Month: September 2022

Harris Farms and Santa Anita Race Track are thrilled to announce the creation of a new scholarship opportunities to promote the Thoroughbred in the Sporthorse disciplines! Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded annually, one for the Junior rider Thoroughbred and one for the Amateur rider Thoroughbred partnership.

The goal is to help the Junior/Amateur rider advance with their Thoroughbred from the local unrated shows or opportunity classes to the USEF-rated competition.

The requirements are listed below. The recipient shall receive an award of $1,000, to further their training and competition opportunities. Eligible expenses include lessons or clinics, travel expenses directly related to receiving instruction, competition fees, etc. The recipient must attest that he/she will continue to pursue training and competing with their Thoroughbred for the duration of the scholarship, and will notify Harris Farms and or Santa Anita if they are unable to continue to do so.

Requirements for application:

• Applicants must submit an essay about themselves and their Thoroughbred partner.
• Applicants must submit a video of them competing with their Thoroughbred.
• Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation, for example from a trainer or veterinarian.
• The Thoroughbred must have no experience or be in their first year of USEF-recognized competition (not including opportunity classes).
• The Thoroughbred must be registered with the Thoroughbred Incentive Program.
• The applicant must have participated in 2'6 or higher TIP Classes at two different show venues for the qualifying year.

The Scholarship will be awarded to the applicant who meets all requirements and shows a passion and commitment to the Thoroughbred breed in the Sporthorse world. Previous scholarship winners are not eligible. The recipient agrees to allow Harris Farms and or Santa Anita to post their names on any of the affiliated websites. Recipients agree to provide a quarterly photograph and a written update on their progress and use of funds. The recipient must be a U.S citizen or permanent resident and will be solely responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes. Please send applications to lisatorres@harrisfarms.com. Applications close on November 30, 2022 for the 2023 scholarship year. Winners will be announced 30 days after the last show on the 2022 show calendar.

View Scholarship Application

The post Harris Farms, Santa Anita Announce Scholarship Opportunities To Promote OTTB Sporthorses appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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While not life-threatening or painful, synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF or “thumps”) does affect a horse's respiration. Thumps is caused by an electrolyte imbalance which irritates the nerve that controls the diaphragm, essential for respiration, reports Horse Sport. 

Calcium is the root cause of thumps, but the imbalance can be caused by either too much calcium or not enough. Thumps can occur if a horse needs calcium while exerting itself and none is able to be mobilized from its bloodstream, but calcium supplementation isn't necessarily the answer. Too much calcium in the horse's body affects its ability to mobilize calcium as well, making the phrenic nerve overly excited and causing it to randomly contract. 

Though any horse can be affected by thumps, it's often extremely-fit horses like racehorses or eventers that suffer from the condition. Horses which are asked to exert themselves in hot weather can get an electrolyte imbalance when their sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, or potassium levels get out of whack. Additionally, horses that eat a diet high in calcium – like those fed alfalfa hay – may be more prone to developing thumps during intense exercise. 

A horse experiencing thumps will look like it is hiccupping; a hiccup-like noise will take place along with a visible abdominal spasm, which is the diaphragm fluttering. This can impact a horse's athletic performance by impeding the way he breathes, because the horse will not be able to take in the oxygen needed to feed their muscles.

The best way to rectify thumps in horses is to correct the electrolyte imbalance, either by adding electrolytes to the horse's feed or adjusting the horse's diet so less calcium-rich hay is fed. Some trainers believe that having more liquid in the horse's stomach can prevent thumps as well. 

Read more at Horse Sport. 

The post Thumps: Not As Scary As They Sound  appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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