A cross-sectional study of colic and rate of return to racing in Thoroughbreds at Seoul Racecourse in Korea between 2010 and 2020.
Abstract: The incidence of colic and the outcomes of colic surgery have not been surveyed in racetracks in Korea. Objective: This study examined the incidence, mortality, and case fatality of colic and investigated the effects of age and sex after an exploratory celiotomy on the long-term survival rate (return to racing), subsequent racing performance, and career longevity. Methods: The incidence, mortality, and case fatalities of colic were examined over an 11-year period. The records of 40 horses that had undergone a celiotomy, after participating in at least one race and 75 race-matched control horses were analyzed. The racing performance and career length of the horses that returned to racing post-surgery were compared with a control group. Results: The annual incidence, fatality rate of colic, and annual mortality rate at Seoul Racecourse were 6.5, 2.8 per 100 horse-years, and 0.2 deaths cases per 100 horse-years, respectively. Of the 40 horses that underwent colic surgery, 26 (65%) returned to racing. The likelihood of returning to racing decreased with increasing age of the horses, and geldings had a lower probability of returning. While the performance in the five preoperative races between the two groups was not significantly different, a significant decrease in racing performance was observed after the surgery date ( < 0.01). Horses that underwent colic surgery did not show a significant decrease in career length. Conclusions: Surgical treatment for colic at the age of three and four years had a negative impact on the racing performance. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in career longevity between the two groups.
© 2023 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.
Publication Date: 2023-11-30 PubMed ID: 38031518PubMed Central: PMC10694371DOI: 10.4142/jvs.23165Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research paper investigates the incidence of colic in racehorses in Korea and its potential impacts on their racing performance and career lifespan. The study discovered that while colic surgery might affect the racing performance of a horse, it did not significantly influence the length of its career.
Research Objective
- The main aim of this research was to investigate the incidence, morality rate, and case fatality of colic in Thoroughbred racehorses at the Seoul Racecourse in Korea between 2010 and 2020. More specifically, the researchers analyzed how factors like age and sex might affect the long-term survival rate (return to racing), subsequent racing performance, and overall career longevity of a horse that had undergone a celiotomy for colic.
Methods
- The study was conducted over an 11-year period and involved a detailed examination of the incidence, mortality, and case fatalities of colic.
- The researchers analyzed records of 40 horses that had at least one race before undergoing a celiotomy for colic and 75 control horses that were matched in regards to their racing histories.
- Then, the post-surgery racing performance and career lifespans of the horses in the two groups were compared.
Results
- The annual incidence and fatality rate of colic at the Seoul Racecourse were discovered to be 6.5 and 2.8 per 100 horse-years, respectively. The annual mortality rate was found to be 0.2 deaths per 100 horse-years.
- Of the 40 horses that underwent colic surgery, 26, or 65%, were able to return to racing. The chance of returning to racing was lower for older horses, and geldings had a lower probability of returning than other horses.
- The researchers found no significant difference in preoperative racing performance between the two groups. However, a significant decrease in racing performance was observed after the surgery, though this did not significantly affect the career length of the horses.
Conclusions
- The researchers concluded that colic surgery might have a negative impact on the racing performance of Thoroughbred horses, particularly on horses that are aged three and four years. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that while colic surgery might affect short-term performance, it wouldn’t have a significant impact on the overall career longevity of the horses. This conclusion might be a useful insight for those managing racehorse health and performance.
Cite This Article
APA
Ryu SH, Sohn Y, Forbes E, Jeon HS, An SJ, Kim BS, Kyung SG, Lee I.
(2023).
A cross-sectional study of colic and rate of return to racing in Thoroughbreds at Seoul Racecourse in Korea between 2010 and 2020.
J Vet Sci, 24(6), e81.
https://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.23165 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Resources Science, Cheju Halla University, Jeju 63092, Korea.
- Veterinary Department, Korea Racing Authority, Gwacheon 13822, Korea.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
- Steering Committee, International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses, Milton 4064, Queensland, Australia.
- Veterinary Department, Korea Racing Authority, Gwacheon 13822, Korea.
- Department of Intelligent System Engineering, Cheju Halla University, Jeju 63092, Korea.
- Department of Equine Science, Cheju Halla University, Jeju 63092, Korea.
- Veterinary Department, Korea Racing Authority, Gwacheon 13822, Korea.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea. inhyunglee@snu.ac.kr.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses
- Male
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Colic / epidemiology
- Colic / surgery
- Colic / veterinary
- Seoul
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Incidence
- Retrospective Studies
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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