Running for their lives – statistics

In the third section of this special Animal Aid report – Running for their Lives – we take a look at the statistics relating to the 247 horses who died during the 1999/2000 National Hunt Season.

Where horses died

• Number of Horses who died on the course
  (during or after a race) = 91
• Number of horses who died off the course
  (result of race injury) = 58
• Number of horses who died prematurely
  (injury, lack of ability, other) = 98

Fatalities related to different types of races, including the last race in which horses ran

• NH Flat Races = 20 Horses
• Selling/Claiming/Novice/Maiden Hurdle Races = 91
  (These were young, inexperienced hurdlers, or lacking ability.)
• Hurdle Races = 39
  (These were experienced Hurdlers.)
• Novice / Maiden Chases = 46
  (These were inexperienced Jumpers.)
• Hunters’ Chases = 8
  (These races featured amateur riders & horses who had been hunting.)
• Chases = 43
  (These were experienced jumpers.)

Numbers of NH horses who died 99/00 season corresponding to age:

• 3yo = 5
• 4yo = 19
• 5yo = 33
• 6yo = 39
• 7yo = 41
• 8yo = 44
• 9yo = 27
• 10yo = 20
• 11yo = 11
• 12yo = 6
• 13yo = 1
• 14yo = 1

Key research for Running for their Lives: the Equine Victims of the 1999/2000 National Hunt season by Dene Stansall.

In the final section of Running for their Lives we take a look at the 247 horses who died.