Jockey Club Round Table: HISA ‘Best Ever Opportunity To Right Our Badly Listing Ship’

The 69th Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing concluded Sunday with emphatic support for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) by The Jockey Club Chairman Stuart S. Janney III, who presided over the conference and referenced in his closing remarks the arguments made by groups in the racing industry that have stated their opposition to HISA.

“When the history of this is written, it will be clear who the obstructionists were and who opposed this industry's best ever opportunity to right our badly listing ship,” Janney said. “I am proud to stand with those who support HISA, and I look forward to the needed reform it will bring to our industry and to seeing our ship finally sailing a straight course.”

Sunday's event was held virtually and streamed on jockeyclub.com and made available on NYRA's YouTube channel, Racetrack Television Network's respective platforms, and bloodhorse.com.

Janney was preceded by presentations from Charles Scheeler, chair of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority board of directors, and Dr. Tessa Muir, director of Equine Science for the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Scheeler described the components of the authority's work ahead, which include the establishment of an anti-doping and medication testing program and a safety program; constituency outreach; and utilizing the industry's plethora of data, much of which will be sourced from The Jockey Club's databases. In advance of the implementation of HISA next year, plans call for the authority's board and standing committees to publish proposed rules for public comment before they are submitted to the Federal Trade Commission.

“What I saw when [I looked at HISA] was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the sport safer for horses and jockeys, to serve the overwhelming majority of horse people who want to win fairly and who want to play by the rules…” Scheeler said.

Muir spoke of USADA's plans to work with the Thoroughbred industry, including leveraging expertise for both human and equine athletes to create best practices.

“Our aspiration is to establish and maintain a uniform and harmonized program that is centered on promoting and safeguarding the health and welfare of horses and protects the rights of all participants to race clean and win fairly,” she said.

Emily Lyman, founder and chief executive officer of Branch & Bramble, a digital marketing agency used by America's Best Racing (ABR), discussed how “social listening” online can be used to gauge public sentiment of horse racing and how highly publicized events can have a positive or negative impact on how the sport is viewed. She talked about how ABR's marketing strategy is influenced by this data and that influencers can be effectively used as brand ambassadors to introduce new audiences to horse racing.

“Maintaining the status quo doesn't protect a brand's long-term health,” Lyman said. “Without growth in impressions and public sentiment, your key audience will eventually die out.”

Will Duff Gordon, the chief executive officer of Total Performance Data (TPD), spoke in a presentation with Will Bradley, director and founder of Gmax Technology Ltd., on how TPD and Gmax have collaborated to create timing systems for horse races and how they are working with Equibase to determine how the tracking data can supplement and enhance the information that Equibase provides. They noted that this information will become more valuable with the expansion of sports betting in the United States.

“We do know from our European experience that sports that have the richest set of data, as well as pictures, as well as odds, capture the most betting turnover and handle,” Gordon said.

Dr. Yuval Neria, professor of Medical Psychology at Columbia University and director of the PTSD Research Center, was joined by Dr. Prudence Fisher, associate professor of Clinical Psychiatric Social Work at Columbia University, to talk about the Man O' War Project, which was founded by Ambassador Earle I. Mack. It is the first university-led research study to examine the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy (EAT) in treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Neria described the findings as “extremely encouraging,” noting measurable changes in the parts of the brain involved in the capacity to seek and experience pleasure among trial participants. There were also decreases in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Moving forward, plans call for the creation of the Man O' War Center, with goals to train others in EAT protocol for veterans, adopt the protocol for other groups, pursue a larger research study, and expand the use of former racehorses for equine-assisted therapy work.

“We are proud to partner with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance to connect groups trained in the Man O' War protocol with accredited aftercare facilities,” said Fisher. “It's a great way to incorporate more retired Thoroughbreds in EAT programs throughout the country.”

Kristin Werner, senior counsel for The Jockey Club and administrator of The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program, moderated an aftercare panel with panelists Erin Crady, executive director, Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA); Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary, Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA); Beverly Strauss, executive director, MidAtlantic Horse Rescue; and Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president, Equine Welfare, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Each panelist shared their perspectives on challenges in the aftercare landscape, from securing a safe first exit from the racetrack to placing retired breeding stock. Crady talked about the TCA's Horses First Fund, which helps Thoroughbreds in case of an emergency.

“Plan, plan, and plan some more,” Crady said. If you've prepared a business plan for your racing operation, include a section on aftercare.

“Please remember one thing that I feel is paramount to your horse's future. Make every effort to retire your horse while he or she is still sound. A sound Thoroughbred can have an unlimited future.”

Strauss talked about the kill buyer market and the frequent social media frenzies when Thoroughbreds are offered for inflated prices to save them from being sold to slaughter. She warned that individuals and organizations that participate in these practices are often scams.

“If you're contacted because one of your former horses is in a kill pen, do some research, don't just throw money at it, don't just send money blindly, do research and see that the horse truly is in a bad place and then ensure its safety,” Strauss said.

Sanfratello detailed the PHBA's stance on aftercare and its creation of a code of ethics that will sanction those who knowingly send horses registered with the PHBA to slaughter.

“Our board understands that aftercare is just as important as making sure that we increase the numbers of mares bred,” Sanfratello said.

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Weiss focused on the work of the ASPCA's Right Horse Initiative, which assists with placing horses in transition. She noted that a problem seen with placing horses is that Thoroughbreds are often not located where the demand for them exists.

“There's some disconnect between the interest in the general public and getting these horses into their hands, and part of that is just getting those horses where those people are,” she said.

David O'Rourke, the president and chief executive officer of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), provided an update on that organization's efforts to promote safety, integrity, and the sport of racing. According to O'Rourke, NYRA has allotted 50% of its capital budget since 2013 to infrastructure improvements such as new track surfaces, barns, and dormitories. He also addressed the legalization of sports betting and NYRA's belief that this represents a critical opportunity for horse racing to expand its wagering options and boost handle

James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, delivered a report on the activities of The Jockey Club.

Also in his closing remarks, Janney announced that Len Coleman and Dr. Nancy Cox, co-chairs of the nominating committee of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, have been awarded The Jockey Club Medal for exceptional contributions to the Thoroughbred industry.

A video replay of the conference will be available on jockeyclub.com this afternoon, and full transcripts will be available on the same site this week.

The Jockey Club Round Table Conference was first held on July 1, 1953, in The Jockey Club office in New York City. The following year, it was moved to Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans, and farms. It founded America's Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

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An ASPCA Program Studied The Causes Behind Horses In Need — And The Results May Surprise You

When a horse ends up at a rescue or rehoming organization, they're usually there through no fault of their own. That's one of several takeaways from an experimental regional support center launched in the Oklahoma City area earlier this year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Unlike owners of dogs and cats, it's not easy for all horse owners to find a reputable shelter to take their animals, and many have months-long waiting lists. Some horse owners may delay euthanasia due to high costs of the procedure and subsequent body disposal.

The ASPCA, working with The Right Horse Initiative, wanted to create an open-door surrender location for horse owners who needed to rehome their horses but could not or would not sell them or give them away to private individuals. According to Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of equine welfare at ASPCA, people could contact the center and schedule a free appointment for a veterinarian to come out and evaluate the horse in need at no cost. If euthanasia was required, that could be provided on the spot, and if the horse could be adopted out, it was placed with a rehoming center in the Right Horse Initiative network.

The ASPCA collected information on each of the owners that contacted the center looking for a safe way to rehome their horses. At last week's virtual conference of the American Horse Council, Weiss presented data showing that the most common reason for surrendering a horse was the health of the owner, followed closely by personal hardship. A significant portion of owners physically unable to look after their horses cited age as a major factor. Only 9 percent of horses were given up because they didn't meet the owner's needs.

Many people who called the regional center for help said they'd been thinking about the decision for months.

“Folks are often thinking for a long time about the need to rehome their horse, and many of them are waiting longer than they necessarily need to,” said Weiss. “There's some level of fear about what's going to happen to their horse and they don't necessarily have confidence about where their horse is going.”

Only 36 percent of the people calling the center said they were concerned about being able to afford board or other horse care expenses. Forty-four percent had owned their horse for more than five years, and 89 percent had owned their horse a year or more. Eighty percent kept their horses on their own property, and 48 percent of callers were aged 60 or older.

Weiss said she wasn't surprised to hear how few owners said the horse was to blame for its uncertain status.

“We were not surprised to learn such as we had the advantage of seeing the data from the dog and cat sheltering world that shows a similar trend,” she said. “Similar reasons were also the leading factors for relinquishment at the first Regional Support Center pilot, which took place near Dallas in 2018. However, we were surprised to learn the high number of individuals who had to relinquish their horse because they were unable to provide adequate care for the horse due to their age, which is why the ASPCA is committed to raising awareness of horse owners about the need to plan ahead.”

So far, the ASPCA has tested these regional centers in one part of the country and Weiss said it's possible the statistics around an owner calling for help could be different in other localities. Horsekeeping trends and costs varies widely from one side of the United States to the other. The organization plans to continue studying the issue in the coming years.

The good news for horses “in transition,” as the ASPCA prefers to call them (“unwanted horse” is now a term thought to be a rather poor choice for a horse who must be marketed to a new home) is there's a lot of demand for trained riding horses right now. In fact, Weiss found that adoption organizations under The Right Horse initiative umbrella have experienced more adoptions this year. Those organizations are reporting a 67 percent increase in foster starts and a 16 percent increase in adoptions in April 2020 as compared to March 2020, with even more coming in May. Some adoption centers have more interested adopters than they do horses for them, and some are even seeing fewer owner surrenders than usual.

“Certainly at the beginning of COVID-19, we had no idea we'd see an increase in adoptions,” said Weiss. “In some ways, COVID has been great – folks are home, this is a safe activity they can do, if not now, when?”

That doesn't mean there aren't horses in need out there, of course. Anyone who follows a kill pen bail page on social media knows that riding horses still find themselves in situations where they're portrayed as at-risk. How do they fit into this picture?

“We have found many challenges as it relates to bail outs,” said Weiss. “Organizations and  their supporters often pay significantly more for a horse at time of bail out than they would have if they had acquired the horse before he landed in the pipeline, and those resources that could have been focused on rehabilitation or retraining (or helping additional at-risk horses) are instead spent paying the kill buyer above market price for an equine.

“Horses' ages, behavior and health are often misrepresented or unknown by the kill buyers posting horses for bail out. While there is a belief by some that bailing out a horse means one fewer horse going to slaughter, we understand that the slaughter truck will leave full whether or not that particular horse is bailed. So, while that one bailed horse is saved, another suffers in his place. We look forward to the end of slaughter when this emotional predation behavior by the kill buyers will be eliminated, but until then we want to help increase awareness of the challenges of bail outs and focus our resources toward other, more sustainable intake options.

“ASPCA safety net services, such as the Regional Support Center, along with our support of other open-admission programs are opening barn doors for individuals unable to keep their horses. By obtaining horses directly from their owners, the full history (behavioral and medical) can be obtained, the horse's health and behavior can be supported with a quick transition to the rehoming facility and then to a new home. Those that want to save a horse can find their match through adoption by visiting myrighthorse.org. In doing so, adopters are not only finding their next horse, but help create capacity for the adoption organization to support the next horse and their owner in need.”

It's hard for anyone to predict how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could the level of demand from potential adopters or the volume of horses that could eventually need help transitioning between homes, but Weiss said the future for off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) probably looks better than most.

“During any disaster situation, there's always a risk that horse owners will not be able to provide adequate care for their horses, so it's important for people, shelters, and communities to prepare for any animal welfare consequences that may result from the COVID-19 crisis,” said Weiss. “That said, the demand for OTTBs has been increasing for several years – in large part thanks to programs such as the Jockey Club TIP program, the Retired Racehorse Project, TAA, TCA and the great work of aftercare groups like New Vocations. The value of these horses has been elevated and riders are actively seeking OTTBs for their next competition horse.”

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