December, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sad Circumstance Allows Researchers To Study How Feral Horses Perceive Death

Researchers in Portugal who witnessed the decline and death of a foal in a feral herd were given a unique opportunity to see how wild horses reacted to the situation. Drs. Renata Mendonça, Monamie Ringhofer, Pandora Pinto, Sota Inoue and Satoshi Hirata watched the foal, who had been injured in a presumed wolf attack, for six hours; they noted his behavior as well as that of his dam and other herd members in the vicinity. Every two minutes, they recorded things like the distance between the horses and the injured foal; every five minutes they recorded horses moving, resting, eating and interacting with others.

The herd walked during the first several hours and the foal moved when prompted by his dam. He eventually went down and could not rise. His dam stayed near him and nuzzled him occasionally. After 15 minutes, the herd left the mare and foal behind. The stallion returned and attempted to move the mare from the foal, and succeeded on the seventh try. The dam whinnied to the foal 10 times and the foal responded once.

A second group of horses arrived and stood within 20 yards of the foal for 40 minutes. Though all members of the group were interested in the foal, two mares remained interested after the others had left to graze. These mares licked and sniffed the foal for several minutes, while the foal's dam watched from a distance.

During this interaction, the dam whinnied for the foal 44 times, but the stallion prevented her from returning to her foal. The foal responded only once after the other mares had left.

The dam returned to the foal once and fought with bachelor stallions who were interested in her. She left the foal to join the herd that was about 200 yards away. The foal stood and called for her one time after she left, then fell and died within an hour.

The research team notes that the mare moving away even though her foal was alive makes sense from an evolutionary context; it ensured her own survival, which allows her to reproduce again and benefit the species. The scientists were surprised by the reaction of the other two mares toward the foal. Traditionally, horses are antagonistic toward foals that are note their own; that the two mares were not could mean that they perceived something different about the foal.

Though there is still much to learn about how horses perceive death, the research team advises that owners and managers take equine emotions and reactions into account when dealing with the death of a domesticated herd mate.

ARCI Strengthens Rule Restrictions On Crop Use

Jockeys will be prohibited from using the riding crop more than two consecutive times before being required to wait three full strides in order to give the horse a chance to respond under an expanded Model crop Rule adopted by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) last week.

The modified rule tightens restrictions already in place but clearly says that any use of the crop to “urge” the horse must be limited. The new RCI Model Rule continues to rely upon the judgement of the Stewards as to when to impose sanctions, but is clear that using the crop more than two consecutive times or not waiting three full strides before reuse is to be regarded as a rule violation.

The RCI did not include an overall strike count in the actual rule but did approve corresponding guidelines to advise officials that use of the crop for more than six strikes during the race is something to be assessed.

“If our accredited Stewards cannot judge when a jock has crossed the line then perhaps they should not be in the stand,” said former jock and racing official Doug Moore who is Executive Director of the Washington State Racing Commission and Chair of the RCI Rider and Driver Safety Committee. “If the officials fail to exercise their responsibility in this matter then the feeling at the meeting was that the matter must be reviewed up top in assessing someone’s job performance and deciding whether to keep them on.”

“Several years ago we changed the riding crop requirements to rely upon poppers which provide an audible stimulation to the horse in addition to the visual one of showing the horse the crop,” said RCI Chairman Tom Sage. “As a result, it is extremely rare to find a horse with evidence of crop misuse coming in off the track. In helping to protect the horse we may have created an opposite impression with the public as they now hear the noise coming from the crops.”

RCI President Ed Martin noted that testimony from the Jockey Club as to public perception was taken to heart and the regulators found it compelling to help address that by defining clearly what the chance to respond should be.

“The image of someone wailing away on a horse coming down the stretch is not a good one for a sport struggling to assert a positive image. But controlled and limited use with three full strides to respond was something the regulators believed would help mitigate that,” he said.

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UK Government to Examine Reform of Horserace Betty Levy and Gambling Reform

The UK Government will look into the timetable for reviewing the Horserace Betting Levy, and the news has been welcoming by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). Not due for a review until 2024 under the current legislation, the Horserace Betting Levy is now on the table for next year. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the funding issues of the industry, and the COVID-19 Recovery Plan, published in August, called for an urgent review as part of a wider initiative to restore industry finances. After the review was published, the BHA Chair and Chief Executive Annamarie Phelps and Nick Rust, respectively, met with the Sports Minister in September, where the issue of re-examining the Levy was raised. The Levy returns 10% of the profits on racing made by betting companies to the sport. The BHA also engaged MPs with racing interests in their constituencies, who made their own representations to the Sports Minister.

“We welcome the announcement from the Minister that DCMS will examine in 2021 the timetable for reviewing the Levy,” said BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust. “Racing industry leaders agreed that there was an urgent case for reform as part of our plans to recover from COVID-19 and have presented a united front to government. As the Minister outlined in the House today, there are ongoing conversations between the BHA and government on Levy reform. We look forward to working with DCMS officials and ministers in 2021 to ensure that the Levy is sustainable and fit for the digital age.”

Also on Tuesday, the UK Government has launched a major and wide-ranging review of gambling laws, which the BHA also welcomes. They agree with the objectives of protecting vulnerable individuals from gambling-related harm, as well as accepting the need to ensure that gambling legislation is modernised for the digital age while reflecting the significant economic contribution that gambling and associated industries make to the UK.

Rust added, “Betting on horseracing is enjoyed by millions of people safely and responsibly, with a low prevalence for gambling related harm. Despite the low levels of problem gambling in the sport, racing promotes responsible gambling and is committed to working with the betting industry to further reduce risk. We will also work closely with our partners in the betting and racing industry to formulate our response to the consultation.

“We are pleased to hear that the review will be evidence-based and we look forward to proposals that are proportionate and focused on those at risk. We know the government is aware of the potential impact on related industries such as British racing and the 80,000 livelihoods it supports. The Minister, Nigel Huddleston, made clear in his address that the challenging conditions that sports find themselves in, and the importance of legitimate commercial relationships between sport and gambling, will be considered as part of the review

“Racing and betting’s unique, interdependent relationship has been recognised by government in many ways, including through the Horserace Betting Levy. British racing has laid the groundwork for the gambling consultation with an industry group meeting for several months. Detailed submissions and representations were also made to the recent Lords Special Inquiry, which highlighted the ‘special position’ of racing and betting.”

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Competitive Edge to Valor Farm in Texas

Competitive Edge (Super Saver–Magdalena’s Chase, by Cape Town), winner of the 2014 GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga and a nationally ranked first- and second-crop sire over the past two years, was purchased by Douglas Scharbauer to stand at Valor Farm in Texas. He previously stood at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. His 2021 fee will be $5,000.

Competitive Edge, who also covered mares in the Southern Hemisphere while with Ashford, was North America’s sixth ranked first-crop sire with more than $1.3 million in progeny earnings in 2019. He is currently ranked among the Top 15 second-crop sires, with total progeny earnings of nearly $3.6 million thorough early December. He is represented by 12 stakes horses, including Saratoga stakes winners Fierce Lady and My Italian Rabbi, and graded-stakes placed Reagan’s Edge and Edgeway.

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