Padded hurdles have entered the Constitution Hill debate, but why are they being used?

For the third time in his last four starts, Constitution Hill fell when reaching no further than the second flight in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday.

The nature of the fall, and the horse involved, prompted trainer Nicky Henderson to voice concerns about whether the padded hurdles in use were contributing to the problem.

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What did Henderson say about padded hurdles?

Last Tuesday Henderson said Constitution Hill and jockey Nico de Boinville had schooled over padded hurdles without problem, but only after Kempton’s clerk of the course Barney Clifford had taken some to Lambourn as part of the horse’s preparation.

“We were happy this morning and schooling has gone well,” said Henderson. "Neither Nico nor I are great fans [of the padded hurdles] and we don't have them at home. We've got the old wooden hurdles and he loves jumping them. That's easy.”

Nicky Henderson: not a fan of the new padded hurdlesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Speaking on Monday, Henderson reiterated he was not keen on padded hurdles and cited a picture in last Wednesday’s Racing Post of Constitution Hill jumping a birch hurdle as an example of how he made “a lovely shape” over those obstacles.

What are padded hurdles and why are they being used?

Like traditional hurdles, padded hurdles are constructed using a standard timber frame but use a fitted foam cell and tipper bar, rather than birch branches.

The design was first trialled at Newton Abbot in 2013 and has gradually been introduced to more racecourses. The BHA has mandated that all tracks have padded hurdles in place by October 1, 2026.

The driving force behind their introduction is welfare, with studies and racecourse data showing they reduce faller rates and associated injuries, such as splinters and skin abrasions.

According to the BHA, since padded hurdles started being rolled out more widely in 2016 they had reduced the risk of falling by 11 per cent compared with traditional birch hurdles.

Padded hurdles with white markings have contributed to a drop in falls, says the BHACredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Alongside making hurdles padded, the colour of the markings around the obstacles has changed as a consequence of a 2017 study by the University of Exeter into horse vision.

The research found horses did not see the orange markings clearly, so they were replaced by white markings. As a result, the BHA said the overall faller rate in all races since 2016 had dropped to 1.65 per cent from 1.96 per cent.

Research showed that horses have reduced colour vision compared to humans, and only differentiate objects in a palette of blues and yellowsCredit: Horse Welfare Board

A BHA spokesman said on Monday: “The padded hurdles were introduced following an extensive design and development process, which included working with racecourses, trainers and jockeys.

“Their phased roll out continues and they will be in place at all racecourses by October 1, 2026.”

‘I don’t mind racing over them, but I prefer to school over the old ones’

Gavin Sheehan has been riding over hurdles in Britain since 2011 and experienced the transition from racing exclusively over birch hurdles to a greater padded-hurdle focus.

“When the padded hurdles first came in people weren’t too pleased about them, but it’s safer for the horse and you understand the reasoning,” he said. “I don’t mind riding over them now and my own view in terms of any difference is that the padded ones are a bit shinier and you can get a bit of a glare off them.”

Although having no qualms with riding over padded hurdles or for the reason for their being brought in, Sheehan said horses were prepared to take more of a chance when jumping compared with the more robust birch hurdles.

Gavin Sheehan: no issues with riding over padded hurdlesCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

He said: “What I liked about the old hurdles was that if a horse hit one of them in a race, they’d respect them for the rest of it. 

“If a horse hits a padded hurdle it doesn’t quite put them off in the same way as the older hurdles – they know they can get away with hitting another one – but that doesn’t really mean a lot in a race as you still have to jump them regardless.

“So, I don’t mind riding over them in a race at all, but I do prefer to school over the older ones as it teaches them to have more respect.”

Could the BHA stop Constitution Hill from running over hurdles?

According to rule (L)17, the BHA may suspend a horse from running if its “previous performances suggest the horse may be a risk to itself, to another horse or to a jockey; there are other welfare concerns; or any other circumstances where it would be appropriate to do so”.

Rule (L)21 also states: "Any horse suspended due to concerns with its jumping ability shall be required to pass a jumping assessment before its suspension is lifted."

A spokesman said jumping assessments were dealt with on a “case-by-case basis and engagement with the parties involved”.

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