It’s Hot! Perth horses raced in record breaking heat

Western Australia has been experiencing some brutal weather recently with temperatures in Perth climbing to over 40 degress for six consecutive days. Even being in the midst of this record breaking heat wave didn’t stop the races at Pinjarra going ahead last Thursday.

Many horses have been reported to suffer exertional heat illness on racetracks across the state, with at least three horses suffering the illness on one race day alone at the end of last month. The conditions that day were very similar to those at Pinjarra last Thursday, yet the races went ahead anyway and miraculously not one horse was reported to have been distressed or suffered heat illness or any other injury – something we strongly question the validity of. We also strongly question the integrity of the RWWA Stewards and vets who alllow meetings to go ahead in such extreme heat.

Exertional heat illness is a terrible condition to suffer. Symptoms vary depending on severity and include abnormal neurological function, disorientation, irritability, instability, collapse, convulsions, coma and even death. Stewards reports play down the severity with symptoms minimised or even not recorded in their reports.

Hot weather policies are very vague across Australian racetracks and allow much room to deviate from what is required to avoid horses suffering heat illness. Even when races are moved to less brutal times of the day, little if any consideration appears to be given to the fact that horses may have already endured extreme heat for several days prior to the meet and are often transported long distances in uninsulated floats without ventilation to reach the track.

Every which way you look at it there is suffering in horse racing and a lack of integrity among those bestowed to protect the horses welfare.