Racing Safety Gains: Horse Fatalities Decline as HISA Standards Take Hold

Horse fatalities at American racetracks have decreased to under one per 1,000 races in 2024 due to federal regulations, according to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). Despite progress, animal rights activists stress more needs to be done to prevent deaths at non-HISA tracks.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) reported a significant drop in horse fatalities at US racetracks, falling below one per 1,000 races in 2024.

This represents a 27% decrease from the previous year and a drastic reduction from 2009 statistics. HISA credits uniform safety standards for the improvement.

Animal rights groups acknowledge the progress but emphasize the need for further action, particularly concerning fatalities at tracks not monitored by HISA, and they push for mandatory use of synthetic tracks to enhance safety.