Unsanctioned horse racing, commonly called “bush track” racing, has been associated with widespread transmission of both Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) and Equine Piroplasmosis (EP), both blood-borne diseases.
Spread of disease at bush tracks is often iatrogenic, meaning that it is not spread by insects, but through medical treatment or examination. The most-common methods of disease spread are the reuse of needles, syringes, and tools used for intravenous administration of multi-dose medications; using blood and plasma products from other countries that have been illegally imported; and direct blood transfusions between horses, also called blood doping and used to increase performance.
EP outbreaks occurred in Quarter Horse racehorses in 2008 and 2009 in Florida and Missouri, respectively. It was the first time that bush track races and iatrogenic transmission were found to play a key role in the outbreaks. In 2013, EIA was confirmed in racing Quarter Horses; they are now the predominant breed and discipline affected by the disease.
Cases of EP and EIA are often caught when Quarter Horses racing at sanctioned races are tested for the diseases. There is significant crossover between sanctioned races and bush track races for racing Quarter Horses.
Between 2008 and 2022, 541 cases of EP and 409 cases of EIA were confirmed in current or former Quarter Horse racehorses. Many of these horses were known to have raced in bush track races and all the cases were found to have used unhygienic practices that spread the disease. Some horses had both EP and EIA infections.
Previously, EIA was most often identified in untested herds that had fly-bite transmission of the disease. Since 2017, EIA is now primarily identified in racing Quarter Horses and the primary spread is iatrogenic transmission, each of which could have been prevented through more-hygienic practices.
Some EIA cases are identified in those horses that have been illegally moved into the United States from Mexico, where EIA and EP are endemic.
Thus far, 121 bush tracks have been identified in 28 states, though many more are believed to be operating. Word of bush track racing is often spread via social media, and some tracks boast attendance in the thousands. Many races are recorded and then posted.
The tracks are a hotbed of equine welfare issues: horses are given performance-enhancing medications, with all horses medicated on the day they race; horses are raced lame and on poor surfaces; whips are used excessively and catastrophic breakdowns are common. Rarely is a licensed vet on the grounds.
Often these horses are tested only when they retire from racing and are about to shift to second careers. Vets who conduct pre-purchase exams on retired racing Quarter Horses are encouraged to test them for both EP and EIA.
Read more at Equine Disease Quarterly.
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