As HISA trots out another supposedly glowing “safety” report, I thought it a good time to revisit this issue – the killing, that is – with context.
In 2014, we confirmed 1,104 kills at U.S. tracks (the actual number of dead horses is, of course, much higher – at least double what we were, and are, able to uncover). Last year, the number was 819 (which could still increase a bit as new confirmations come in). That’s a 26% decrease. At first blush, progress, right? But…
According to The Jockey Club, from 2014 to 2025:
The number of “starts” declined 31%.
The number of races declined 29%.
The number of “starters” declined 25%.
The “foal crop” declined 25%.
So you see, any decreases in our kill numbers can be wholly explained by less racing, less horses. Still, these are just numbers, which, by the way, is all HISA and TJC ever put out – numbers, “fatality metrics.” There are real, beautiful, intelligent, sensitive, innocent beings behind those numbers. Look at their faces; read the details of their deaths. This is what horseracing wreaks, and will always wreak – relative numbers be damned.
