Join Hollie French and Holly Niven in this episode as they sit down with Jessie McCarthy and Euan Bennet to discuss how different stakeholders perceive risks to horses in racing.

How do these risks arise on race day? Where may public perceptions differ from those within the racing industry? And how did Jessie and Euan develop this research project in the first place?

In this conversation, they explore the key themes identified through interviews with participants: ‘Managing Risk, or Managing the Message?’, ‘The Balance between Tradition and Progress on Reducing Risks’, and ‘Attributing Responsibility and the Public Disconnect’, all drawn from their recent publication (linked below). This episode offers a thoughtful, nuanced look at the complexities surrounding horse welfare and communication in the sport.

You can read Jessie’s and Euan’s full study here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.14561

Jessie McCarthy is a graduate of the Animal Welfare, Ethics, and Law Masters at the University of Glasgow and a final-year Veterinary Medicine student at the University of Surrey.

Euan Bennet is a Lecturer in Research and Numerical Skills in the School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow.

If you enjoyed this conversion you might also like Episode 98 – Horse Racing: Fatal injuries, risk factors and evidence-based interventions.

Holly Niven and Hollie French conducted the podcast. Caroline Sharp and Shennice Knight edited the podcast. Holly wrote the podcast blurb. Intro and outro music sampled from: “The Curtain Rises” and “Early Riser” Kevin MacLeod [CC BY 3.0]. The blog cover photo is an AI generated image, created using image generator in ChatGPT.