Horse racing is a competitive equestrian sport involving horses ridden by jockeys over set distances, often on flat tracks or over obstacles. It is characterized by a variety of race types, including thoroughbred, harness, and steeplechase, each with distinct rules and traditions. The sport emphasizes speed, stamina, and strategy, with races typically categorized by distance, surface type, and horse age or breed. Horse racing plays a significant role in the equine industry, influencing breeding, training, and veterinary care practices. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the physiological demands, training methodologies, and health considerations associated with horse racing.
Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Ropka-Molik K, Piórkowska K, Żukowski K, Bugno-Poniewierska M.The impact of exercises on young developing organisms is still of interest to researchers. Similarly like Thoroughbreds, Arabian horses competing at the race track. The high percent of lameness and loss of days in training are often the result of weakness in the condition of the musculoskeletal system. The objective of the presented study was to identify by RNA-Seq method, the possible skeletal system originating transcriptomic profile in peripheral blood of Arabian horses undergoing race training. Obtained results showed that one of the most significantly deregulated pathway involved in bone ...
Anne-Archard N, Martel G, Fogarty U, Richard H, Beauchamp G, Laverty S.The aetiology of equine metacarpal condylar fractures is not completely understood and a developmental cause has been postulated. Objective: To investigate the subchondral bone trabecular microarchitecture of the lateral parasagittal groove and condyle in equine neonates and its adaptation with maturation and athletic activity. Methods: Ex vivo observational study. Methods: Distal metacarpi of neonates, yearlings and adult racehorses (n = 24) were harvested. Dorsal and palmar frontal histological sections, containing the lateral parasagittal groove and condyle, were studied. The sections were ...
Rosanowski SM, Chang YM, Stirk AJ, Verheyen KLP.A key focus of the racing industry is to minimise the number of race-day distal limb fractures although no studies have identified risk factors for both fatal and non-fatal distal limb fractures. Objective: To determine risk factors for race-day distal limb fractures experienced by Thoroughbred racehorses participating in flat racing in Great Britain (GB). Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Information was collected from all flat racing starts occurring on GB racecourses between 2000 and 2013, including horse, race, course, trainer and jockey data for each horse start and race-day injury ...
Rossi TM, Kavsak PA, Maxie MG, Pearl DL, Pyle WG, Physick-Sheard PW.There are currently no studies detailing cardiac troponin I (cTnI) release in normal horses post-exercise using an analytically validated assay. These data are essential for selecting appropriate sampling times in equine athletes with suspected myocardial injury. Objective: To plot the magnitude and time course of cTnI release after maximal effort, using validated cTnI assays. Methods: Descriptive longitudinal study. Methods: Five clinically normal Standardbred racehorses in race training were included in the study. Horses were exercised in harness at near-race intensity. Blood samples were ta...
Wilson G, Martin D, Morton JP, Close GL.Despite consistent reports of poor bone health in male jockeys, it is not yet known if this is a consequence of low energy availability or lack of an osteogenic stimulus. Given the rationale that low energy availability is a contributing factor in low bone health, we tested the hypothesis that both hip and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) should progressively worsen in accordance with the years of riding. In a cross-sectional design, male apprentice (n = 17) and senior (n = 14) jockeys (matched for body mass and fat-free mass) were assessed for hip and lumbar spine BMD, as well as bot...
Viljanto M, Hincks P, Hillyer L, Cawley A, Suann C, Noble G, Walker CJ, Parkin MC, Kicman AT, Scarth J.The use of testosterone and its pro-drugs, such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), is currently regulated in horseracing by the application of international testosterone thresholds. However, additional steroidomic approaches, such as steroid ratios, to distinguish overall adrenal stimulation from drug administrations and an equine biological passport for longitudinal steroid profiling of individual animals could be advantageous in equine doping testing. Thus, DHEA concentrations and related ratios (testosterone [T] to DHEA and DHEA to epitestosterone [E]) were assessed in the reference populati...
Kieffer PJ, Aceto H, Stefanovski D, Parente EJ.To assess the outcome of transendoscopic laser surgery for the treatment of epiglottic entrapment (EE) and determine the influence of preoperative morphological characteristics on outcomes. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses treated with transendoscopic laser surgery (n = 66) and untreated cohorts (n = 132). Methods: Medical, surgical, and race records of 66 horses treated with transendoscopic laser surgery were compared with untreated cohorts randomly selected from their last race presurgery. Postsurgery data were collated as number of starts and rac...
Cully P, Nielsen B, Lancaster B, Martin J, McGreevy P.Laterality can be observed as side biases in locomotory behaviour which, in the horse, manifest inter alia as forelimb preferences, most notably in the gallop. The current study investigated possible leading-leg preferences at the population and individual level in Thoroughbred racehorses (n = 2095) making halt-to-gallop transitions. Videos of flat races in the UK (n = 350) were studied to record, for each horse, the lead-leg preference of the initial stride into gallop from the starting stalls. Races from clockwise (C) and anti-clockwise (AC) tracks were chosen alternately at random to ensure...
Jäderkvist Fegraeus K, Velie BD, Axelsson J, Ang R, Hamilton NA, Andersson L, Meadows JRS, Lindgren G.The Swedish-Norwegian Coldblooded trotter and the heavier North-Swedish draught horse both descend from the North-Swedish horse, but the Coldblooded trotters have been selected for racing performance while the North-Swedish draught horse is mainly used for agricultural and forestry work. By comparing the genomes of Coldblooded trotters, North-Swedish draught horses and Standardbreds for a large number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the aim of the study was to identify genetic regions that may be under selection for racing performance. We hypothesized that the selection for racing p...
Crispe EJ, Secombe CJ, Perera DI, Manderson AA, Turlach BA, Lester GD.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is considered a progressive disease based on histopathology, but it is unknown if tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity worsens over time. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine tracheobronchoscopic EIPH changes over time in a population of Thoroughbred racehorses. A secondary aim was to identify factors that affect changes in tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity between observations. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal, observational cross-sectional study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses were examined with tracheobronchoscopy no earlier than 3...
Malekipour F, Whitton CR, Lee PV.Subchondral bone injury due to high magnitude and repetition of compressive loading is common in humans and athletic animals such as Thoroughbred racehorses. Repeated loading of the joint surface may alter the subchondral bone microstructure and initiate microdamage in the bone adjacent to the articular cartilage. Understanding the relationship between microdamage, microstructure and mechanical properties of the subchondral bone adjacent to the articular cartilage is, therefore, essential in understanding the mechanism of subchondral bone injury. In this study, we used high-resolution µCT sca...
Takahashi Y, Ishikawa Y, Ohmura H.OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of quinidine and flecainide in treating naturally occurring, recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in Thoroughbred racehorses. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 107 Thoroughbred racehorses. PROCEDURES Medical records of racehorses with AF that were treated with quinidine or flecainide between 1987 and 2014 were reviewed. Signalment, history, treatments, complications, and outcome data were collected. Horses were allocated to 2 groups according to the initial treatment: initial treatment with quinidine (group 1) or initial treatment with flecainide (gro...
Physick-Sheard PW, Avison A, Chappell E, MacIver M.The Province of Ontario maintains a registry of racehorse deaths occurring within 60 days of a race or trial entry that provides insight into mortality rates and costs of competition. Objective: To characterise and quantify mortality and identify breed differences. Methods: Retrospective annualised cohort study. Methods: The Ontario Death Registry for 2003-2015, containing 1713 cases, was audited and information on the relationship between death and official work added. Race and trial data from industry performance databases were used to determine mortality rates according to breed, year, age...
Sun TC, Riggs CM, Cogger N, Wright J, Al-Alawneh JI.Reports of fractures in racehorses have predominantly focused on catastrophic injuries, and there are limited data identifying the location and incidence of fractures that did not result in a fatal outcome. Objective: To describe the nature and the incidence of noncatastrophic and catastrophic fractures in Thoroughbreds racing at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) over seven racing seasons. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Data of fractures sustained in horses while racing and of race characteristics were extracted from the HKJC Veterinary Management Information System (VMIS) and Ra...
Whitton RC, Ayodele BA, Hitchens PL, Mackie EJ.Microdamage accumulation leads to subchondral bone injury and/or fracture in racehorses. An understanding of this process is essential for developing strategies for injury prevention. Objective: To quantify subchondral bone microdamage in the third metacarpal bone of Thoroughbred racehorses at different stages of the training cycle. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Bone blocks from the palmar aspect of the medial condyles of third metacarpal bones from 46 racing Thoroughbred horses undergoing post-mortem were examined with micro computed tomography (microCT) to detect calcified microcracks, ...
Wenzel R, Major D, Hesp K, Doble P.Regulating authorities in the racing industry have restricted the administration of potentially performance enhancing cobalt salts to horses. There are severe penalties for trainers presenting horses with elevated urine cobalt concentrations, and compliance is ensured via analysis of total urinary cobalt at thresholds of 100 μg/L. When cobalt is present as part of the cobalamin molecule it is not considered performance enhancing. This paper demonstrates that a horse can excrete a significant proportion of a commercially available vitamin B12 injection in urine without metabolic modification...
Poon ET, O'Reilly J, Sheridan S, Cai MM, Wong SH.Weight-making practices, regularly engaged in by horse racing jockeys, have been suggested to impair both physiological and mental health. This study aimed to assess bone health markers, nutritional intake, bone-specific physical activity (PA) habits, and quality of life of professional jockeys in Hong Kong (n = 14), with gender-, age-, and body mass index-matched controls (n = 14). Anthropometric measurements, serum hormonal biomarkers, bone mineral density, bone-specific PA habits, nutritional intake, and quality of life were assessed in all participants. The jockey group displayed s...
Todd ET, Ho SYW, Thomson PC, Ang RA, Velie BD, Hamilton NA.The Thoroughbred horse has played an important role in both sporting and economic aspects of society since the establishment of the breed in the 1700s. The extensive pedigree and phenotypic information available for the Thoroughbred horse population provides a unique opportunity to examine the effects of 300 years of selective breeding on genetic load. By analysing the relationship between inbreeding and racing performance of 135,572 individuals, we found that selective breeding has not efficiently alleviated the Australian Thoroughbred population of its genetic load. However, we found evidenc...
Dabbene I, Bullone M, Pagliara E, Gasparini M, Riccio B, Bertuglia A.Information on interference injuries in racehorses is lacking. Objective: To describe clinical findings and prognosis of palmar forelimb interference injuries in Standardbreds. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Records of 74 racehorses sustaining palmar forelimb interference injuries were studied; 7 occurred during training and 67 during racing. The number of starts before injury, hind shoeing status, gait penalties and racing speeds in cases occurring during racing were compared with negative controls (67 age, sex and speed category matched horses) from the same races. The number ...
Smith LCR, Wylie CE, Palmer L, Ramzan PHL.There is a need for investigation of associations between intrasynovial medication and fracture risk in racehorses. Objective: To document the proportion and type of fracture occurring following intrasynovial medication. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study. Methods: Review of clinical records from all Thoroughbred flat racehorses receiving intrasynovial medication under the care of a first-opinion veterinary practice between 2006 and 2011. Fractures pre- and post-medication were categorised by location, type, and severity; analysis of fractures sustained within 56-days of medication was ...
Kiely MA, Warrington GD, Mcgoldrick A, O'loughlin G, Cullen S.Jockeys should maintain a high level of physical fitness to meet the physical demands of horse racing. The aim of this study was to determine the physiological requirements of the riding gaits used regularly in training. Methods: Eleven trainee jockeys performed a maximal incremental Wattbike cycle ergometer test. Mean absolute and relative oxygen uptake (VO2) and heart rate (HR) were recorded for the steady-state period during a walk, trot and canter. Energy expenditure (EE) and associated metabolic equivalent (MET) were also estimated. Results: During a walk, trot and canter, relative mean V...
Rosanowski SM, Chang YM, Stirk AJ, Verheyen KLP.A key focus of the racing industry is to reduce the number of race-day events where horses die suddenly or are euthanased due to catastrophic injury. The objective of this study was therefore to determine risk factors for race-day fatalities in Thoroughbred racehorses, using a cohort of all horses participating in flat racing in Great Britain between 2000 and 2013. Horse-, race- and course-level data were collected and combined with all race-day fatalities, recorded by racecourse veterinarians in a central database. Associations between exposure variables and fatality were assessed using logis...
Tamura N, Kodaira K, Yoshihara E, Mae N, Yamazaki Y, Mita H, Kuroda T, Fukuda K, Tomita A, Kasashima Y.A retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate risk factors for the failure of Thoroughbred racehorses to return to racing after an injury of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). Successful return was defined as the completion of five or more races after SDFT injury. The official Japan Racing Association (JRA) medical records of racehorses with a core-type SDFT injury were reviewed for clinical variables related to the characteristics of the horse and the severity of SDFT injuries at the time of diagnosis. Data on racing outcomes were obtained from the official JRA racing d...
Jacquet-Guibon S, Dupays AG, Coudry V, Crevier-Denoix N, Leroy S, Siñeriz F, Chiappini F, Barritault D, Denoix JM.A randomized controlled trial was performed on racing horses, to evaluate the efficacy of a new class of therapeutic agents in regenerative medicine-ReGeneraTing Agents® (RGTA®), to treat tendinopathies. Preliminary uncontrolled studies on tendon healing in racing horses with RGTA® (OTR4131)-Equitend® showed encouraging results, justifying performing a randomized, controlled, multicenter study with a two-year racing performance follow up. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Equitend® versus placebo on acute superficial digital flexor tendonitis in racing French Stand...
Wilson B, Jones B, McGreevy P.The use of whips in racing is subject to current debate, not least because the prospect that fatigued horses cannot respond renders the practice futile and inhumane. The racing industries maintain whip use is a form of encouragement and that the rules of racing that govern whip use safeguard horse welfare. The current study examined longitudinal trends in the frequency of medium and fast race winning times in Australian harness racing between September 2007 and August 2016 to explore relationships with a series of changes that moderated whip use. The first change, introduced January 2010, mode...
Alzola R, Easter C, Riggs CM, Gardner DS, Freeman SL.Superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injury is an important health and welfare concern in racehorses. It is generally diagnosed with ultrasonography, but predictive ultrasonographic features have not been reported. Objective: To determine ultrasonographic features of forelimb SDFT injury at initial presentation in Thoroughbred racehorses that could predict a successful return to racing (completing ≥5 races). Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Digitised ultrasonographic images of 469 horses with forelimb SDFT injuries from the Hong Kong Jockey Club (2003-2014) were evaluated, u...
Viljanto M, Hillyer L, Hincks P, Pearce C, Paine SW.Medication control and doping control have been established in horse racing to ensure the integrity of the sport and the welfare of the horses. This ensures that horses do not compete under the influence of any drugs, including omeprazole, a therapeutic medication used to treat equine gastric ulcer syndrome. In this study, pharmacokinetic data were produced in equine plasma and urine following an oral administration of 4 mg/kg of generic buffered formulation of omeprazole to six Thoroughbred horses in five daily doses to determine an appropriate screening limit and detection time in equine pl...
Ter Woort F, Caswell JL, Arroyo LG, Viel L.OBJECTIVE To describe histologic findings in the small airways during postmortem examination of actively racing horses and to quantify the degree of airway inflammation by use of a semiquantitative scoring system. SAMPLE Lung tissues obtained from 95 horses (Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and Quarter Horses) that had been actively racing or training. PROCEDURES 10 standardized lung sections were obtained during postmortem examination of 37 horses that had been actively racing or training, and 2 histologic sections of the caudodorsal lung lobes previously collected from each of 58 horses that di...
McGreevy PD, Griffiths MD, Ascione FR, Wilson B.Recent studies have cast doubt on the effectiveness of whipping horses during races and this has led to questions concerning its continuing justification. Furthermore, it has been argued that whipping tired horses in racing is the most televised form of violence to animals. The present study used de-identified data from a recent independent Australian poll (n = 1,533) to characterise the 26% of respondents (113 females and 271 males) who support the whipping of racehorses and the 10% of racing enthusiasts in the sample (44 females and 63 males) who would stop watching races and betting on them...
Gold JR, Knowles DP, Coffey T, Bayly WM.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) refers to bleeding from the lungs in association with strenuous exercise. It has been documented in race horses but little information exists on EIPH in barrel racing horses. Objective: Our goals were to evaluate the presence of EIPH in barrel racing horses and estimate its prevalence in the Pacific Northwest. Methods: 149 barrel racing horses enrolled at events in WA (11), ID (3), and MT (33). Methods: Observational cross-sectional study. Data collected included signalment, history of illness, respiratory disease, race division, and pre-race medica...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Hamilton NA, Kusano K, Nagata SI.Gene doping is prohibited in horseracing and equestrian sports. In previous studies, we developed non-targeted transgene and genome editing detection methods based on whole genome resequencing (WGR) using genomic DNA extracted from whole blood. In this study, we aimed to develop a WGR method using DNA extracts from hair roots. Hair roots are a preferred substrate because their collection is less invasive than blood collection. Hair is also easier to store for long periods of time. Although almost all genomic DNA extracted from hair root samples stored for years at room temperature was degraded...
Bond SL, Greco-Otto P, Sides R, Kwong GPS, Léguillette R, Bayly WM.A prospective, randomized, controlled study was designed to determine relative aerobic and anaerobic (lactic and alactic) contributions at supramaximal exercise intensities using two different methods. Thoroughbred racehorses ( = 5) performed a maximal rate of oxygen consumption (V̇o) test and three supramaximal treadmill runs (105, 115, and 125% V̇o). Blood lactate concentration (BL) was measured at rest, every 15 s during runs, and 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min postexercise. In , oxygen demand was calculated for each supramaximal intensity based on the V̇o test, and relative aerobi...
Morrice-West AV, Hitchens PL, Walmsley EA, Whitton RC.Little is known about the types of surfaces used during training of Thoroughbred racehorses or methods of exercise used in addition to ridden track-work. Our aims were to (1) describe the types of surfaces used in the training of Thoroughbred racehorses and to (2) identify alternative approaches used to exercise horses in addition to, or in place of, ridden overground track-work. Information regarding surface and alternative exercise methods was collected as part of an in-person survey of training practices of 66 registered Thoroughbred trainers in Victoria, Australia. Sand and synthetic surfa...
Crispe EJ, Lester GD, Secombe CJ, Perera DI.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is commonly implicated as a cause of poor athletic performance but there is limited and conflicting evidence for this association. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if EIPH, based on endoscopic examination after racing, is associated with a variety of novel and established performance parameters. Methods: Prospective, observational cross-sectional study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses competing between 2012 and 2015 were examined on-course no earlier than 30 min after racing. Examinations were recorded and graded blindly by experi...
Pinchbeck GL, Clegg PD, Proudman CJ, Morgan KL, French NP.Equine fatalities during racing continue to be a major welfare concern and falls at fences are responsible for a proportion of all equine fatalities recorded on racecourses. Objective: To identify and quantify risk factors for horse falls in National Hunt (NH) racing and to report the frequency of falling and falling-associated fatalities. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 2879 horse starts in hurdle and steeplechase races on 6 UK racecourses. Any horse that suffered a fall at a steeplechase or hurdle fence during the race was defined as a case. Data were obtained by intervi...
Williamson A, Rogers CW, Firth EC.To identify feeding and management variables associated with variation in faecal pH within a population of intensively managed Thoroughbred racehorses in New Zealand. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 16 racehorse trainers in the North Island of New Zealand. Interviews were conducted at the trainers' stables to obtain information on feeding and management of horses, and faecal samples were collected and faecal pH measured. Results: Ninety-seven percent of the horses surveyed were confined in an area or=12 h/day. Trainer's age, number of years they had trained horses, age and g...
Pira E, Vacca GM, Dettori ML, Piras G, Moro M, Paschino P, Pazzola M.One hundred and eighty Anglo-Arabian horses running 1239 races were sampled for the present study. DNA was extracted from the blood and myostatin gene, MSTN, was genotyped. Moreover, prizes won and places were achieved for the 1239 races to perform association analyses between the different genotypes and sport traits. Two SNPs already reported in previous studies regarding the Thoroughbred breed, rs69472472 and rs397152648, were revealed as polymorphic. The linkage disequilibrium analysis investigating the haplotype structure of MSTN did not evidence any association block. Polymorphism at SNP ...
Reardon RJ, Boden LA, Mellor DJ, Love S, Newton JR, Stirk AJ, Parkin TD.The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendinopathy in Thoroughbred horses in steeplechase races in the United Kingdom. Potential risk factors for SDF tendinopathy were studied between 1st January 2001 and 31st December 2009 using a cohort study design with 648 injuries sustained in 102,894 starts. Potential risk factors were screened using univariable logistic regression prior to multivariable model building. In the final multivariable model, 12 statistically significant risk factors were identified. Variables that increased the odds of S...
Hurn SD, Turner AG.To record the prevalence and document the types of eye disease in population of Thoroughbred racehorses in Victoria, Australia. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Two hundred four Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: All horses and both eyes were examined at four metropolitan and two country racing stable complexes. Ophthalmic exam was performed following dark adaptation with a transilluminator, biomicroscope, and direct ophthalmoscope. Intraocular pressures were measured when indicated. Both pupils were dilated with tropicamide when indicated. Results: One hundred eighty-two (89.2%) flat-racin...
Priest DT, Cheetham J, Regner AL, Mitchell L, Soderholm LV, Tamzali Y, Ducharme NG.Examination of the equine upper airway during racing has not previously been documented. Objective: To describe the feasibility and appearance of the upper airways by overground respiratory endoscopic examination during racing conditions. Methods: Overground videoendoscopic examinations were performed on 46 Standardbred racehorses during qualifying races. Examined horses' speeds were recorded throughout the race with a portable GPS device. Results: The procedure did not interfere with performance as there were no significant differences in race times between races in which horses were examined...
The Journal of traumaMay 7, 2004
Volume 56, Issue 3 643-647 doi: 10.1097/01.ta.0000053470.38129.f4
Petridou E, Kedikoglou S, Belechri M, Ntouvelis E, Dessypris N, Trichopoulos D.This study aims to estimate the burden and describe the profile of equestrian injuries in Greece, where horses, donkeys, and mules are still used in agriculture and where horse riding is a popular leisure activity. Methods: Prospectively collected information on 140,823 injuries reported in the national Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System was examined and 244 equestrian-related injuries that occurred during farming, equestrian sports, or horse racing were analyzed. Results: The estimated countrywide injury incidence for farming and equestrian sports combined was 21 per 100,000 pers...
Nielsen BD, Turner KK, Ventura BA, Woodward AD, O'Connor CI.While Quarter Horses are recognised as the fastest breed of horse, direct comparisons to race times with other breeds can be misleading. Quarter Horse races begin when the starting gates open. Thoroughbred and Arabian races begin a short distance from the gates after horses have started running. This study compared speeds of these breeds as they accelerate from the starting gates and during the middle and end of races. Objective: To compare racing speeds of the 3 breeds, and to compare speeds during various segments of the races. Methods: Video tapes of races were obtained from a local track. ...
Gildea S, Lyons P, Lyons R, Gahan J, Garvey M, Cullinane A.Equine influenza (EI) outbreaks occurred among horses on four racing yards (two National Hunt, one Flat, one mixed National Hunt racing/breeding yard) in Ireland within a 4-week period. Objective: To carry out a detailed analysis of racing yards affected in order to identify the source of infection and monitor virus spread among a vaccinated population. Methods: Observational field study. Methods: Epidemiological and vaccination data along with repeat clinical samples were collected from 118 horses on four premises. Results: Failure to implement appropriate biosecurity measures following the i...
Karagianni AE, Kurian D, Cillán-Garcia E, Eaton SL, Wishart TM, Pirie RS.Neutrophilic airway inflammation is highly prevalent in racehorses in training, with the term mild to moderate equine asthma (MMEA) being applied to the majority of such cases. Our proposed study is largely derived from the strong association between MMEA in racehorses and their entry into a race training program. The objectives of this study are to characterise the effect of training on the local pulmonary immune system by defining the gene and protein expression of tracheal wash (TW) derived samples from Thoroughbred racehorses prior to and following commencement of race training. Multiomics...
Kieken F, Pinel G, Antignac JP, Monteau F, Christelle Paris A, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y, Le Bizec B.Despite the worldwide existing regulation banning the use of the recombinant equine growth hormone (reGH) as growth promoter, it is suspected to be used in horseracing to improve performances. Various analytical methods previously developed to screen for its misuse have encountered some limitations in terms of detection timeframes, in particular during the first days following reGH administration. A novel strategy involving the characterization of global metabolomic fingerprints in urine samples of non-treated and reGH-treated horses by liquid chromatography-electrospray-high-resolution mass s...
Jose-Cunilleras E, Young LE, Newton JR, Marlin DJ.The prevalence and severity of cardiac arrhythmias during exercise in athletic horses presented for poor performance is not well described. Objective: To describe prevalence and severity of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias immediately before, during and immediately after standardised incremental treadmill exercise tests (IET) to fatigue in Thoroughbred horses during investigation of poor performance. Methods: The electrocardiograms (ECG) of 88 Thoroughbred racehorses, judged to be free of significant heart disease or arrhythmia at rest, were used. A modified base-apex ECG was recor...
Arthur RJ, Suann CJ.Three biosecurity and relief-and-recovery initiatives adopted by the NSW horse racing industries reduced the economic and social disruption caused by the disease and subsequent movement controls during the 2007 Australian equine influenza (EI) incursion. The first was the creation of biosecure horse training and racing precincts around the Sydney area to permit racing to continue with healthy horses. Infection was excluded for 3-5 weeks and race meetings were conducted safely during this period. The second was a vaccination program of racehorses at these and other precincts to maintain an ongo...
Setterbo JJ, Fyhrie PB, Hubbard M, Upadhyaya SK, Stover SM.Racetrack surface is a risk factor for Thoroughbred racehorse injury and death that can be engineered and managed. To investigate the relationship between surface and injury, the mechanical behaviour of dirt and synthetic track surfaces must be quantified. Objective: To compare dynamic properties of a dirt and a synthetic surface in situ using a track-testing device designed to simulate equine hoof impact; and to determine the effects of impact velocity, impact angle and repeated impact on dynamic surface behaviour. Methods: A track-testing device measured force and displacement during impact ...
O'Hara V, Cowan A, Riddell D, Massey C, Martin J, Piercy RJ.Horse racing is a popular and financially important industry worldwide and researchers and horse owners are interested in genetic and training influences that maximise athletic performance. An association has been found between the presence of a short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) mutation in the myostatin (MSTN) gene promoter and optimal race distance in Thoroughbred horses. There is previous laboratory evidence that this mutation reduces MSTN expression in a cell culture model and influences skeletal muscle fibre type proportions in horses. Manipulating MSTN expression has been propose...
Cappelli K, Mecocci S, Gioiosa S, Giontella A, Silvestrelli M, Cherchi R, Valentini A, Chillemi G, Capomaccio S.Physical exercise is universally recognized as stressful. Among the "sport species", the horse is probably the most appropriate model for investigating the genomic response to stress due to the homogeneity of its genetic background. The aim of this work is to dissect the whole transcription modulation in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) after exercise with a time course framework focusing on unexplored regions related to introns and intergenic portions. PBMCs NGS from five 3 year old Sardinian Anglo-Arab racehorses collected at rest and after a 2000 m race was performed. Apart from d...
Love S, Wyse CA, Stirk AJ, Stear MJ, Calver P, Voute LC, Mellor DJ.The assessment of belief that equine conformation is associated with performance and durability is a fundamental concept of horsemanship. Surprisingly, there is almost no quantitative evidence to support these beliefs. Objective: To assess the prevalence and heritability of conformational traits in Thoroughbred yearlings, and investigate their significance for subsequent turf flat-racing performance and durability. Methods: Nine selected conformational traits were assessed in a consistent, qualitative manner by a single veterinary observer and entered into a database together with details of p...
Ito S, Hobo S, Eto D, Sato H.To evaluate a hypothese that use of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for early treatment of pneumonia would improve their prognosis by reducing bacterial numbers and excessive numbers of neutrophils in the lung, initial experiences with BAL in the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia were performed in 36 racehorses that became ill within 24 hr of long distance travel (1,200-1,600 km, 26-32 hr) by road. Comparisons were made of the outcomes of the 36 horses and those of 42 horses (81.0% recovered, 50.0% returned to racing) treated for transport associated pneumonia without BAL. The total amount of ...
Hitchens PL, Blizzard CL, Jones G, Day L, Fell J.Riding thoroughbred racehorses is a hazardous occupation. In this study, we investigated risk factors associated with falls by licensed thoroughbred racing jockeys participating in flat races conducted in Australia. Methods: Data on race-day falls were extracted from stewards' reports. Denominator data were provided by Racing Information Services Australia on races conducted in Australia from August 2002 until July 2006. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated using Poisson regression. Analyses were stratified by race grade (maiden, class, open/restricted). Results: In multivariable analys...
Kiely M, Warrington GD, McGoldrick A, Pugh J, Cullen S.Kiely, M, Warrington, GD, McGoldrick, A, Pugh, J, and Cullen, S. Physiological demands of professional flat and jump horse racing. J Strength Cond Res 34(8): 2173-2177, 2020-No information is currently available on the effect of race distance on the physiological demands of jockeys. This study aimed to quantify the respective demands of short and long flat and jump race distances. Twenty professional jockeys (10 flat and 10 jump) participated in the study. The subjects initially performed a graded incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion on a treadmill to determine the peak heart rat...
Caulfield MJ, Karageorghis CI.We examined the psychological effects of rapid weight loss among a sample of 41 professional jockeys (mean age 30.9 years, s = 7.0). Participants completed the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) to establish the relationships between rapid weight loss, mood, and attitudes towards eating. These instruments were administered on three occasions: at the jockeys' minimal weight (achieved through rapid weight loss), their optimal riding weight (when they were not excessively restricting their weight and felt healthy), and their relaxed weight (when there were no fort...
Lindholm A, Saltin B.LINDHOLM, ARNE and BENGT SALTIN: The physiological and biochemical response of standardbred horses to exercise of varying speed and duration. Acta vet. scand. 1974, 15, 310–324. — Welltrained standardbred horses were studied to examine the metabolic response to excercise of various speeds and duration. Comparisons between interval (400, 700, 1,000 and 2,000 m) and continuous trotting (1 hr., 2 hrs.) and racing were made. Muscle and rectal temperatures were recorded before and immediately after each work bout. Heart rate was linearly related to trotting speed, and maximal heart rate (240 be...
Upjohn MM, Archer RM, Christley RM, McGowan CM.A telephone survey of 51 National Hunt racing yards with 1140 horses in training was made in April and May 2003 to establish the incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis syndrome during the previous year. A case-control study was used to investigate the risk factors for the syndrome in eight yards selected on the basis that cases had been confirmed by the analysis of serum muscle enzymes. The overall incidence of syndrome was 6.1 cases per 100 horses per year, and 55 per cent of the yards reported at least one case. The risk factors identified were sex, the average length of the training gallop,...
Rosanowski SM, Chang YM, Stirk AJ, Verheyen KLP.A key focus of the racing industry is to minimise the number of race-day distal limb fractures although no studies have identified risk factors for both fatal and non-fatal distal limb fractures. Objective: To determine risk factors for race-day distal limb fractures experienced by Thoroughbred racehorses participating in flat racing in Great Britain (GB). Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Information was collected from all flat racing starts occurring on GB racecourses between 2000 and 2013, including horse, race, course, trainer and jockey data for each horse start and race-day injury ...
Fairburn AJ, Busschers E, Barr ARS.Suspensory ligament branch (SLB) desmopathy is a common cause of lameness and an important cause of lost training in the Thoroughbred racing industry. Studies have assessed the impact of insertional injuries of the SLB on the careers of flat racehorses and established the prevalence of subclinical ultrasonographic SLB abnormalities in this population, but little work has investigated SLB injury in National Hunt (NH) racehorses. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of subclinical ultrasonographic SLB abnormalities in NH racehorses with no clinical signs or history of SLB injury and to estab...
Aldrich K, Velez-Irizarry D, Fenger C, Schott M, Valberg SJ.Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) is a chronic muscle disorder of unknown etiology in racehorses. A potential role of intramuscular calcium (Ca2+) dysregulation in RER has led to the use of dantrolene to prevent episodes of rhabdomyolysis. We examined differentially expressed proteins (DEP) and gene transcripts (DEG) in gluteal muscle of Thoroughbred race-trained mares after exercise among three groups of 5 horses each; 1) horses susceptible to, but not currently experiencing rhabdomyolysis, 2) healthy horses with no history of RER (control), 3) RER-susceptible horses treated with dant...
