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Racing NSW Implements End-Of-Life Welfare Program For Thoroughbreds

Racing NSW, the regulating body for Thoroughbred racing in New South Wales, has introduced a new program to ensure that every NSW Thoroughbred in the state has access to humane euthanasia. Created to additionally protect racehorses from being sent to slaughterhouses, the program will pay for the horse's euthanasia, should it be determined that course of action is in the horse's best interest.

Funded by a fee assessed when a Thoroughbred is registered, euthanasia under the program is only permitted when a Racing NSW licensed veterinarian has certified that euthanasia is necessary because of welfare or safety concerns. In addition to euthanasia, Racing NSW will cover the cost of cremation or burial of the horse. Euthanasia and cremation or burial of a horse can be expensive, and possibly deter owners from acting in the horse's best interest.

Specifically designed for any Thoroughbred that has lived predominantly in NSW, the program does not have an age cap for horses it assists. This means that horses that have been retired from racing and are now involved in second careers are also able to be assisted by this program.

This program was created to further strengthen Racing NSW's commitment to the welfare of racehorses throughout their lives. The regulatory body puts aside more than $26 million a year to assist with Thoroughbred welfare programs.

The organization has established a direct retraining and rehoming program for Thoroughbreds, has made it an offense to send a Thoroughbred to a slaughterhouse, has two full-time veterinarians on staff and has multiple other programs and efforts in place to assist Thoroughbreds throughout every life stage.

Read more at The Sydney Morning Herald and at Racing NSW.

The post Racing NSW Implements End-Of-Life Welfare Program For Thoroughbreds appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Three Signs That Indicate Colic Is Critical

Colic is the No. 1 killer of horses in the United States. The term encompasses any equine abdominal pain and it is the most-common reason why horses require emergency veterinary care. Though many colic cases are resolved with simple, on-farm medical management, some cases are critical.

Drs. Adelle Bowden, Gary England, Marnie Louise Brennan, Tim Mair, Wendy Furness, Sarah Freeman and John Burford reviewed the clinical notes from 941 colic cases seen by two major equine clinics in England. The study team was able to identify three “red flags” that indicated that a colic case was critical. “Critical” in this case means that the colic required medical or surgical in-hospital care or resulted in euthanasia or death.

There are three red flags were: an increased heart rate, increasing age and abnormal mucous membrane color. The study team determined that of the 941 cases, 225 (23.9 percent) were critical; 18 percent of the critical cases were euthanized and 1 percent of the cases died.

The researchers note that these three “red flag” parameters should be an essential component of the colicky horse's initial assessment. The team suggests further research into the role a horse's age plays in critical cases; clarification is needed on if older horses are more likely to have critical conditions or if owners are more likely to choose euthanasia instead of treatment in older horses.

Colic No. 1 Reason For Emergency Vet Calls Study Finds

A University of Nottingham study has found that colic, wounds and lameness are the most common reasons for veterinarian to make emergency calls to visit horses after hours. The study was based on 2,602 emergency calls to two major vet practices between 2011 and 2013.

Drs. Adelle Bowden, Polina Boynova, Marnie Louise Brennan, Gary England, Sarah Freeman, John Burford, Tim Mair and Wendy Furness found that 35 percent (923) of the emergency calls were placed for colic issues; after-hours calls for wounds encompasses 511 calls (11 percent). Emergency calls for lameness accounted for 288 calls (11 percent). Most of the calls (58 percent) needed only a single treatment, but a quarter of the calls needed follow-up treatments.

According to the veterinarians, only 480 of the 2,602 cases were considered critical; 43 percent of those were related to colic. In total, 13 percent of the horse's emergency calls were made for were euthanized. It is unclear if this was related to acute disease or the deterioration of a pre-existing condition.

The study team noted that many of the emergency calls had critical outcomes and the majority were euthanized. They note that this is an important welfare concern that requires additional investigation.

Top Worldwide Equine Welfare Concerns Include Biosecurity And Delayed Euthanasia

There are 80 equine welfare issues considered serious throughout different facets of the horse world, making it extremely difficult to get a handle on which are top priority. In an effort to determine which issues faced the most horses, researchers in the UK created two lists: one that included issues that affect the entire horse population; and one that included issues that cause suffering for individual horses, reports The Horse.

The research team, which included Drs. Fiona Rioja-Lang, Melanie Connor, Heather Bacon and Cathy Dwyer, asked 19 equine welfare experts what they felt were the UK's main equine welfare issues. Respondents provided 84 issues, which were then discussed in a two-day meeting to prioritize the list of issues.

The conference attendees determined that the most prevalent issues facing the equine population as a whole included lack of biosecurity and disease surveillance. The next most-concerning issues included delayed euthanasia; lack of owner understanding of equine welfare; the horse's frustration, fear and stress from their jobs; and obesity.

Delayed euthanasia was also deemed to cause the most suffering to individual hoses. Other concerns for individual horses included lack of owner recognition of pain behavior; internal parasites; obesity; and diets being fed that are unsuitable for equines.

These concerns highlight the need for owner education—many owners would be surprised to learn how many issues relate to them and not veterinary care. Other group welfare concerns that involve equine owners include unstable social groups, indiscriminate breeding and ill-fitting tack. Individual equine welfare concerns included overwork, overweight riders and the inability for horses to have normal social interactions with how they are managed.