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Topic:Thoroughbreds
Thoroughbreds are a breed of horse known for their agility, speed, and spirit, often associated with horse racing and equestrian sports. Originating from crossbreeding native English mares with imported Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman stallions, Thoroughbreds have a well-documented pedigree that traces back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This breed is characterized by a refined head, deep chest, and long legs, contributing to their athletic capabilities. Thoroughbreds are primarily bred for their performance in racing but are also utilized in other equestrian disciplines. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the genetics, physiology, and performance characteristics of Thoroughbreds, as well as their management and welfare in various equine activities.
Correlation of 2D Linear and 3D Volumetric Measurement Techniques for Subchondral Bone Sclerosis in the Equine Distal Limb Using Standing Computed Tomography. Subchondral bone sclerosis of the distal third palmar/plantar metacarpal/metatarsal condyles is a common radiographic finding in Thoroughbred racehorses. Traditionally, assessment has relied on two-dimensional (2D) linear measurements; however, advances in imaging software now allow three-dimensional (3D) volumetric quantification of subchondral bone. This study aimed to assess the relationship and agreement between computed tomography (CT)-derived 2D linear and volumetric measurements of condylar sclerosis and computer-generated 3D volumetric measurements and determine whether 2D measurements...
Training- and competition-related changes on circulating adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol response in Thoroughbred Racehorses. Exercise is a physiological challenge inducing intensity-dependent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses. The hypothesis was that training and racing sessions induce different HPA axis activation. Objective: To assess whether different exercise sessions affect equine adrenal responsiveness according to age and sex. Methods: Ten clinically healthy Thoroughbred racehorses (6 females and 4 males) were recruited. Four were 2 years old and six were 3 years old. Horses were subjected to two exercise conditions: training and competitive racing sessions. Blood samples were collected at r...
Race Performance Following Arthroscopic Surgery for Femoropatellar and Tarsocrural Osteochondrosis in Juvenile Thoroughbreds. The objective of this study is to evaluate racing performance of Thoroughbred yearlings following arthroscopic surgery for osteochondrosis (OC) of the femoropatellar (FP) and tarsocrural (TC) joints. Unassigned: This is a retrospective study of Thoroughbreds 0.05). In both groups, no significant performance differences were found between unilateral and bilateral cases ( > 0.05). Unassigned: Racing performance after FP or TC OC surgery was comparable to that of unaffected controls. Bilateral cases performed as successfully as unilateral.
Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Quinidine-Induced Dominant Frequency Reduction in Thoroughbred Horses With Atrial Fibrillation. Quinidine has long been used for the pharmacological treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses; however, the plasma concentration required for conversion to sinus rhythm remains unclear. Dominant frequency (DF), derived from surface electrocardiograms, reflects atrial activation rate during AF. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between plasma quinidine concentration and DF using a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) approach. Ten Thoroughbred horses with naturally occurring AF received quinidine sulfate via a nasogastric tube. Plasma quinidine concentrations and DF values...
A retrospective study of catastrophic pelvic fractures in California Thoroughbred racehorses. Here, we describe and characterize catastrophic pelvic fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses in California. We reviewed retrospectively racehorse autopsy reports from horses that died spontaneously or were euthanized because of complete pelvic fractures in California between 1992 and 2018. The exercise history of affected horses was compared with eventmatched control horses. Catastrophic pelvic fractures were sustained by 133 horses. Pelvic fractures were 2.7% of all musculoskeletal fatalities. Pelvic fractures occurred during training (48.0%), racing (35.0%), and non-exercise (17.0%). Horses ...
Horses undergoing supramaximal fixed-speed treadmill exercise after administration of furosemide experience less severe acidosis and slower onset of fatigue. To document changes in acid-base and ion balance during exercise following furosemide administration and to relate them to performance. Unassigned: 6 fit Thoroughbred horses received 0.5 mg/kg IV furosemide (F) or a placebo (C) in randomized crossover order 4 hours before galloping to fatigue on a treadmill at the speed equated with an oxygen demand of 1.15 X maximum oxygen consumption (V˙o2max). Arterial and mixed venous blood was sampled before treatment, preexercise, after 2-minute warm-up, at fatigue, and 1 minute postexercise. The pH, temperature-corrected Pco2, total CO2, and sodium, po...
Phased T2T horse and donkey assemblies from a mule reveal peculiar equid centromere evolution. We present telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies of a Thoroughbred horse and a donkey derived from their mule offspring. Now adopted and annotated by NCBI as reference genomes, these assemblies resolve previously inaccessible regions, including satellite arrays, duplications, and telomeres. Equids are known to exhibit an uncoupling between satellite DNA and centromeric function. The completeness of these assemblies enabled annotation of both satellite-based and satellite-free centromeres, as well as non-centromeric satellite loci, revealing notable centromeric plasticity. They also allowed de...
A postmortem grading system for articular cartilage loss of the dorsoproximal aspect of the proximal phalanx of Thoroughbred racehorses. The metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints in Thoroughbred racehorses are common injury sites, given their high range of motion and compression during galloping. In New Zealand, the proximal phalanx (P1) is a common site for race-day fracture, but the lesions of this bone have not been described. Therefore, we created a scoring system to describe cartilage on the dorsoproximal aspect of P1 in New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorses. We collected 102 P1s from racehorses submitted for postmortem examination. Horses were categorized into 2 cohorts: 1) fracture (18 horses euthanized becaus...
Effect of neonatal rib fracture repair on racing and sales performance in Thoroughbreds. The racing outcome of horses that have undergone surgical repair of neonatal rib fractures is not well documented. Objective: To evaluate the impact of surgical repair of neonatal rib fractures on subsequent sales and racing performance in Thoroughbreds. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Medical records of neonatal Thoroughbreds that underwent surgical repair of rib fractures at a referral hospital between 2014 and 2025 were reviewed. Sales and racing data were obtained from publicly available databases. Outcomes assessed included sale price at weanling and yearling sales, total ca...
Demographic change and selection patterns in thoroughbred racing horses over the 20th century. The Thoroughbred horse is a legacy of centuries of selective breeding for speed, emerging from the admixture of British mares and imported Oriental stallions. While previous work explored its genetic diversity, inbreeding, and selection signatures, the breed demographic and selection dynamics during the 20-century remain poorly understood. Here, we sequenced the genome of Phar Lap, a late-1920s/early-1930s racing champion, and analyzed the largest time-series of Thoroughbred whole-genome sequences, within a global panel of 850 horse genomes. Demographic modeling reveals a marked decline in gen...
The Utility and Reliability of Treadmill Tests for Monitoring Thoroughbreds in Training. This study evaluated the reliability of five treadmill protocols that assess heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (Bla) responses in Thoroughbred horses to determine their effectiveness in serving as potential tools for monitoring fitness and the wellbeing of racehorses. Of the five exercise tests, four consisted of repeated interval gallops at constant speeds (8 m/s and 10 m/s) and grade (6°) and one test of a continuous gallop at constant speeds (8 m/s) and grade (6°). Eight hundred and twenty-three gallops in total were performed by 64 horses. The test-retest reliability and absolute agreeme...
Imaging Diagnosis: Imaging Diagnosis of Lateral Plantar Digital Vein Thrombosis in a Yearling Thoroughbred. A 1-year-old thoroughbred filly was referred to the Washington State Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a 4-month history of left hind limb swelling, from the mid metatarsus to the distal pastern, without lameness. Previous imaging (digital radiographs, ultrasound, and low-field magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) was inconclusive, with a tentative diagnosis of lymphatic drainage impairment. A high-field MRI diagnosed left lateral plantar digital vein thrombosis, with secondary lymphatic dilation and edema. The filly was discharged with rehabilitation instructions and resumed exercise shortly aft...
Identification of a Novel Slow-Gray STX17 Lineage in Japanese Thoroughbreds via a Multi-tiered Copy Number Analysis Workflow. Gray is a dominant coat color phenotype in horses caused by a ~ 4.6 kb tandem triplication within intron 6 of syntaxin 17 (STX17). The copy number variation (CNV) of the duplicated segment influences the graying rate. The rare G2 allele (CNV = 2) is associated with a slower graying rate compared to the common G3 allele (CNV = 3) and is also relevant to melanoma risk. Current assays are limited because long and accurate PCR (LA-PCR) detects only the presence or absence of duplications, while droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) cannot reliably distinguish certain genotypes such as G3/g and ...
Activity type, sex, season, and number of prior starts are associated with proximal sesamoid bone fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses in South Korea. To identify risk factors associated with proximal sesamoid bone fractures in Thoroughbreds in South Korea. Unassigned: A retrospective case-control design with multivariable logistic regression was used. This study included 138 Thoroughbreds diagnosed with proximal sesamoid bone fractures following racetrack activity between 2020 and 2025. Additionally, 580 healthy Thoroughbreds (635 observations) with at least 1 racetrack activity during the same period were included as controls. Unassigned: A total of 7 risk factors were identified. Races or trials had markedly higher fracture risk than race...
Genes Associated With Fracture Risk in Thoroughbred Horses Have Novel Roles in Osteogenesis. Bone fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses are a major welfare problem. Genetic factors contribute to fracture risk. Cell models have previously identified 112 differentially expressed genes in bone-forming osteoblasts derived from horses at high and low genetic risk of fracture. However, 42 of these genes have no published role in bone. In this study, we identified novel roles for a subset of these genes in bone formation. Twenty-six of the 42 genes were expressed in Saos2 cells during basal culture and/or after 21 days of osteogenic culture. Five of these genes (ADSSL1, CABP1, ENO2, SPARCL1...
Synovial fluid oxidative stress index as a biomarker for arthritis severity in thoroughbred racehorses. Arthritis is a major cause of lameness in racehorses. Even when lameness improves, it may recur after training resumes, making it difficult to determine the disease state and when to end treatment. This retrospective observational study examined whether oxidative stress in synovial fluid could assess arthritis status in racehorses. Synovial fluid samples obtained during routine clinical practice from horses with arthritis and control samples obtained from horses without clinical or radiographic evidence of carpal joint disease were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 72 Thoroughbreds in Japan...
Case report: exercise-associated sudden death in a Thoroughbred racehorse with cardiac lesions. Exercise-associated sudden death (EASD), defined as acute collapse and death in an apparently healthy racehorse during or within ~1 h after exercise, is currently among the top concerns in the racing industry. Cases of EASD with no cause of death identified at necropsy are frequently presumed to be of cardiac origin. In such cases, in addition to a regular necropsy, a cardiac examination protocol is performed that includes a detailed gross examination and microscopic evaluation of 11 regions of the heart. Very often this protocol is unrewarding because there are no microscopic lesions to expl...
Thoroughbred horses susceptible to Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis have elevated skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacities. Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (RER) is a skeletal muscle disease that can intermittently impede careers of equine athletes. Manifesting as episodes of muscular stiffness and degeneration, RER causes lost training and competition days. RER is associated with abnormal intracellular calcium (Ca) regulation. Calcium released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to initiate contraction may also be transported into mitochondria, which impacts energy production. RER-susceptible horses exhibit down-regulated mitochondrial proteins but upregulated mitochondrial genes. Thus, mitochondrial function may ...
Conserved skeletal muscle transcriptomic responses to pacing strategies in Thoroughbred horses. This study investigated whether different pacing patterns during high-intensity exercise elicit distinct transcriptional responses in equine skeletal muscle. Eight Thoroughbred horses completed two treadmill exercise sessions in a randomized crossover design. In the positive-pacing condition, horses exercised at 110% maximal O₂ uptake (V˙O₂max) for 1 min followed by 90% V˙O₂max for 1 min, whereas in the negative-pacing condition, the order was reversed. At 4 h after exercise, the positive-pacing protocol resulted in upregulation of 1,989 genes and downregulation of 840 genes, whereas t...
Cutaneous Equine Sarcoidosis: A Case Series and Investigation Into a Potential Association With Equine Gammaherpesviruses-2 and -5 in 30 Equids. Gammaherpesviruses have been associated with granulomatous inflammation in the skin of various species. Equine sarcoidosis (idiopathic granulomatous disease) can cause granulomatous dermatitis, and its cause remains unknown. Objective: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the possible association between equine gammaherpesviruses-2 and -5 (EHV-2, -5) and cutaneous equine sarcoidosis (cES). Methods: Thirty client-owned equids. Methods: All animals had histologically and clinically confirmed cES. Signalment, geographical location and clinical features were recorded. Gram, Ziehl-Nielsen ...
Risk factors for post-partum colic in a population of UK and Irish Thoroughbred broodmares. Broodmares are at increased risk of gastrointestinal colic. However, colic risk factors specific to this population have not been investigated. Objective: To investigate horse- and management-level risk factors for post-partum colic in a cohort of Thoroughbred broodmares in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Methods: Prospective, nested case-control study. Methods: Twenty-nine Thoroughbred stud farms in the United Kingdom and Ireland were recruited, and 1044 mares were followed over the 2021 and/or 2022 foaling seasons. Data were collected on signalment, medical and management history for post-pa...
Validation of a smart textile electrocardiographic monitoring device in racehorses during high-speed exercise. Exercise-associated cardiac arrhythmias may contribute to poor performance and sudden cardiac death in horses. Widespread monitoring is limited by device availability and suitability for field use. Objective: To (1) compare electrocardiographic (ECG) quality from a smart textile system (Myant Skiin Equine) with a reference device (Televet II) during exercise, and (2) evaluate whether arrhythmia detection with Myant Skiin Equine is comparable to the Televet II. Methods: Prospective blinded clinical study. Methods: Fifty racehorses (25 Thoroughbreds, 25 Standardbreds) underwent up to three high-...
Advanced paternal age is associated with reduced reproductive success and offspring racing performance in Australian Thoroughbred racehorses. Reproductive ageing influences fertility and offspring fitness across mammals. In humans and model organisms, paternal age has been associated with changes in sperm quality and genomic integrity, including oxidative stress, DNA damage, and epigenetic alterations; however, these mechanisms have not been directly examined in large equine populations. Thoroughbred racehorses provide a system to investigate paternal age effects at scale using detailed breeding records. In this retrospective observational study, with data from 35 retired stallions and 33,546 progeny, we assessed associations betwee...
Polygenic Prediction of Equestrian Sport Discipline Among Horses Bred for Jumping and Dressage. Horses bred for different equestrian sports vary in physical, physiological and behavioural requirements. Characterising genetic markers associated with discipline provides an opportunity to improve identification of horses best suited to either jumping or dressage. Using a composite selection signals test, genomic regions under positive selection in German warmblood horses divergent for discipline were identified that contained lead SNPs proximal to or within genes with functions relevant to the requirements for jumping and dressage. Dressage genes function in tortuosity of movement (GRM5) an...
Differences in Stride Characteristics Between Lead and Wheel Horses in Competitive Chuckwagon Racing. In Chuckwagon racing, teams of four Thoroughbreds with two lead horses in front and two wheel horses directly behind pull a 600 kg wagon around a racetrack. Our study focuses on stride parameters that have previously retrospectively predicted impending injuries. We hypothesize that in aid of the initiation of the tight figure-of-eight turn at the start of the race, the more agile lead horses gallop with higher stride frequency (SF) and reduced stride length (SL), and that differences are exacerbated in the initial accelerative race segments. Methods: Speed, SF, and SL were quantified with glob...
Mitochondrial Adaptations to Exercise Training in Equine Skeletal Muscle: A Narrative Review. The horse represents one of the most physiologically specialized athletic mammals, capable of sustaining both high-intensity and prolonged exercise. Central to this remarkable performance capacity is the metabolic adaptability of skeletal muscle and its mitochondrial network. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence from equine, human, and rodent studies on exercise-induced mitochondrial remodeling in equine skeletal muscle. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using terms related to equine exercise physiology, mitochondrial biolog...
Molecular prevalence of equine herpesvirus type 1 and equine herpesvirus type 4 in thoroughbred and Arabian horse facilities in Türkiye. Equine herpesvirus-1 and -4 are contagious viruses causing respiratory disease and reproductive losses in horses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of EHV-1 and EHV-4 in eight Turkish stud farms using RT-PCR analysis of nasal secretions, uterine fluids and aborted foal tissues. Deep nasal swabs were collected from 443 horses showing acute-onset fever and/or clinical signs of respiratory disease. Additionally, uterine swabs and tissue samples (lung, liver, spleen, thymus, kidney, heart) were obtained from 152 abortion cases. Among symptomatic horses, EHV-1 DNA was found in 2 cases (0...
Outcomes and racing performance in thoroughbreds following a long-term injury sustained during a jump race in Great Britain. Limited literature is available about the career outcomes of horses sustaining a long-term injury (LTI) in a jump race. Methods: All Thoroughbreds that sustained an LTI, defined as any non-fatal musculoskeletal injury requiring a minimum 90-day break from racing, in a British jump race between May 2018 and April 2023 were followed up for at least 24 months and outcomes described. Pre-injury racing performance was compared between horses that did and did not return to racing, and post-injury racing performance was compared between horses that sustained tendon/ligament injuries and fractures. R...
An epizootic of equine viral arteritis at a Thoroughbred racetrack in Illinois: 223 cases. An epizootic of equine viral arteritis (EVA) occurred over an 8-wk period in the summer of 1993 at a midwestern Thoroughbred (TB) racetrack that ceased operations in 2021. Based on clinical signs, viral isolation, and serology, 223 horses (213 TBs, 10 lead ponies) were affected. Consistent clinical signs included fever (38.3-40.6°C; 101-105°F), depression, inappetence, and diffuse urticaria, including distal limb and preputial edema. Equine arteritis virus (EAV) was cultured from buffy coat samples from 24 of 28 acutely ill horses. Seventeen of 18 convalescent horses and 1 of 92 non-affected...
Comparison of Two Different Finite Element Modeling Pipelines for Virtual Mechanical Testing of The Distal Third Metacarpal Bone In Thoroughbred Racehorses. Condylar stress fracture of the third metacarpal bone (MC3) in Thoroughbred racehorses is a common catastrophic injury and identification of horses at heightened risk remains subjective. Standing computed tomography (sCT) is a practical screening tool that enables patient-specific finite element analysis (FEA) of the distal MC3 and prediction of subchondral bone strain, as a potential objective classifier of racehorses at heightened risk. The goal of this study was to compare two independently developed sCT-based subject-specific FEA pipelines for virtual mechanical testing of the distal MC3. ...
