RSPCA Victoria calls for a ban on jumps racing

The RSPCA is opposed to jumps racing (steeplechasing and hurdling) because of the high risk of injury and death. 12 horses died throughout the 2024 season at trials, on race days and following participation in jumps events.

RSPCA Victoria needs your help! We are calling on the Victorian Government to ban jumps racing but we need the support of the community.

Jumps racing poses many welfare risks to racehorses which can result in significant pain, injury, distress and death. Thoroughbred jumps racing involves horses jumping either hurdle or steeple obstacles at least one metre high. Jumps races are at least 3km long (1km or more than flat races) and, in addition to clearing obstacles, horses are required to carry heavier weights than for flat races. Furthermore, jumping in a pack over obstacles also places horses at risk of collision with each other.

The key horse welfare risks posed by jumps racing are:

1. Deaths due to catastrophic injuries
2. Non-fatal injuries
3. Fatigue
4. Impact of falls and collisions
5. Use of whips
6. Poor performers forced to race

Victoria is the only state or territory in Australia where jumps racing continues. The inherent risk of injury and death cannot be mitigated and therefore jumps racing should not continue.

Audit of jumps racing horse falls, fatalities and injuries in Victoria

The 2024 jumps racing season has seen devastating outcomes for horses, with one of the highest fatality rates on record. RSPCA Victoria has been advocating for an end to jumps racing for nearly a century, and our efforts to improve transparency in the industry are ongoing.

As part of our work, we have conducted an audit into the publicly available information on horse falls, fatalities and injuries in Victorian jumps racing.

What we have found is no surprise – serious animal welfare concerns, inconsistent and poorly reported data, and a lack of transparency, all of which paint a picture of an industry that is unable to mitigate the inherent danger of jumps racing for the horses involved.

In 2024:

• 1 in every 24 horses died during a jumps race
• 1 in every 10 horse starts in a jumps race resulted in an injury
• Approximately 1 in every 7 horses experienced a fall during a jumps race
• Approximately 1 in every 5 horse falls resulted in death

Based on the publicly available information:

• The long-term jumps fall rate indicates there has been no improvement in the last twenty years
• Over the last 34 years a long-term reduction in fatality rates has not been consistently achieved with peaks every few years

View the full audit paper here.

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