WATCH FREE

Hurdles and fences to turn white to further aid horse welfare

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

Hurdles and steeplechase fences in Britain are to be gradually changed in colour from March 14 after research into equine vision undertaken at Exeter University and utilised by the Horse Welfare Board.

Racing at Stratford on 14th March will mark the start of a new era over jumps in Britain (Photo: Focusonracing)

The study, which was commissioned by the BHA and funded by the Racing Foundation, used camera equipment across 11 racecourses to establish which colours were most visible to horses when used on the take-off boards, guard rails and the top boards of an obstacle.

These elements have traditionally been orange, but an understanding of horses’ dichromatic vision led researchers to the conclusion that, through equine eyes, the colour orange was not distinct from the green shade of the turf.

Blue, bright yellow and white were all more easily distinguishable to horses and the latter colour was eventually chosen for its resistance to fading.

The theory was tested on 14 horses trained at the National Hunt yard of Richard Phillips, who corroborated the findings of the study and said: “Having been involved in the research undertaken by Exeter University and having used white obstacles for over three years now, I am convinced that changing the colour of jumps will be of immense benefits to the horses, riders and the sport as a whole.”

The transition will begin at Stratford and will take place over 10 months, with point-to-point tracks set to follow suit ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Barry Johnson, chair of the Horse Welfare Board, said: “This important project is an example of how British racing uses advanced scientific and veterinary research to constantly improve racehorse welfare.

“Looking through the eyes of the horse to understand how they perceive their world, and making changes because of this new knowledge, shows how racing is continuously striving to increase the safety of all participants in our sport, both human and equine.”

Former trainer James Given, who is now the director of equine health and welfare for the BHA and a member of the Horse Welfare Board, added: “We are determined to drive constant improvement and to make reasoned, well-researched and evidence-based changes which further reduce risk in the sport on a long-term basis and which help to improve safety factors for our horses.”

Racing TV

9.5K Videos
223.0K Subscribers
198.0M Views

RACING TV is the home of British and Irish racing, showcasing live and exclusive horse racing action from 61 of the very best racecourses in the UK and Ireland in stunning HD. Our dedicated horse racing channel was set up in 2004 by our racecourse shareholders and is dedicated to broadcasting more than 800 live race meetings a year with commentary, debate and tipping from 35 of the UK's top racecourses and all 26 Irish racecourses. All Racing TV profits are returned to its racecourse shareholders to support the sport. Racing TV goes out to over 65,000 commercial and residential subscribers. Tune in by going to Sky 424 (UK, NI, ROI), Virgin Media 536 (UK, NI), 411 (ROI). You can also watch Racing TV at racingtv.com and on the iPhone/iPad app, Android app and mobile-optimised website. Find out more about the Racing TV large screen app at www.racingtv.com/largescreenapp Followers must be 18+ and please gamble responsibly: gambleaware.org