices and hold stakeholders accountable, providing stronger oversight for the racing industry.
Young thoroughbred racehorses in pen at a NSW knackery.
Image: Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses.
Stronger enforcement and coordination with state animal welfare authorities
Currently, there is no clear authority responsible for enforcing animal welfare laws, and the enforcement agencies differ in each state and territory. As a result, there is a lack of cohesion and coordination, and enforcement is inconsistent, leaving horses to suffer as a result.
The solution:
Creating independent State Animal Welfare Authorities would streamline enforcement, ensuring agencies work together across states and territories. This would improve welfare outcomes for horses by increasing accountability and ensuring standards are consistently applied.
Putting the horses first with guiding decision-making principles and sentience recognition
Australia’s Animal Welfare Acts and their underlying regulations fail to adequately recognise horses’ intelligence, social needs, and their ability to feel emotions such as fear, frustration or joy, leaving animals to suffer from poor welfare standards that do not meet their basic needs.
Racehorses are permitted to be confined to stables for 22 hours a day where they are unable to engage in natural behaviours, like grazing or interacting with others. This confinement causes severe mental and physical stress, leading to issues like colic, ulcers, and abnormal behaviours. They are also fed concentrated, high-energy meals, which can cause gut problems and chronic conditions like laminitis..
The Solution:
Introducing guiding decision-making principles and ensuring horse sentience is acknowledged in legislation would help protect horses. These principles would increase scrutiny of all decisions that affect animals and ensure that decisions align with minimum standards and do not cause unnecessary pain, distress, or harm. For horses, this could mean, reducing the time confined to stables, increasing their opportunities for socialisation and ending the use of whips.
Racehorses can be stabled for 22 hours per day in Australia.
Image: Getty
Protecting horses from industry influence with fair and accountable standards processes
The current process for setting animal welfare standards is dominated by industry interests. For animals, this means important decisions about how they are treated are often made without proper consultation with independent experts or the broader community, leaving them vulnerable to poor welfare standards.
A prime example of poor racehorse standards is the continued use of whips and other controlling devices like tongue-ties. Research has found that a horse's skin is no thicker than a human's and that whip use causes pain, inflammation, and bruising. Further, repeatedly whipping tired horses in the final stages of a race is likely to be distressing and cause suffering. Other studies have found that whips do not make horses run faster, safer or fairer–so why are they still being used?
The solution:
Creating a transparent, consistent, science-based standards process will ensure horse welfare is prioritised, at all stages of their lives. This reform would eliminate harmful practices, like whip use and tongue ties, and align welfare standards with the expectations of the community and modern science.
Image: Kristen Manning - Horses and People - Vow and Declare with visible whip welts and inflammation caused by whip strikes.
Upholding higher standards with adequate funding
Animal welfare services are currently underfunded, limiting the ability to improve welfare standards and enforce them. The lack of funding has also led governments to rely on the industry to fund welfare services, adding a layer of influence and control over the process.
The solution:
The Fair Go for Animals campaign calls for increased federal and state government funding to support animal welfare services. With adequate resources, welfare standards can be improved, agencies can better enforce the standards, resulting in better welfare outcomes for horses and other animals.
Image: Unknown, Farm Transparency Project
Support a fair go for horses today
The issues in Australia’s horse racing industry reflect the broader problem of how we govern animal welfare. Without systemic reform, horses will continue to suffer on and off the racetracks. The Fair Go for Animals reforms offer a clear path toward a fairer and more independent system that puts the interests of animals, not animal industries, first.
With your support, we can make these reforms a reality and ensure that horses and all animals are protected by a system that prioritises their welfare. Sign the pledge today to ensure the welfare of horses is no longer an afterthought, but a priority.
Learn more about the Fair Go for Animals reforms: