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Ongoing Research On Horse-Human Interactions Bode Well For Equine Welfare

The interactions between horses and humans were discussed during a three-day, virtual conference hosted by the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES). Dr. Katrina Merkies recounted research on understanding human impact on the physiological and behavioral states of horses. She believes that evidence-based research will continually improve equine welfare, reports Equine Guelph.

During her presentation, Merkies referenced a survey that asked people to characterize their bond with their horse. Respondents reported that their horse approaches them, vocally greets them and touches them. They also stated that their horses may turn to them when frightened.

Another study noted that while survey participants may be able to discern a scenario where there is a physical threat to a horse, they might not be able to accurately answer questions regarding when a horse is bored or frustrated. This lack of understanding is of concern as the “five freedoms of animal welfare” recommends that animals not just survive, but thrive in the care they are receiving—their social and emotional needs must also be met in addition to their needs for food, water and shelter.

Merkies also reported that:

Horses blink less when they're acutely stressed
People who possess insecure attachment styles do not overly stress therapy horses
Horses can aptly distinguish between human facial expressions
Horses are more likely to approach an attentive person than an inattentive person
Horses react to the tone of voice used with them
Incorrect use of negative reinforcement increases stress in horses
Horses that live out most of the time become desensitized to novel stimuli more rapidly

Merkies finished her presentation reiterating that humans in charge of horses must be in tune with equine needs and allow horses to express themselves. She believes that education will assist horse owners and handlers in their ability to recognize positive welfare as well as welfare warning signs.

‘We’ll Take Our Best Shot’: Art Collector In ‘Stiff’ Work For Preakness

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector, who would have been co-second choice for the Kentucky Derby (G1) until a minor foot issue forced him out of the race, worked five-eighths of a mile at Churchill Downs in a strong 59.40 seconds – a time for the distance eclipsed Saturday only by Kentucky Derby winner Authentic's 59.20.

“I thought it was good,” said trainer Tommy Drury, who will have his first Preakness starter. “We wanted to make sure we did enough today. They had him in 59-and-change, and I had him three-quarters (of a mile) in 1:12. It was what we were looking for. We went a little longer between races than we'd hoped to be. We just wanted to make sure we're where we want to be. Leading up to the race from here, now you're just kind of back on a maintenance program. You know you've got him where you want him, and hopefully we'll be on the flight the Tuesday before the Preakness (G1) and we'll take our best shot.”

The fractional times for Art Collector's work were 24.20 seconds for the first quarter-mile, and 36 for three-eighths, reflecting a final quarter-mile time in 23.40. He then galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.60, with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. reporting that the gallop-out extended to a mile.

“He worked a really good five-eighths and then his gallop-out was huge,” Hernandez said. “He galloped out a really, really good mile. We knew going into this work that we needed it to be a pretty stiff one because we're going into the Preakness, and they're not going to give you anything. We needed to make sure our horse was in good shape. What was nice about him was that he came back after the work and it was like he didn't even do anything. We seem to be on the right page…. I had him on my watch in '12s' the whole way, 11-and-2 from the eighth pole to the wire, and then he galloped out the same way, just kind of cruising along.”

Turned over to Drury in January, Art Collector is 4-for-4 as a 3-year-old after breaking his maiden last year on grass at Kentucky Downs and finishing first in an entry-level allowance race, only to be later disqualified for registering over the permitted level for a dewormer. After ripping off a pair of allowance races to start 2020, the son of 2006 Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini powered to victory in Keeneland's rescheduled Toyota Blue Grass (G2) and then in the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby.

The Ellis race on Aug. 9 was meant as a bridge between the July 11 Blue Grass and the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby. But to the chagrin of his team — all from Louisville — Art Collector nicked the bulb of his left front heel in a routine gallop the day before Derby entries were to be taken. While a minor issue, it was bad timing, leaving the foot tender and with strict medication rules limiting how it could be treated.

“He's been good,” Drury said when asked how Art Collector is doing now compared with how he was doing before the foot mishap. “Fortunately he's been good mentally and he's certainly happy enough. He had his ears thrown up galloping out this morning. He's doing all the things you want to see a horse do at this stage of the game. The nice cool morning I think had them all feeling good, and he certainly was one of them.”

Art Collector would have been the first Derby starter for Drury, a lifelong Louisvillian, and the 72-year-old Lunsford, who has lived in the city most of his adult life. Hernandez has made Louisville his home since he began riding full-time in 2004.

While missing the Derby at home was a huge disappointment, Art Collector's team quickly set their sights and enthusiasm on a road trip to Baltimore.

“If you'd asked me in January, 'You've got a shot to go to the Preakness, what do you think about that?' I'd have been doing backflips,” said Drury, whose first graded-stakes victory in 30 years of training came with Art Collector in the Blue Grass. “It's one of the most historic races in the country. We'd have loved to have been in the Derby because this is home for us, but gosh, to be able to run in the Preakness four weeks later. That's the one thing that gave me comfort, knowing that we've got a huge race coming up right around the corner, that we can miss this one and be ready for that one — be on our game and take our best shot. That's really all we've been trying to do: make good decisions, use good judgment and make sure that our horse is taken care of.

“Ever since the morning that we didn't enter for the Derby, the Preakness has been our primary concern. He seems like he's going into it the right way, and now we've just got to stay out of his way a little longer.”

The post ‘We’ll Take Our Best Shot’: Art Collector In ‘Stiff’ Work For Preakness appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Magic Attitude Takes Belmont Oaks With Last-To-First Stretch Run In U.S. Debut

Trainer Arnaud Delacour expressed some concerns about the lack of pace before Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. He was right, as the Godolphin homebred Antoinette maintained an easy lead, setting slow fractions for most of the mile and one-quarter turf test for 3-year-old fillies under John Velazquez.

But, it turns out, Delacour needn't have worried. Magic Attitude, the Lael Stables runner he sent out for her U.S. debut as an even-money favorite, easily ran down Antoinette with a powerful stretch run to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths with Javier Castellano in the saddle.

Antoinette held second, with Neige Blanche third, Setting the Mood fourth and Key Biscayne the trailer in the field of five.

Magic Attitude, a daughter of leading sire Galileo bred in England by Katsumi Yoshida, covered the distance in 2:01.14 on a firm inner turf course. The victory was her third in seven career starts, the first six of which came in France under the tutelage of Fabrice Chappet. Produced by the Exceed and Excel mare Margot Did – winner of the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes in England – Magic Attitude paid $4.30 for the win and earned $137,500 from the Belmont Oaks $242,500 purse.

Antoinette, coming off a front-running victory in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational, went straight to the front, getting the opening quarter-mile in :24.89 and the half in :49.99 while racing off the rail. Setting the Mood, along the inside, Neige Blanche between horses, and Key Biscayne to the outside, raced as a team just behind the front-runner, who passed the six-furlong marker in 1:14.17.

Put under an early hold by Castellano, Magic Attitude rated patiently in last until reaching the quarter pole after Antoinette clocked the opening mile in 1:37.91, swung out at the top of the stretch and quickly ran past her rivals on the far outside, hitting the front with an eighth of a mile to go and winning easily.

“I really like the way she did it,” said Casellano. “Watching the replays, it seemed like she could be a little bit keen. She always seemed to break well out of the gate and get good forward position in Europe. Today, she broke OK. I tried to cover up a little bit. It was her first time in the country and a mile and a quarter and you always have to save something for the end. She sat beautifully behind the speed. She had a nice rhythm. When I asked her turning for home at the quarter pole, she just took off really well. I was very excited to see the way she did it today.”

Delacour said Magic Attitude came out of quarantine with a fever and missed some training after traveling from France to the U.S. Winner in one of three starts last year at 2, the bay filly won the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux in her 3-year-old debut at Longchamp, then finished second to Tawkeel in the G1 Prix Saint Alary and fifth, beaten three lengths by winner Fancy Blue, in the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly on July 5.

“The pace was a little bit of a concern,” said Delacour. “With a five-horse field, you never know what's going to happen, but it didn't change her running style as that's how she likes to race. Javier timed it perfectly and she came with a good kick.

“Two starts ago [in the Prix Saint Alary], they were surprised because she was a little revved up and she never settled. They couldn't cover her up and she was pretty aggressive. Ever since, they've been trying to get her to relax. So, we tried to work her in the same way in the morning and put her behind horses and come with a nice run and that's what she duplicated in the afternoon. It was very exciting.”

Delacour was uncertain about Magic Attitude's next start. “We'll see. One race at a time,” he said. “The Queen Elizabeth [on Oct.10 at Keeneland] is in 21 days and might be coming back too quick. We'll let her tell us.”

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Frosted Gets Second Saturday Winner at Belmont

6th-Belmont, $61,110, Msw, 9-19, 2yo, 1m, 1:37.56, ft.
LIKEABLE (c, 2, Frosted–Dashing Debby {SW}, by Medaglia d’Oro) endured a fairly eventful trip in his rained-off Saratoga debut Aug. 22, racing wide on the turn and striking final-furlong interference before just missing by a head. Stretching out to a mile and remaining on the dirt for this second try, the $350,000 yearling was the 23-10 second choice to odds-on Engrave (Flatter) and jumped well to head them off out of the chute. Always going better than the chalk, Likeable began to widen on the turn, took a commanding advantage into the lane and drew well clear while racing on his incorrect lead for the length of the stretch. Likeable, the sixth winner for his freshman sire (by Tapit) and second on the afternoon, had 8 1/4 lengths on first-timer Rational Choice (Candy Ride {Arg}), while Engrave faded to third. The winner is a half to Bronze Star (Tapit), MSW, $195,555; Dawn the Destroyer (Speightstown), SW & MGISP, $556,405; and a yearling colt by Speightstown that was acquired by Shadwell for $800,000 at Keeneland September earlier this week. Dashing Debby, one of 11 stakes winners from the second crop of Medaglia d’Oro, foaled a Curlin colt this year and was bred back to Quality Road. Sales history: $350,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $49,050. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable & Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

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