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TRAINING
NATIONAL HUNT INJURIES National Hunt racing at its best is an awesome spectacle as shown by the audience for the 2008 Grand National, which was viewed by over 650 million worldwide. However, the undesirable side-effect of this courageous sport is the injuries associated with it. Many large, reliable studies have been undertaken over the last two decades, all of which show consistently higher rates of injury in horses racing over jumps in the UK compared with those racing on the flat. This is something that has led to the near extinction of jump racing in some parts of the world, for example, Scandinavia. This article will examine and analyse jump racing injuries and question whether there are any ways by which they can be reduced in order to ensure the future of this magnificent sport. By James Tate BVMS MRCVS
20 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 24