The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) published its 2025 Annual Metrics Report Tuesday which showed just 1.04 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts. The report notes that that number, which is “a sustained reduction from pre-HISA benchmarks”, also marks a nearly 50% decline since reporting began nationally in 2009 by The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database (EID).“Our mission is clear: to make Thoroughbred racing safer for horses and riders while safeguarding the integrity and future of the sport,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “The data contained in this year's report shows that uniform national safety standards are working. We are encouraged by the progress and remain deeply committed to building on these gains in collaboration with racetracks, regulatory partners and industry stakeholders.”Per the report, “HISA's racing fatality data and starts figures undergo a rigorous, multistep quality control process, including quarterly verification by each track's Safety Director.” Earlier Tuesday, the EID reported a North American racing-related fatality rate of 1.07 fatalities per 1,000 starts. This includes a rate of 1.21 fatalities per 1,000 starts for Thoroughbred racetracks in the U.S. operating outside of HISA rules in 2025. The EID's rate for HISA tracks aligns with HISA's report at 1.04.“This continued gap between HISA and non-HISA racetracks underscores what we have long believed: strong, consistent national standards make racing safer.” Lazarus continued. “At the same time, it is encouraging to see the fatality rate at non-HISA tracks decrease from 2024. We hope that the implementation of HISA rules, the industry-wide focus on safety they have helped catalyze and the movement of people and horses between tracks that are and are not under the HISA umbrella have contributed to a broader cultural shift.”HISA also determined that 71,443 unique Covered Horses either recorded a published workout or made a start in a Covered Horserace in 2025, meaning that the total racing- and training-related fatality rate for the Covered Horse population was 0.51%.Additional key metrics released include a 24.8% year-over-year decrease in use of riding crop violations and 13.6% scratches per entry in 2025 compared to 13.4% in the prior year.The 2025 Annual Metrics Report can be viewed in full here.The post HISA 2025 Benchmarks: Sustained Reductions In Fatalities From Pre-HISA Numbers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.