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Topic:Horse Racing
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.
The risk of severity of limb injuries in racing thoroughbred horses. A retrospective study was carried out to identify factors which predisposed Thoroughbred horses to severe injuries, as compared to less severe injuries, while racing on New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks during the period of January 1986 to June 1988. A severe injury was defined as an injury which led to humane destruction of the horse. A less severe injury was defined as a horse which didn't race within 6 months following a muscular, ligament, tendon, or skeletal injury on the racetrack. The data were obtained from the Horse Identification Department records kept by the Chief Examining...
Surgical treatment of dorsal cortical fractures of the third metacarpal bone in thoroughbred racehorses: 53 cases (1985-1989). Between January 1985 and May 1989, 53 Thoroughbred horses (mean age 3.2 years) were surgically treated for dorsal cortical fractures of the third metacarpal bone (MC III). All horses were treated with cortical drilling through the fracture line (osteostixis). Diagnosis of the fractures was confirmed by xeroradiography. Lifetime racing records were obtained for all horses. Forty-seven horses returned to racing after surgery (89%). The mean time between surgery and the first race was 6.8 months. Horses had a mean of 10.9 starts before surgery and 16.1 starts after surgery. The mean earnings per ...
Ultrasound speed in the metacarpal cortex–a survey of 347 thoroughbreds in training. Transmission ultrasound speed was determined in the third metacarpal bone of 347 Thoroughbred racehorses in training. In addition to direct measurement of apparent ultrasound speed and lateral bone diameter, several derived parameters were estimated (cortical ultrasound speed, corticomedullary ratio and cortical cross-sectional area). Multiple regression equations were developed for each ultrasound measurement using the explanatory variables: sex, age, duration and intensity of training, preparation number and previous shin soreness. The horses (114 females, 82 entire males and 151 geldings ra...
Long-term effects of desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor muscle in standardbreds: 23 cases (1979-1989). Desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor muscle (inferior check desmotomy) permitted Standardbred foals affected with flexural deformities to reach their full athletic potential. Long-term effects of inferior check desmotomy were examined in 23 Standardbreds over a 10-year period. Six of 11 foals that were treated surgically either raced 6 times and obtained a race record or were training sound (if yearlings). All 12 horses with flexural deformity that did not receive an inferior check desmotomy had an unfavorable outcome (no race record). Foals that had surgery performed...
Effects of induced alkalosis on performance in thoroughbreds during a 1,600-m race. There is considerable debate regarding the ergogenic effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on racing performance in horses. Anecdotal evidence suggests that NaHCO3 improves performance by increasing the buffering capacity of the blood and delaying the onset of hydrogen ion-induced fatigue. In a cross-over study, 16 Thoroughbred racehorses were given an aqueous solution of NaHCO3 (0.4 g/kg in 1 litre H2O) or a control treatment (1 litre H2O) before a 1600-m race. Treatments were administered 3 h before the race, which was the time to peak buffering capacity (2.5-3.0 h) determined in a separate...
The response of equine cortical bone to loading at strain rates experienced in vivo by the galloping horse. The behaviour of cortical bone under load is strain rate-dependent, i.e. it is dependent on the rate at which the load is applied. This is particularly relevant in the galloping horse since the strain rates experienced by the bone are far in excess of those recorded for any other species. In this study the effect of strain rates between 0.0001 and 1 sec-1 on the mechanical properties of equine cortical bone were assessed. Initially, increasing strain rates resulted in increased mechanical properties. Beyond a critical value, however, further increases in strain rate resulted in lower strain to...
Spontaneous echocardiographic contrast in the thoroughbred: high prevalence in racehorses and a characteristic abnormality in bleeders. Spontaneous echocardiographic contrast is the term used by ultrasonographers to describe particulate material visible in intracardiac blood by ultrasound. The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of spontaneous contrast in a farm population of Thoroughbreds and in the farm's racehorses. The results showed that spontaneous echocardiographic contrast is common in Thoroughbreds, and that the prevalence of contrast is affected by age, male gender, racing and pregnancy. The amount of right-sided cardiac contrast was quantitated by videodensitometry and was increased in horse...
Effect of competition on performance of thoroughbred racehorses. The effect of competition and the influence of age and sex on performance were examined in a study of 18 Thoroughbred racehorses. The horses performed two solo and two competitive runs at 1,200 and 1,600 m for a total of eight runs. No group ran faster during competition, which may have been a reflection of the quality of horses used for this study and their susceptibility to stress-induced impairment of performance. Males showed no significant difference between competitive and solo run times, whereas females were consistently slower during competition. Males ran significantly faster than fem...
Evaluation of threshold doses of drug action in the horse using hematocrit values as an indicator. This study was designed to explore the use of hematocrit values as possible indicators of the threshold doses of adrenergic drugs in the performance horse. Acepromazine, detomidine, and fluphenazine were tested for their effects on hematocrit values, with the threshold dose for these effects investigated. Hematocrit values were shown to be quite sensitive to the administration of acepromazine with doses as low as 50 micrograms/horse producing detectable depressions in hematocrit values for up to 2 hours. Increasing the dose increased the magnitude of the effect, but did not appear to prolong i...
Follow-up of 28 horses with third metacarpal unicortical stress fractures following treatment with osteostixis. The results of 31 intracortical dorsal metacarpal stress fractures in 28 horses following unicortical osteostixis were reviewed. The incidence was predominately in the middle third of the lateral aspect of the left metacarpus, and males were affected more commonly. Approximately half of the surgical procedures were performed with the horse in the standing position. The mean times to return to training and racing were 4.25 and 6.9 months respectively. There was no correlation between time taken to return to racing and position of surgery. Complications experienced included lack of suture remova...
Modelling exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in racing thoroughbreds. Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) affects a large portion of racing thoroughbred horses. Sites of hemorrhage and causal mechanisms remain unestablished. Our mathematical model was constructed to test the hypothesis that EIPH could be caused by a combination of respiratory and circulatory mechanical factors occurring during exercise. Various physiological data for respiration, blood circulation and exercise were incorporated into the model. Results show that inhalation pressure drops across airway resistances become great enough during exercise to cause rupture of capillaries for bot...
[Horse racing and animal welfare]. Intensive strain of racing-horses during training and race is not an end in itself but should be understood from the social task to create exceptionally efficient horses. This roughness in sports obliges the responsible associations to issue rigorous regulations for the protection of horses. In this paper, some physical and psychical disorders of racing-horses are described. Improved keeping conditions as well as performance-adapted training methods will help to avoid defects. The aids being used during training and races are critically investigated on their effects according to the regulation...
Bronchoalveolar lavage findings in horses with exercise intolerance. Significant differences were detected by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) between horses racing successfully and those showing exercise intolerance. Neutrophil percentage, haemosiderophage percentage and total bacterial numbers were significantly elevated in horses with exercise intolerance. BAL provided a more accurate indication of the incidence and extent of exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) than visual inspection.
Risk factors associated with injuries in thoroughbred horses. A case-control study was conducted on Thoroughbred horses to identify factors associated with the risk of breakdown on racetracks. A total of 310 cases (breakdowns) were identified from the Horse Identification Department records kept by the chief examining veterinarian of New York Racing Association. For each case, two control horses were selected randomly from the Daily Racing Form Inc. records. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify and quantify the risk of factors associated with breakdown, while simultaneously controlling for the effect of other putative factors. Facto...
Morphine and etorphine: XIV. Detection by ELISA in equine urine. We have raised antibodies to morphine and etorphine and developed one-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for these drugs as part of a panel of post race tests for drugs in racing horses. These tests are simple, can be completed in 2 h, and can be read by visual inspection. The morphine ELISA has an I50 for morphine of about 1.5 ng/mL, while the etorphine ELISA has an I50 for etorphine of 250 pg/mL. Cross-reactivity studies show that the antimorphine antibody cross-reacts well with levorphanol, hydromorphone, and oxycodone, while the anti-etorphine antibody showed no cross-reactivi...
Azathioprine for treatment of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia in two horses. Azathioprine, a thiopurine antimetabolite used in the treatment of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia in human beings and dogs, was used in 2 cases of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia in horses that failed to respond to corticosteroid therapy alone. Platelet counts were increased to acceptable values in both horses. One horse returned to a successful racing career, and the other was euthanatized after developing renal disease and mild laminitis.
Genetic predictions of racing performance in quarter horses. Research on the racing performance of quarter horses has been used to develop genetic prediction summaries on all horses with at least one start on record at the American Quarter Horse Association. In the 1987 summary, records from a total of 212,065 horses were used to give genetic predictions on stallions, mares, geldings, fillies, and colts. A reduced animal model was used that incorporated the repeated records of individuals. The individual race was the contemporary group after the data were adjusted for distance, sex, and age. Estimates of heritability of .24 and repeatability of .32 sugg...
Racing performance of Thoroughbred horses after arthroscopic surgery of the carpus. The case record, and subsequent racing performance, of 110 horses that had undergone arthroscopic surgery of the carpus, were reviewed. Of these, 87% resumed racing, with 43% able to win at least one race, after surgery. Horses with chip fractures from the distal radius had the best prognosis, while horses with sagittal fractures of the third carpal bone had the poorest. The performance of horses with bilateral lesions was similar to those with unilateral lesions. It was concluded that arthroscopic surgery was a suitable technique for the diagnosis and treatment of carpal lesions in the horse....
Use of transendoscopic contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser to drain dorsal epiglottic abscesses in two horses. A submucosal abscess, located on the dorsal surface of the epiglottis, was diagnosed in 2 Thoroughbred racehorses by use of endoscopy. Both horses had exercise intolerance. One horse had intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate, coughed while eating and galloping, and made an abnormal respiratory noise. Both abscesses were drained transendoscopically by use of a contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Eleven days after surgery, the surgical sites appeared to have healed. Clinical signs resolved permanently, and both horses returned to successful racing careers.
Relative incidence of dorsal metacarpal disease in young Thoroughbred racehorses training on two different surfaces. The relative incidence of dorsal metacarpal disease was examined in two groups of Thoroughbred racehorses training on dissimilar surfaces (dirt and wood fibre). The horses and training methods appeared to be similar. The incidence of disease was significantly greater in the group training on dirt. There was no significant difference in the age distribution of incidence between the two groups and there was no association of incidence with sex or age within the training group. The number of fast miles worked by the two groups prior to the onset of dorsal metacarpal disease was lower in the group...
Clinical evaluation of poor performance in the racehorse: the results of 275 evaluations. A clinical sports medicine evaluation was applied to 275 racehorses with a history of poor racing performance. The poor performance evaluation included a) general physical examination and basic laboratory screening; b) respiratory examination including auscultation, thoracic radiographs, ventilation-perfusion lung scintigraphy and upper airway endoscopy at rest and during maximal treadmill exercise c) examination of the musculoskeletal system including lameness examination, video gait analysis at high speed, post exercise serum chemistry to identify obvious as well as sub-clinical myopathies, ...
Hemostatic studies in racing standardbred horses with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Hemostatic parameters at rest and after moderate exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a defect in hemostasis might be a factor in the etiology of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). Hemostatic parameters were evaluated in 22 EIPH-positive and ten EIPH-negative racing horses while in a rested state. Nineteen EIPH-positive and ten EIPH-negative horses were further evaluated just before and immediately after a 15 min exercise period on a 260 m oval track. When EIPH-positive and EIPH-negative horses were compared at rest, there was no significant difference in any of the coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters studied. Th...
Endoscopic findings in the upper respiratory tract of 678 Thoroughbred racehorses. The frequency of upper respiratory tract abnormalities was determined in a selected population of racing Thoroughbreds. The prevalence of pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia was 34.2%; left laryngeal hemiplegia was 1.8%; and epiglottic entrapment was 0.74%. Excluding pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia and tracheal exudate, 3.7% of the population examined had upper respiratory tract abnormalities.
Correlation of performance with endoscopic and radiographic assessment of epiglottic hypoplasia in racehorses with epiglottic entrapment corrected by use of contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Epiglottic entrapment in 35 Thoroughbred and 44 Standardbred horses was corrected transendoscopically by use of a neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Before surgery, the entrapped epiglottis was classified as hypoplastic or normal in each horse on the basis of endoscopic appearance alone. Using a digitizer, thyroepiglottic length was determined from lateral-view laryngeal radiographs. For 78 racehorses, earnings (less than $5,000 or greater than $5,000) were compared before and after surgery. Earnings category and racing performance after surgery were tested for association with endoscopi...
Monitoring surface conditions of a Thoroughbred racetrack. During a pilot study at a Thoroughbred racetrack, information was collected to include weather conditions and track surface properties (moisture content, composition, strength, and coefficient of friction between surface and hoof). Measured weather variables did not correlate to any pattern of horse injuries of breakdowns. Surface moisture content was variable, whereas the moisture content of the compacted cushion was constant. Track surfaces around the starting chutes were more compacted than were other areas of the track. Next to the rail, track surface was softer than the surface toward the...
