THE HORSE COMES FIRST

THE British summer is notoriously unpredictable but I wanted to reassure your readers that the one thing we can be certain of is the dedication of the 6,000 people who work behind the scenes, every day of the year, ensuring the 14,000 racehorses in training in Britain at any one time receive first-class care whatever the weather.

We have a duty of care to our horses and the British Horse-racing Authority (BHA) demands the highest standards of horse welfare from all our licensed jockeys, trainers and racecourses.

We are very proud of the welfare standards in British Racing.

We work alongside charities, such as the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare, and with the operators of British racecourses, to make them as safe as possible.

In recent years, racecourses have taken huge steps to further improve welfare standards.

As with all domesticated animals, there are times when horses injure themselves and, when that happens, British racehorses consistently receive the very best veterinary care available.

The sport is open and transparent about the risks involved, and we work hard to minimise the risks.

Over the last 20 years, the overall equine fatality rate in races taking place in Great Britain has fallen by one-third to just 0.2% of runners.

All of the history, popularity and prestige of British racing would mean nothing if we did not care for our horses.

Racing provides a feast of sporting entertainment that is only possible because all of us in British racing are committed to ensuring that, above all else, the horse comes first.