Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) has generously committed $185,000 over four years to support pioneering research by Dr. Thilo Pfau and his team at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Kinesiology. This significant contribution will fund research aimed at improving the prediction and prevention of racehorse injuries, a critical area of focus for the safety and protection of equine athletes.
Dr. Pfau’s research mobilizes cutting-edge wearable technology to monitor the stride length and speed of Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse and Standardbred racehorses during races, correlating these metrics with track surface properties. The ultimate goal is to develop reliable injury prediction models that can help trainers and owners safeguard their horses’ health without altering their routines. This research is first of it’s kind for Standardbred racehorses.
“Horse Racing Alberta’s support is a testament to their commitment to protecting the health and welfare of racehorses,” said Dr. Pfau. “This funding will allow us to expand our research, refine our predictive models, and work towards a universal injury prevention system that benefits the entire industry.”