WHAT IS TRACEABILITY?
Every racehorse has a story, and traceability helps make sure that story is recorded throughout each horse’s life.
Traceability is a term that’s common in the horse racing industry and makes up an important part of British racing’s commitment to the horse.
In its basic form, traceability is the ability to keep track and document the history of an animal’s life. From birth to death, traceability allows us to know the location and health status of horses bred for racing throughout their entire lifecycle.
Traceability provides reassurance that:
Racehorses can be identified throughout their lives.
Welfare can be monitored both during and after their racing careers.
Owners, trainers and other responsible figures can be held accountable for their care.
Horse movements can be tracked quickly in the event of a disease outbreak.
Racing is fair, transparent and properly regulated.
In a similar way to humans being given birth certificates, passports and identification cards, horses are also given identification documents to accompany them through their lifetimes and help the traceability process.
A racehorse’s passport is its official identification document. It contains key information about the horse, including date of birth, breeding, ownership, import and export records and vaccination history. Issued by Weatherbys for Thoroughbreds in Britain and Ireland, the passport is a legal requirement for every horse.
A traceable record provides information about a horse’s ownership, training, veterinary care, injuries and retirement. This helps regulators and organisations monitor horses’ wellbeing before, during and after their careers.
If an infectious disease outbreak occurs, authorities can quickly identify where affected horses have been, where they may have had contact with other animals, and which areas (or facilities) may be at risk. This helps contain outbreaks and protects the Thoroughbred herd, as well as the wider equine population.
Traceability is also important for thoroughbreds after they leave racing and the sport has a responsibility to record the details of each horse's first step away from the industry. Good traceability can help in following horses into second careers, breeding programmes or retirement – supporting responsible aftercare initiatives.
In short, traceability is a foundation for good horse welfare, fair racing, disease prevention, regulatory compliance and public trust across the horse racing landscape.