In Other Journals

Last year in the MJA, the first national study of horse-racing injuries in Australia revealed that jockeys are at substantial risk of injury or death from falls.1 Now, Hitchens and colleagues report factors associated with falls of thoroughbred-racing jockeys riding in flat races.2 Among a wide range of identified factors, faster speeds and tighter racing contributed to an increase in the incidence of falls, as did the relative inexperience of riders and horses. Among suggestions for reducing falls was the further investigation of the specific skills that experienced jockeys employ when riding inexperienced horses.