After a brief introduction to the most important aspects of the current spo
rt of horse-racing the equipment and tack will be described with respect to
the horses wellbeing: bridles, tonguestrap, blinkers, saddle and girth. Wi
th reference to incorrect equipment for the rider, the wip and its misuse w
ill be discussed. Problems with saddling and at the starting gate are often
indicators of the incorrect application of aids. Then the misuse of the au
tomatic horse trainer, treadmills and swimmingpools will be explained. Fina
lly, the three most important requirements for improving the protection of
racehorse are summarized: the racing regulations should conform to animal w
elfare laws and the application of these laws should be in the hands of an
independent veterinary surgeon, who has the authority to enforce its requir
ement.