It is the ethical duty of the horseracing industry to ensure that racehorses are free from overt pain and disease prior to racing. Regulatory veterinary surgeons use the pre-race examination (PRE) to inform this decision. Objective gait analysis and longitudinal comparison of analyses provide enhanced information to assist decision-making as to the suitability of horses to race.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) undertook a trial of Sleip objective gait analysis at one hundred race fixtures. Participation by trainers was voluntary. The trial’s purpose was to examine the suitability of Sleip analysis as an addition to the PRE by assessing the accuracy of the analysis, testing the practicality of its use and by considering the opinion of trainers on its use to contribute to regulatory decision-making.
Sleip analysis measures the asymmetry of a horse’s gait and grades the severity of asymmetry by colour (green, grey, yellow, orange or red). BHA Veterinary Officers grade lameness using a five-point scale (0 to 5). Five hundred Sleip analysis results were randomly selected and the colour assigned to the limb exhibiting the greatest degree of asymmetry for each horse was compared retrospectively with the lameness grade attributed to the limb by the BHA Veterinary Officer conducting the PRE.
A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the linear relationship between the BHA five-point lameness grading scale and the Sleip asymmetry colour grading scale. There was strong positive correlation found between the two grading scales. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to be 0.836 with a corresponding p-value of <0.001.
Sleip technology use during PRE was generally found to be safe and practical. The main limitations identified were upload speed and underestimation of bilateral lameness. Following the trial, the National Trainers Federation gave support to the integration of Sleip analysis into the PRE process.