HISA responds to Hamelback op-ed on equine-deaths report
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The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority issued the following response to an opinion column by Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, in which he criticized HISA's recently release report on equine sudden death syndrome.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is committed to advancing equine welfare through modern, data-driven science, not outdated assumptions or repeated trial and error. Exercise-associated sudden death is responsible for a significant number of Thoroughbred racing and training deaths annually. This is why HISA stepped up and assumed a leadership role in bringing together the first-of-its-kind, high-level working group of experts.
Through collaboration with international clinicians and researchers, HISA’s ongoing cardiac monitoring research has created the largest dataset in North America of both equine exercising electrocardiograms and ECGs of horses that have experienced EASD. This data is being analyzed to produce real, ground-breaking findings that are already being shared with, and applauded by, the international veterinary community.
Although peer-reviewed, published research is still forthcoming, HISA felt it was imperative to share this critical, life-saving information with the racing industry, especially as these findings were only made possible through the collaboration of trainers with researchers from the working group, veterinarians and wearable-device companies, all coming together in the name of equine welfare.
Preliminary findings have been presented at the International Havemeyer Conference on Poor Performance and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, and they will be featured at the Hong Kong Jockey Club International Conference later this year as well as the International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians in Melbourne in 2026.
All of these forums and conferences are selective and accept only compelling, novel and high-quality research through an evaluation of scientific merit, clarity and relevance.
Modern ECG technology and data collection are well-accepted, non-invasive tools for assessing racehorses, and their use is well supported within the veterinary community.
Citing decades-old studies as definitive evidence is disingenuous and flies in the face of reason and the ever-evolving nature of veterinary science. Although the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association has issued dubious statements in the past, it is shocking that they would try to dissuade trainers and veterinary practitioners from applying these potentially life-saving measures to horses simply because they oppose HISA.
HISA remains committed to transparency, collaboration and scientific integrity, ensuring the sport’s safety standards reflect today’s best evidence, not yesterday’s limitations.
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