Advancing Equine Safety: HISA's 2025 Annual Metrics Report Highlights Progress and Challenges in Thoroughbred Racing
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) recently released its 2025 annual metrics report, which showed a slight increase in equine fatality rates for racing and workouts at tracks under its oversight. Despite this, the report highlighted a strong two-year safety record and noted that fatality rates remain lower at HISA tracks compared to non-HISA tracks in North America. The report emphasized the continued commitment to making Thoroughbred racing safer for horses and riders while maintaining the integrity of the sport.
In 2025, racetracks following HISA rules reported 1.04 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts, representing a significant reduction from previous benchmarks and a nearly 50% decline since national reporting began in 2009. The report also mentioned a decrease in the use of riding crop violations and a lower scratches per entry rate in 2025 compared to the previous year. HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus expressed optimism about the progress made in enhancing safety standards and emphasized the importance of collaboration with industry stakeholders to build on these achievements.
The EID reported a North American racing-related fatality rate of 1.07 fatalities per 1,000 starts, with a higher rate of 1.21 fatalities per 1,000 starts for Thoroughbred racetracks in the U.S. operating outside of HISA rules in 2025. The data highlighted the effectiveness of uniform national safety standards in improving safety within the racing industry. HISA's focus on reducing fatalities in training activities was also emphasized, with the release of data on training-related equine fatalities for the first time in U.S. Thoroughbred racing history.
Ongoing research efforts by HISA aim to address key areas of concern, such as the rise in racing-related fatalities towards the end of seasonal meets and a focused review of fatalities involving 2-year-old horses. The report underscored the importance of maintaining vigilance throughout the racing calendar and evaluating potential contributing factors to enhance equine safety. Overall, the report demonstrated the positive impact of HISA's safety initiatives and the industry-wide focus on promoting a culture of safety and integrity in horse racing.