Weaning Woes: Is Artificial Weaning Hard On Horses?

Weaning, where a foal is removed from his dam, can be heartwrenching for both the humans and the animals involved. During traditional weaning, foals are forcibly separated from their dams at six months of age. However, left to their own devices, a foal will eventually separate from his mother on his own accord; this is considered “natural weaning.” Little research has been done on natural weaning.

The relationship between a mare and her foal focuses not only on providing sustenance to the youngster, but on the imparting of social skills that will allow the foal to become a well-adjusted part of an equine herd. Researchers in France studied natural weaning to determine if it could offer benefits to the mare and foal.
Drs. Séverine Henry, Hrefna Sigurjónsdóttir, Aziliz Klapper, Julie Joubert, Gabrielle Montier and Martine Hausberger studied three groups of semi-feral Icelandic horses: 16 mares with their foals, all owned by a riding school. The researchers discovered that the weaning age of foals varied greatly, but that foals were on average nine months old when they willingly stopped nursing from their mother.

Expand the gallery or view in landscape for the full experience

Surprisingly, the foal didn't gradually taper off his suckling before weaning nor did the mare become more aggressive with her foal before weaning; it seems the foal simply stopped nursing. Immediately after weaning, the foals spent about as much time with and stayed as close to their mothers as before weaning, indicating that they still needed social contact with their mothers.
None of the mares lost any body condition even though they were in foal and had a nursing foal on their side, though their breeding may have something to do with this: Icelandic horses are notoriously hardy.

Artificial weaning generally causes high levels of stress in foals and this is often the time when stereotypies like cribbing or weaving begin. The scientists hope that this data will assist in providing a better understanding of what happens in the mare-foal relationship, specifically from a social point of view, and how artificial weaning can affect foals.

Read more at Horses and People.

The post Weaning Woes: Is Artificial Weaning Hard On Horses? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Del Mar Cancels July 17-19 Racing After 15 More Jockeys Test Positive For COVID-19

With caution its primary concern, Del Mar has preemptively canceled its next three days of racing, July 17-18-19, after 15 jockeys tested positive for COVID-19. All of Del Mar's jockeys and jockey room personnel were tested on Tuesday by San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency staff as requested by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“Assuming these individuals continue to show no symptoms, they will be isolated for a total of 10 days and should be able to resume their usual activities, including riding after that time,” said Dr. Eric McDonald, Medical Director, Epidemiology & Immunizations Services, County of San Diego.

“Racing will return on July 24,” said Joe Harper, Del Mar's CEO. “Canceling this weekend's races will give us additional time to monitor the situation and give the individuals who tested positive additional time to recover.”

On Tuesday, based on DMTC protocols, as well as direction from medical advisers and county public health officials, the testing was administered by county medical staff. Fifteen of the jockeys tested positive and all were believed to be asymptomatic. Contact tracing procedures are underway in conjunction with the San Diego Health & Human Services Agency. However, a common factor among all but one of the riders that tested positive is that they rode at the recently concluded Los Alamitos meet.

Del Mar officials ordered the testing of all the jockeys and jockeys' room personnel after two riders, Flavien Prat and Victor Espinoza, tested positive for COVID-19.

“Even though our jockey colony did not exhibit symptoms when they arrived at Del Mar, we made the decision to test everyone as part of protocols we have developed in conjunction with local medical experts and the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency,” said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar Thoroughbred President and COO. “We put these measures in place to help ensure the safety of all workers at Del Mar and our surrounding community.”

Because of the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA), Del Mar is not allowed to release the names of the affected riders.

In a further safety measure, only jockeys based in California will be permitted to ride at Del Mar for the remainder of the meeting. Jockeys from jurisdictions outside of California will not be allowed to ride at Del Mar. The measure to restrict the riding colony follows a similar announcement Tuesday by the New York Racing Association concerning jockeys at Saratoga Race Course. Under Del Mar's new policy, until further notice, local jockeys who leave the track to ride at other venues will not be allowed to ride again at Del Mar for the remainder of the summer racing meeting.

Additionally, Del Mar officials are re-configuring and expanding the track's jockeys' quarters, including moving some of the functions that normally take place in the jockeys' room to an adjacent area.

Del Mar has been providing health screening, monitoring and testing resources for barn area workers and essential personnel during its summer meet, which is being held for the first time in the track's 81-year history without spectators. The meet began Friday July 10th and will conclude on Labor Day, September 7.

Del Mar's health and safety protocols have been formulated with direct input from medical experts in the community.

“We have worked with Del Mar to apply practical health protocols for its essential personnel and we applaud the track's continued vigilance to help provide a safe environment for its work force,” said Dr. Ghazala Sharieff, MD, Corporate Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at San Diego's Scripps Health. “We can reasonably expect that there will be some additional positive tests. The key is to provide strategies and protocols for testing, quarantining, containment and management, all of which Del Mar is doing in cooperation with local public health experts and officials.”

Del Mar's racing officials have said that many of the races that had been scheduled for the upcoming weekend will be shifted to the following weekend. That includes the Grade 2, $150,000 San Diego Handicap and the Grade 2 $200,000 Eddie Read Stakes.

The Thoroughbred Owners of California said they are in agreement with Del Mar's measures. “TOC strongly supports the actions taken today by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in conjunction with the San Diego County Department of Health. The health of our riders is our top priority now.”

 

The post Del Mar Cancels July 17-19 Racing After 15 More Jockeys Test Positive For COVID-19 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville

Arindel Farm's Quinoa Tifah, the winner of the first race for 2-year-olds in the U.S. this year at Gulfstream Park, is set to make her much-anticipated return in Thursday's Schuylerville (G3) on Saratoga's opening-day program.

The Arindel homebred will be joined in the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies by two other recent Gulfstream winners, J Stables LLC and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Queen Arella and Briannjenn Racing LLC's Hara.

Juan Alvarado-trained Quinoa Tifah chased the heavily favored Lime before scoring over the Wesley Ward trainee by three-quarters of a length in a $65,000 maiden special weight race April 16 at Gulfstream. The Florida-bred daughter of Gemologist, who is not eligible for the upcoming Florida Sire Stakes series, ran 4 ½-furlongs in 52 seconds. Manny Franco has the call.

Queen Arella overcame a very troubled start in a May 29 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream to win her debut going away by four lengths. The Roderick Rodriguez-trained filly provided freshman sire Speightster with his first winner, running five furlongs in 59.54 seconds. Joel Rosario has the mount aboard the New York-bred filly.

Hara, who set a pressured pace before settling for second behind by Queen Arella in her debut, came back to score an impressive front-running eight-length victory at Gulfstream June 19. Tyler Gaffalione, a multi-meet champion at Gulfstream fresh off winning titles at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, has the call.

John Oxley's Beautiful Memories, a handy 10-length winner at Churchill in her recent debut for trainer Mark Casse, has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

One race later on the Saratoga card, Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing LLC's Caracaro, an impressive maiden winner during Gulfstream's Championship Meet, is scheduled to make his long-awaited return to action in the Peter Pan (G3).

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Uncle Mo has been idle since scoring an eye-catching six-length victory at a mile Jan. 11. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call on Caracaro, who set a pressured pace in his Dec. 8 debut at Gulfstream before finishing second to a next-out winner. Mathis Stable LLC's Candy Tycoon, who broke his maiden at Gulfstream before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth (G2), is along among the eight 3-year-olds entered in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Saffie Joseph Jr., the Gulfstream Spring/Summer Meet's leading trainer, has sent multiple graded-stakes winner Tonalist's Shape to Saratoga for Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch Inc., the daughter of Tonalist, is currently ninth in qualifying points for the Sept. 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Tonalist's Shape, an impressive allowance winner at Gulfstream in her most recent start, won the Forward Gal (G3) and the Davona Dale (G2) during the Championship Meet.

Joseph is also scheduled to send out Ny Traffic for Saturday's $1 million Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Cross Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman, won an allowance at Gulfstream in his first start for Joseph before finishing third in the Risen Star (G2) and second in both the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. Ny Traffic is currently eighth in qualifying points for the Sept. 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill.

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team, a runner-up to Sole Volante in a stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream last time out, was also entered in the Haskell by trainer Jose D'Angelo.

The post U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights