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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.
Effects of acupuncture on stride, speed, and heart rate variability in Thoroughbred racehorses. Thoroughbred racehorses are at increased risk of injury during race preparations and trials, primarily due to intensive workloads that predispose them to musculoskeletal injuries. Evaluating clinical interventions to improve health and prevent injury is essential for addressing animal welfare concerns. This study investigated the medium-term effects of acupuncture on stride, speed and cardiac autonomic regulation (assessed via heart rate variability [HRV]), in Thoroughbred flat racehorses. This prospective, randomised, parallel-group study included an intervention and a control group. Thirty T...
Radiographic and Morphological Prevalence of Dorsopalmar Hoof Distortions in in Brazilian High-Performance Racehorses. Although racehorses represent a dominant segment in equine industry, there are growing concerns regarding injury prevention, with hoof conformation increasingly recognized as a contributing factor. Objective: To morphologically and radiographically evaluate the forelimb digits of racehorses at the São Paulo Jockey Club in order to determine the prevalence of dorsopalmar hoof distortions and to compare morphological and radiographic methods for assessing the hoof-pastern axis. Methods: The forelimb digits of 59 thoroughbred horses aged 3 to 4 years were evaluated using standardized photographi...
A Comparison of the Performance of Horses from the International WBFSH Rankings in Dressage, Jumping and Eventing Based on Their Sex, Age, Proportion of Thoroughbred Genes and Affiliation to the Studbook. The aim of the research was to assess how the selected factors could influence the performance of the best horses in dressage, jumping and eventing competitions. The research was based on the Studbook Rankings published by the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses from 2019 to 2024. Our analysis shows a statistically significant effect of each of the observed factors in at least one discipline. The leading factor in all disciplines was studbook affiliation. The Belgian warmblood, German Sport Horse, Hanoverian, Royal Dutch Sport Horse, Oldenburg and Westphalian studbooks are represented a...
Air pollution exposure during training impairs performance in Thoroughbred racehorses. Ambient air pollution contributes substantially to human morbidity and mortality, and athletes are recognised as a particularly vulnerable group. However, little is known about the impact of air pollution on equine athletes. Objective: To explore the relationship between air pollution exposure during the pre-competition training period and race day performance among Thoroughbred racehorses that competed on California racetracks. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study. Methods: For each winning horse, pollutant exposure during the 21-day pre-competition training period was assigned using d...
Race and Final-600 m Speed Response to Distance and Track Condition in Thoroughbred Flat Racing. The temporal and spatial distribution of speed varies with race distance and track condition, influencing where mechanical demand peaks within a race. This study aimed to describe variation in race-day speed with race distance and track condition. Race-day data from 18 flat racing seasons on turf and synthetic surfaces (2007/8-2024/25, = 200,601 starts in 3389 races) were used to examine initial speed (from barriers until the final 600 m), final-600 m speed, race distance (m), turf track condition score (TCS, 1-10), horse rating and carried weight (kg) using a general linear model. The patter...
Survival and fertility of Thoroughbred broodmares with uterine tears treated surgically: 76 cases (2000-2023). To describe the clinical presentation, treatment, short- and long-term outcomes, and subsequent fertility of Thoroughbred broodmares undergoing surgical repair of periparturient uterine tears. Unassigned: A retrospective observational study was conducted with medical records from a single tertiary referral equine hospital (2000 to 2023). Thoroughbred broodmares with confirmed periparturient uterine tears that underwent surgical repair were included; mares euthanized prior to surgery or intraoperatively or that had incomplete medical records were excluded. Data collected included signalment, cl...
Quantitative evaluation of behavioral and physiological adaptation during retraining of retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Retired Thoroughbred racehorses commonly transition into riding roles, yet outward behavioral calmness may not fully reflect internal physiological regulation, with implications for safety. Objective: To quantify behavioral and autonomic adaptation across repeated startle exposures and assess concordance between behavioral and physiological indicators. Methods: Twelve retired Thoroughbreds underwent standardized plastic-bag startle trials conducted across three sessions (T1-T3), each including pre-training (Before) and post-training (After) phases, with three repeated exposures at 5-minute int...
Measuring Chuckwagon Racehorse Movement Asymmetry Before and After Racing Using Wearable GNSS-IMUs: A Preliminary Study. In Chuckwagon racing, teams of four Thoroughbred horses pull wagons at high speeds. Movement symmetry is a key locomotion metric linked to force production, racing direction, and lameness. Racehorse symmetry in trot during on-track warmups and cooldowns was assessed. Over 10 days, 60 horses (average 8 per day) were fitted with Global Navigation Satellite Systems combined with Inertial Measurement Unit (GNSS-IMU) sensors. Weight-bearing asymmetry was quantified using the minimum difference (MnD) in vertical trunk displacement between diagonal limb pairs, and push-off asymmetry was quantified us...
Additional Evidence Fails to Associate Variation in KCNE4 With Equine Anhidrosis. A prior genome-wide association (GWA; N = 200) including Thoroughbreds and stock horses implicated chromosome 6 (NC_009149.3) in owner-reported equine anhidrosis. A missense variant in KCNE4 (NC_009149.3:g.11813731A>G) was proposed as a risk allele, although its association with anhidrosis was not reported. Variant annotation and protein modelling in the original study suggested the G allele conferred risk. We reported no association of the G allele with anhidrosis in 50 horses phenotyped by an intradermal terbutaline sweat test (ITST); all horses produced sweat regardless of genotype. ...
The incidence of fatal and non-fatal injury in thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racehorses in Louisiana (2014-2022). The objectives of the study were to report the incidence of race-related injuries and equine fatalities in racehorses at the Louisiana racetracks from 2014 to 2022 for both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racehorses. Additionally, this study evaluated several factors that may be related to the occurrence of race-related injuries in racehorses in Louisiana. The average rates of equine fatal injuries (euthanized on or off track within 72 h of the race) were 1.70 ± 0.76 and 1.94 ± 0.89 per 1000 starts in Thoroughbred and Quarter racehorses, respectively. The average rates of non-fatal injur...
Complete atrioventricular septal defect in Thoroughbred foals: echocardiographic and postmortem findings. Complete atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) is rarely reported in horses. We retrospectively reviewed three Thoroughbred foals (2017-2023) with necropsy-confirmed complete AVSD and summarized their clinical presentation, transthoracic echocardiographic findings, and postmortem anatomy. All foals showed early signs of congenital cardiac disease including weakness, failure to thrive and cardiac murmurs. Echocardiography demonstrated a common atrioventricular junction with a single atrioventricular valve and combined atrial and ventricular septal defects; all were classified as Rastelli type C...
Exercising electrocardiograms from Thoroughbred racehorses with exercise associated sudden death. Exercise associated sudden death (EASD), defined as a fatal collapse in a closely monitored and previously presumed clinically healthy horse that occurs during exercise or within approximately 1 h after exercise, is disproportionately more common in equine than in human athletes. Objective: To describe ECGs from EASD cases in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: An international call for potential cases was made through direct contact with relevant racing authorities requesting that trainers of horses which had experienced EASD consent to researchers gaining ac...
Delphi consensus on Thoroughbred yearling sales endoscopy in Australasia. Concerns regarding the reliability and consistency of yearling sales endoscopy in Australia and New Zealand have led to reduced industry confidence. Recent studies have clarified the relationship between yearling laryngeal function (YLF) grades and future outcomes. Objective: To build expert consensus on the most appropriate method for grading YLF, assess the clinical relevance of each grade on future race performance and prosthetic laryngoplasty risk, and develop guidelines for pre-sale endoscopic technique. Methods: Modified Delphi study. Methods: Anonymous, iterative surveys were distribute...
Pedigree Investigation of Polish Sport Horses in Show Jumping: Insights for Global Breeding. The aim of this study was to characterise the pedigree and genetic structure of Polish Sport Horses competing in Grand Prix show jumping events and to assess the implications for international sport horse breeding. Pedigrees of 513 horses were analysed, encompassing a total of 18,836 individuals over a maximum of 16 generations. The completeness and depth of the pedigrees allowed for a reliable estimation of inbreeding coefficients and genetic diversity. The mean inbreeding coefficient was low (0.645%), yet 82% of the horses exhibited some degree of inbreeding. The greatest loss of genetic var...
Histological properties of the distal sesamoidean impar ligament in racing Thoroughbreds and Quarter horses. The distal sesamoidean impar ligament (DSIL) is a key component of the equine podotrochlear apparatus, yet its role in conditions such as caudal heel pain and navicular syndrome remains poorly understood. The objective of this study was to characterize the histological properties of the DSIL and evaluate how it is influenced by breed and age. Eighty-four cadaveric forelimb DSIL samples were collected from young, athletic Quarter horses (QHs), Thoroughbreds (TBs), and older, retired Quarter horses. Samples were stained and assessed for vessel size and count, number of nerve fascicles, and the r...
Relationship between prevalence and severity of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage and environmental factors. Environmental risk factors could contribute to the development of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in racing Thoroughbreds. Objective: To identify environmental risk factors that might contribute to differences in EIPH prevalence and severity across 12 Thoroughbred racetracks in the United States. Methods: Eight hundred fifteen 2-year-old and 122 >2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Prospective blinded observational study. Videoendoscopy was performed 30-60 min post-race. Three observers independently assigned an EIPH grade to each videorecording, and prevalence and se...
Cardiac arrhythmias during intense exercise in Thoroughbred racehorses: frequency and association with subsequent race performance. The frequency, characteristics, and relationship with performance of arrhythmias occurring during high-intensity exercise in Thoroughbred racehorses remain poorly understood. Objective: Describe the frequency, characteristics, and association with subsequent race performance of arrhythmias occurring during intense exercise. Methods: Seventy-one racehorses competing in races sanctioned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Methods: Risk-based case-control study. Single-lead ECGs were recorded during high-intensity trials using wearable devices. Ectopic depolarizations identified during warm-up, maximal...
Effects of Exercise Intensity and Duration on Acute-Phase Proteins in Thoroughbred Racehorses. Physical exercise represents a physiological stressor capable of activating the acute-phase response (APR) in horses. However, the relative contribution of exercise intensity duration to acute-phase protein (APP) dynamics remains incompletely defined. This study compared the effects of short, high-intensity gallop exercise (2400 m flat race; = 12) and prolonged, low-intensity endurance exercise (40 km; = 13) on serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and ceruloplasmin (Cp) in Thoroughbred racehorses. Blood samples were collected before exercise and at defined post-exercise time points. Bet...
Objective, Longitudinal Computed Tomographic Evaluation of the Metacarpal Condyles in Non-Lame Thoroughbred Racehorses. There are limited data on sequential computed tomographic (CT) evaluation and objective CT assessment of the metacarpal condyles in Thoroughbred racehorses. This longitudinal study aimed to document changes in attenuation of the metacarpal condyles during the first two years of training and racing. Fan-beam CT examination of the metacarpophalangeal regions was performed on 40 non-lame Thoroughbred yearlings, and repeated four more times, approximately six months apart. Mean Hounsfield Unit (HU) measurements were obtained on sagittal reconstructions of the dorsal and palmar halves of the medial...
Air pollution exceedances routinely occur at Thoroughbred racetracks in the contiguous United States. To characterize spatiotemporal patterns of criteria air pollutants surrounding Thoroughbred racetracks in the US. Unassigned: We identified all active Thoroughbred racetracks from 2011 through 2024, linking their location with daily air quality data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality System. Mean daily and annual pollutant concentrations within a 50-km bounding box of each racetrack were summarized using descriptive statistics and evaluated for monthly and annual trends. Exceedances were defined as any observation in which pollutant concentration met or exceeded the ...
Effect of heat acclimation training frequency on the physiological adaptations of Thoroughbred horses. Heat acclimation enhances thermoregulation and cardiovascular function. While daily training protocols are typically recommended for humans, optimal training protocols for Thoroughbred horses remain unclear. Here, we compared the effects of two heat acclimation protocols, consecutive and intermittent, in Thoroughbred horses. In a randomized crossover study, eight trained Thoroughbred horses completed either a consecutive (CONS: 9 consecutive days) or an intermittent (INT: 3 days/week for 3 weeks) heat acclimation protocol, comprising 30 min of exercise in hot conditions (WBGT 30°C). Increment...
Direct single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping from whole blood without DNA extraction. A subset of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with various phenotypes, including diseases, coat colour, and athletic performance, and are widely used in medical and veterinary fields. In this study, we developed a novel method for direct SNP genotyping from whole blood without DNA extraction. Thoroughbred blood samples were diluted 100-fold with Milli-Q water and analysed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with hydrolysis probes. Specificity and sensitivity were improved by increasing the annealing temperature and number of PCR cycles. Genotyping results for SN...
Detection of exercising ectopic atrial and ventricular beats using non-linear analysis of clinically normal racehorse electrocardiograms at rest or low-intensity exercise. Cardiac arrhythmias are common in healthy athletic horses and may lead to poor athletic performance or exercise-associated sudden death. Early detection of high-risk horses is an important goal of cardiovascular diagnostics. We hypothesised that non-linear analysis of electrocardiogram disorderliness can be used to identify horses exhibiting intermittent ectopic atrial and ventricular heart rhythm abnormalities at exercise using brief, artifact-free recordings of normal sinus rhythm electrocardiograms collected at submaximal heart rates. In a convenience prospective cross-sectional study, ambu...
Gene Editing and the Future of Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing. Prohibited gene editing in horses (either in embryos or via cell culture and cloning) can result in both desired and undesired outcomes. If left undetected, changes can proliferate within the population in subsequent generations, posing a major threat to welfare and breed integrity.
Screening of Y-chromosomal STR loci and development of a multiplex PCR system for paternal lineage identification in horses. With growing demand for pedigree verification and breed management in horses (Equus caballus), reliable paternal lineage tools are essential. Y-chromosomal STRs (Y-STRs) have advantages over autosomal STRs due to paternal inheritance and lack of recombination. However, few validated loci and no standardised efficient genotyping systems limit their use. Current methods often require multiple reactions, increasing cost and labour. Thus, identifying informative Y-STR loci and developing a multiplex PCR system for cost-effective paternal lineage analysis is urgently needed. Objective: To identify ...
Transcriptomic signatures reveal systemic adaptations and immune modulation in response to training and competitive racing in horses. The molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation to physical exertion and racing stress in horses remain incompletely understood. Peripheral blood transcriptomics offers a minimally invasive method to monitor systemic responses to exercise and identify biomarkers of adaptation or overload. Objective: To evaluate transcriptomic changes in peripheral blood of racehorses during different phases of training and competition and to identify molecular markers of physiological adaptation and race-induced stress. Methods: Prospective transcriptomic profiling of trained racehorses across three exercise co...
QT interval and cardiac restitution dynamics in racehorses: Observations during maximal effort. Sudden cardiac death is a leading cause of athletic death in both humans and horses, making racehorses a potentially valuable model for investigating sudden cardiac death. Cardiac restitution ratio (QT/TQ interval) is used to assess arrhythmia risk in humans, but investigations in athletes are scarce. The objective was to characterize QT interval and cardiac restitution ratio in Thoroughbred racehorses during maximal effort. Automated restitution analysis was performed using 2709 pairs of cardiac cycles from 30 Thoroughbred horses during races. Cardiac cycles were obtained during: pre-race; ac...
Plasma and Urinary Elimination Profiles of Medetomidine Metabolites in Horses for the Purpose of Doping and Medication Control. Medetomidine, an α₂-adrenergic agonist, is widely used as a sedative in horses. While its pharmacological effects are established, limited data exist on elimination of its metabolites, 3'-hydroxy medetomidine (HMD) and 3'-carboxy medetomidine (CMD), which are of regulatory interest. HMD is currently targeted in plasma and urine under International Screening Limits (ISLs) established by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). In this study, seven Thoroughbreds received 6.3 μg/kg of medetomidine intravenously. Blood and urine were collected for 96 h and analyzed b...
