health and welfare | Horse Racing Free Tips

Research Proposals on Lasix will be Accepted by HISA Sept. 1

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority called for potential researchers to prepare research proposals on the administration of furosemide, still commonly called Lasix in racing, to Thoroughbred racehorses during the 48-hour period before the start of a race, the organization said in a release Thursday evening. The call for proposals is expected to be released Sept. 1.

As the Authority was created by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) of 2020, it is mandated by Congress to include at least one study on the use of furosemide. Included in the study is the effect of Lasix on equine health and the integrity of competition while using the medication.

Study conclusions will be used to guide the Authority's Furosemide Advisory Committee (FAC) in its recommendations to the Authority's Board. In evaluating applications, the FAC will pay particular attention to the impact of the proposed work as it applies to racing in North America.

Any questions should be directed to feedback@hisaus.org and titled “HISA research.”

The post Research Proposals on Lasix will be Accepted by HISA Sept. 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

$800k Sales Grad at Center of Delaware ‘Neglect’ Ruling

A 5-year-old Thoroughbred who auctioned for $800,000 as a yearling is at the center of a “neglect of a horse” case out of Delaware Park.

In an Aug. 12 ruling, the stewards at Delaware stated that owner/trainer Alison Escobar disregarded multiple veterinary recommendations by continuing to exercise Ashiham (Tapit), a one-for-eight horse who has changed stables twice after being sold at Keeneland in 2018. Ashiham's lone victory came at Saratoga in 2020 for different connections.

“The Stewards were concerned for the health and welfare of Ashiham,” the ruling stated in handing down Escobar's $2,500 fine and 60-day suspension. He will also have to pass a training competency test as a condition of relicensure.

At deadline for this story, it was unclear if Escobar plans an appeal. Efforts to reach him for his side of the story were not successful.

Escobar, a 43-year-old with 779 career wins, has been a Grade I-winning trainer in Puerto Rico since 2005. He took out his license in the United States in 2019, and won his first stateside stakes in 2021 at Monmouth Park.

The Delaware stewards laid out this timeline in their ruling, noting that Escobar waived his right to legal counsel at his Aug. 11 hearing:

“1. Ashiham, trained by Alison Escobar was a Vet observed scratch during prerace examination at Tampa Bay Downs on April 21, 2022, for lameness and heat in the left front flexor tendon, and was placed on the Tampa Bay Downs Vets' List. In testimony, trainer Escobar stated Ashiham was sore but did not want the horse scratched because he was the morning-line favorite.

“2. Ashiham worked on June 9, 2022, at Palm Meadows (Florida). Florida Regulatory Veterinarian Dr. Jane Teichner observed the horse lame on his left front on the while the horse was on the track surface after the work.

“3. Dr. Teichner contacted Mr. Escobar's practicing Veterinarian Dr. Rendon concerning Ashiham. In a follow-up text message from Dr. Rendon to Gulfstream Chief Regulatory Veterinarian Dr. Aponte, Dr. Rendon stated in his medical opinion that Ashiham's injury was career ending.

“4. Dr. Teichner reported Ashiham to Gulfstream Chief Regulatory Veterinarian Dr. Aponte, who placed Ashiham on the Gulfstream Park Vet's list as Vet Observed and required an ultra-sound before any workout was scheduled. No ultra-sound was ever taken.

“5. On July 12, 2022, Ashiham arrived by van from Palm Meadows (Florida) to Delaware Park. No foal papers were ever turned into the Racing Office as required by the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission Rule 7.3.4

“6. On August 3, 2022, D.T.R.C. Safety Steward Eric Coatrieux requested the DTRC Veterinarian Annie Renzetti inspect the horse Ashiham after Eric observed Ashiham lame on the track with a significant bowed left tendon.

“7. On August 3, 2022, Dr. Renzetti observed Ashiham significantly lame on a scale of 4/5 and a bow on the left front flexor tendon that was warm to the touch and sore on palpitation. Dr. Renzetti placed Ashiham on the DTRC Vets' List requiring an immediate diagnostic testing including ultra-sound and stall rest until reevaluated by Commission Veterinarians.

“8. Trainer Escobar stated in testimony that Ashiham was not under the care of a practicing Vet and had not been observed at Delaware Park by a Veterinarian prior to the Stewards hearing.”

The stewards cited rules pertaining to trainer responsibility and “cruelty to a horse or neglect of a horse entrusted to a permittee's care” in meting out the penalties. They also stated that “Trainer Escobar failed to follow veterinarian medical recommendations after being placed on two separate Vet's list.”

Escobar's suspension is to start Aug. 19, unless he secures a stay via appeal. All horse transfers out of his stable must be approved by the Delaware stewards. Ashiham's current owner is Tres Potrillos Ranch Inc.

The post $800k Sales Grad at Center of Delaware ‘Neglect’ Ruling appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Researchers Seek Behavior Clues To Better Equine Health

A grimace, a shift in gait or stance. Subtle behavioral signs can tell owners and handlers a lot about the health and welfare of their horses, ponies, mules and donkeys. And that's what three newly funded equine behavior and health research teams are counting on.

In one study, researchers at Utrecht University, Netherlands, are validating an easy-to-use questionnaire to help owners recognize and monitor behavioral signs of chronic osteoarthritis pain in their horses. Osteoarthritis in horses often goes unrecognized and untreated. This new tool may help owners and veterinarians better monitor treatment effectiveness and pain progression, and inform quality-of-life decisions.

[Story Continues Below]

Next, University of California, Davis, researchers are trying to find better ways of recognizing pain in mules. The team is using a combination of facial expressions (called a grimace scale) and Smart Halter, a new technology to monitor physical signs of pain, including heart rate and respiration.

They hope these easy-to-use tools will improve pain management for mules, helping veterinarians, sanctuaries and nonprofit organizations care for these increasingly popular animals.

Finally, researchers at the University of Bologna, Italy, are working to improve the welfare of unbroken horses transported over long distances. Finding a reliable way, including behavioral cues, to distinguish between broken (well-handled) and unbroken (unhandled) horses, will ensure these animals are transported in accordance with strict regulations based on their status, reducing their mental and physical distress during travel.

Morris Animal Foundation has long recognized the connection between behavior and the health and welfare of animals. Identifying specific behaviors associated with pain and stress, especially at early stages, will help guide interventions and improve the well-being of horses, ponies, mules and donkeys everywhere.