Research at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary and Biomedical Medicine is focused on reducing injuries such as that which befell Barbaro–and some that aren’t quite so apparent.

“There’s a lot of concern about racing injuries,” said Noah Cohen, VMD, PhD, MPH, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of equine medicine. “They’re of concern from a humane standpoint because they are often severe, and both professional horsemen and racing fans are concerned with the welfare and well-being of horses. Because these injuries are dramatic and are often witnessed by a large audience, there is a great outpouring of concern.”

About 15 years ago, George Mundy, DVM, then-chief veterinarian for the Kentucky Racing Commission, began collecting data about racehorses in his jurisdiction, noting those that were injured. He teamed with Cohen and John Peloso, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, to see what research might be done.

With money from the Texas Equine Research Account, the team began a series of studies in the mid-1990s, comparing horses injured and uninjured horses