Trot-ups and pre-race veterinary checks

Pre-race veterinary checks and trot-ups, which have been commonplace in jurisdictions throughout the racing world for many years, are an increasingly important aspect of the raceday in Britain.

The aim of these assessments is to help ensure that all horses are lining up in the best possible health following their journey to the racecourse, providing an additional layer of protection and further reducing the risk of avoidable injury.

First introduced in Britain for selected races at the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals, the protocols were extended to all runners at the 2019 Grand National meeting, while summer jump meetings are also covered.

Since 2023, all Group 1 Flat fixtures – not just the days with Group 1 races – such as Newmarket’s July Festival and Glorious Goodwood will see every runner subject to the pre-race assessments.

All racecourses are required to install and maintain a trot-up strip, in or near the racecourse stables. The strip is 25 metres long and three metres wide, and each horse will trot away from and towards a BHA veterinary officer (VO) who will assess the horse’s soundness.

If a trainer knows that a horse in his care has some form of chronic condition, is a poor mover or has an asymmetrical gait, they are asked to engage with the BHA’s veterinary team prior to the raceday. That could mean sending a video of the horse or providing a vet’s diagnosis regarding any potential issues that could arise during the assessment.

A grading scale of 1-5, with 1 being perfectly sound and 5 being non-weight-bearing, i.e. the horse won’t put their limbs to the ground, is used by the attending VO(s). 

The VO also will perform a palpation of the horse’s forelimbs and hindlimbs, looking for any heat or swelling, and listen to the horse’s heart to check for any murmur or rhythm disturbance.

Exactly when each veterinary check and trot-up happens depends on the raceday or meeting. At Royal Ascot, where some runners will arrive at the racecourse the night before, the VO will start to assess horses from 8am.

At other meetings such as those in Newmarket, the trainer may only be based five or ten minutes from the course, meaning the horse could be checked an hour before they race. In Britain, all runners must be on the racecourse at last 45 minutes before they are due to race. 

Last year, the BHA’s team of VOs performed over 3,000 assessments. On eight occasions horses were prevented from racing.

At Royal Ascot in June, one horse was withdrawn by its trainer after the pre-race check revealed an issue with its foot, while two others were withdrawn following their assessment by the attending VO.

There are around 24 VOs carrying out the pre-race examinations and overseeing trot-ups for the BHA. Some are full time while others still work in practice or fulfil other veterinary roles.

James Given, BHA Director of Equine Health and Welfare, said: “There is an international expectation that we should be doing the same thing as the rest of the horseracing world regarding pre-race checks and trot-ups. From a welfare perspective, it’s the right thing to do.

“All racecourses were required to install a trot-up strip – for some it was quite a substantial investment. What we wanted to avoid is horses being assessed in an unsafe or unsuitable environment. There’s no point in trotting a horse on an uneven surface or slope if you are trying to assess whether it’s sound or not.

“We are now visiting every racecourse at least twice each calendar year, covering all types of meetings from Group 1 festivals to minor meetings, seeing a full spread of racehorses. 

“There are plenty of equine conditions that mean the horse will not present as perfect while not putting them at any greater risk of catastrophic fracture. If we have information about any issues beforehand, it’s a lot easier to assess the horse.

“Our raceday team will always work with a trainer’s staff to find out when they want to present the horse for assessment. We have an Equine Welfare Integrity Officer managing the situation to ensure there isn’t a long queue of horses, or a colt walking behind a filly for example.

“If we deem a horse unsuitable to race, it will be withdrawn by the stewards under veterinary advice.”

He continues: “The protocols are creating behavioural change as the trainers will observe the horse closely before taking it to the racecourse. Of course, many were doing this already but not everyone was.

“It’s also encouraging better engagement with the regulator – we don’t want a combative situation at the races, we want the trainers to understand what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.

“It is our expectation that in future we will look at every horse on every raceday in Britain.”

Trainers who wish to inform the BHA’s veterinary team about a horse in their care should email [email protected].