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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / The effects of ambient air pollution exposure on Thoroughbre...
Equine veterinary journal2024; doi: 10.1111/evj.14415

The effects of ambient air pollution exposure on Thoroughbred racehorse performance.

Abstract: Limited research exists on impacts of air pollution on non-human mammals, particularly animal athletes such as Thoroughbred racehorses. Athletes have a greater risk of exposure as heightened exertion and increased airflow carry more pollutants deeper into the respiratory tract. Objective: To provide insights into the impact of ambient air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM), on race speed. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: Data were obtained from The Jockey Club Information Systems, covering 31 407 winning races by Thoroughbred horses in California spanning 10 years (2011-2020) and evaluated the association between air pollution and winning race speeds. For race days, we collected PM data from the nearest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitoring site within 100 km of each racetrack (n = 12). We assessed the associations between daily average PM concentrations and speed of winning horses with linear mixed effects regression. We adjusted for horse characteristics, race-related covariates, temporal indicators (e.g., year), other air pollutants and temperature. We conducted sensitivity analyses by adjusting extreme air pollution days by reassigning values to the 95th percentile value and conducting linear mixed effects regression on series of datasets with incremental cutpoints of PM. Results: In the cutpoint analysis, we found that for PM between 4 and 23.6 μg/m, speed decreased 0.0008 m/s (95% CI: -0.0014562 to -0.00018) for every 1 μg/m increase of PM. Conclusions: Limitations include the use of offsite monitors leading to imprecise exposure measurements, not using training practice data, and generalisability as the study focuses on California racetracks. Conclusions: This study highlights the need to create advisories to safeguard the performance of horses during periods of poor air quality. Further research is recommended to explore additional factors influencing the relationship between air pollution and equine welfare.
© 2024 The Author(s). Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2024-09-03 PubMed ID: 39228107DOI: 10.1111/evj.14415Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research examines the impact of air pollution on the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in California, finding a correlation between higher levels of particulates and diminished racing speeds.

Study Objectives

  • The study specifically aimed to assess the impact of fine particulate matter, also known as PM, on racehorse speed and performance.

Methodology

  • The study was retrospective and observational, using data from The Jockey Club Information Systems. This data encompassed 31,407 winning horse races in California over a span of ten years, from 2011 to 2020.
  • On race days, PM data was collected from the nearest U.S. Environment Protection Agency monitoring site within a 100 km radius of each racetrack.
  • The researchers used linear mixed effects regression to analyze the associations between average daily PM concentrations and the speed of winning horses.
  • The analysis adjusted for horse characteristics, race-related variables, temporal factors such as the year of the race, and other air pollutants and temperature conditions.

Results

  • The study found a decrease in speed of 0.0008 m/s for every 1 μg/m increase in PM for levels between 4 and 23.6 μg/m; this is based on the cutpoint analysis method wherein the data is divided into different zones based on PM levels.

Conclusion & Recommendations

  • While potential limitations included the use of offsite monitors which could have lead to inaccurate exposure measurements and the specificity of the study to California racetracks, the research highlights the need to create advisories to protect horses’ performance during periods of subpar air quality.
  • It is recommended that further research be conducted to explore additional factors that could be influencing the relationship between air pollution and equine welfare, such as training practices.

Cite This Article

APA
Kim LD, Kreitner K, Scott DM, Seabaugh K, Duncan CG, Magzamen S. (2024). The effects of ambient air pollution exposure on Thoroughbred racehorse performance. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14415

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Kim, Linda D
  • Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Kreitner, Kimberly
  • Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Scott, Danielle M
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Seabaugh, Katie
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Duncan, Colleen G
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Magzamen, Sheryl
  • Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

Grant Funding

  • College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University

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