As the North American Thoroughbred industry continues its quest to lower the catastrophic breakdown rate, it is actively pushing the need to identify at-risk racehorses, even if the effort makes stakeholders uncomfortable.

The two-day Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit kicked off July 8 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, with a two-hour presentation on using data to keep racehorses safe. Though statistics might be the foundation, the discussion exposes a need for cultural changes within the racing industry. It's now widely known that preexisting conditions in racehorses can be a telltale sign of breakdown risk. It appears, however, the message gets lost in the translation.

"We need to dispel the myth of inevitability (of catastrophic injuries)," said Mary Scollay-Ward, DVM, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. "When we have acceptance without objective analysis, we have complacency."

In speaking about Kentucky's mortality review program, Scollay-Ward said those involved are becoming more cooperative, if not appreciative, in determining the cause of racehorse fatalities. In response to questions she acknowledged that horse owners and grooms don't participate in the reviews, but said that could change as the program evolves