11/09/2026
Very happy to see this post as an outcome of BEVA2026 😄😄😄
# injuryprevention is better than cure
⭐ Injury prevention in equine athletes ⭐
A standout theme from the afternoon session chaired by Bruce Bladon in Hall 5 was that the future of equine athlete welfare lies not simply in treating injury, but in preventing it.
James Bailey discussed how breeding, young horse preparation, training and competition management can be optimised to support lifelong performance in the leisure horse population.
Rachel Murray highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, emphasising nutrition, foot balance, rider and tack interaction, age-appropriate training and cross-training to support equine wellbeing throughout a horse's career.
Jonathan McLellan showcased the growing role of advanced imaging, including CT, MRI and PET, alongside wearable technologies that are transforming the quantity and quality of data available to clinicians.
Building on this, Chris Riggs and Tim Parkin presented compelling evidence that many musculoskeletal injuries result from cumulative fatigue damage rather than isolated traumatic events. Their research highlighted that small volumes of targeted high-speed exercise can promote skeletal adaptation, while strategic rest periods and carefully managed return-to-work programmes help minimise injury risk.
Perhaps most exciting was the potential of predictive analytics and risk profiling. By integrating veterinary, exercise and competition data, it is increasingly possible to identify horses at elevated risk before injury occurs, allowing targeted intervention, smarter use of diagnostics, and more informed training and competition decisions.
The overarching message was clear: combining science, data and clinical expertise enables us to move from reacting to injuries towards predicting and preventing them, improving welfare, safety and performance across equestrian sport.
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