Tag: Horse Care

The 2023 application for accreditation by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is now available on OpenWater and can be accessed through ThoroughbredAftercare.org/Accreditation.

Thoroughbred aftercare nonprofits interested in applying must complete the application by the closing date of April 1 at 6 p.m. ET. Since TAA accreditation is only granted for a specific period of time, organizations with accreditation status ending in 2022 that want to remain accredited need to re-apply.

“Going into our 11^th year of accreditation, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance looks forward to working with new applicants and returning organizations to reach the highest standard of aftercare,” said TAA Accreditation and Grants Manager, Janice Towles.

Accreditation status is determined after a complete review of five areas of an aftercare organization: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. Organizations passing the application review will be subject to site inspections of all facilities housing Thoroughbreds.

Organizations that receive accreditation are eligible to receive financial grants from the TAA, but prior grants awarded are no indication of potential future awards. In 2022 the TAA awarded $3.6 million to accredited organizations as grants earmarked specifically for equine care, totaling more than $28.1 million awarded since 2012.

Any organization interested in applying for TAA accreditation must fulfill the following five minimum requirements:

1. Organization must have a current status as a 501(c)(3) federal not-for-profit (U.S.) or must be a registered charity within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
2. Organization must have been in operation for at least three years. The TAA will confirm operation information, including with the secretary of state or provincial business registry.
3. At time of application, organization must either (1) currently exclusively own and provide care for a minimum of 5 registered Thoroughbreds, or (2) currently exclusively own and provide care for at least 3-4 registered Thoroughbreds AND must have exclusively owned and provided care for at least 10 registered Thoroughbreds over the previous 12 months. Registered Thoroughbreds leased by the organization or owned by third parties at the same facility should not be included.
4. Organization must have a written euthanasia policy consistent with the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
5. Organization, or a principal of the organization or individual directly related to the organization, shall not have any current legal proceedings pending against them which adversely impact the aftercare operations, the organization's standards of care, or the 501(c)(3) status of the organization.

For more information on the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accreditation process, please visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

About the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance

Based in Lexington, KY, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Along with continued funding from its original partners Breeders' Cup, The Jockey Club, and Keeneland Association, the TAA is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members. Since inception in 2012, the TAA has granted more than $28.1 million to accredited aftercare organizations. Currently 81 aftercare organizations comprised of approximately 180 facilities across North America have been granted accreditation. To learn more about the TAA, visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

The post Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance: 2023 Accreditation Applications Now Available appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Unwanted behaviors, often called vices, are repetitive, purposeless behaviors that take up a large portion of a horse's time. Common examples include cribbing, chewing, and weaving. Vices can stem from environments that limit a horse's natural feeding or social behavior.

Horses have a strong instinct to forage, move, and socialize. They have evolved to eat small, frequent, forage-based meals throughout the day. When allowed to graze, horses will forage for over 14.5 hours daily while moving around the pasture. Additionally, as herd animals, social interaction is key to horse welfare. However, providing this ideal environment for horses is often not practical.

Many of today's horses spend a lot of time in stalls or dry lots, receive two large meals per day, and have a limited chance to forage. While some horses adapt well to a highly controlled environment, others may become stressed and find relief through an unwanted behavior. Once a horse develops an unwanted behavior, they may never stop. There are some steps you can take to help manage or prevent unwanted behaviors in your horse.

Reduce the amount of time your horse spends indoors

Allowing your horse turnout and exercise can provide your horse an opportunity to satisfy their instinct to move. When given the choice of being in a paddock or stall, horses will often choose a paddock, even in poor weather. Additionally, routine turnout can help prevent boredom and allow for socializing with other horses.

If your horse must be kept in a stall for a long period of time (e.g., stall rest), try to keep them entertained.

• Spend time with them outside their stall, for example hand walking around the arena or grooming in the barn aisle.
• Provide hay in slow feed nets to prolong the time your horse spends eating. Mature hay (high in NDF) can be fed to keep your horse busy between meals.
• Make sure your horse is not alone in the barn. Stalling another horse within sight of your horse can help reduce their stress.
• Provide toys that your horse can play with or chew on while in their stall. Treat toys require the horse to work or chew on the toy to receive a treat. Remember, you should only provide treats in moderation. Always select toys that are approved and safe for horses.

Keep your horse in a herd

Horses have a strong desire for social interaction, which can be met while kept in a herd. In these social groups, horses communicate through touch, smell and changes in body posture and facial expression. A herd size of four to 10 horses of the same sex works best with the exception of stallions. Try to limit changes in the herd, which can be stressful.

If your horse must be kept outside a herd, try introducing your horse to another animal, such as a goat, donkey or sheep. If you keep your horse with any of these species, check with your veterinarian to see if you need to adjust your horse's vaccination or health plan.

Provide a forage-based diet

Keep your horse on a high forage diet and ensure it meets their nutritional needs. You should feed your horse based on their age, body weight, physiological state, and activity level. Limited access to long-stemmed forage can cause horses to develop alternative chewing habits such as cribbing or wood chewing. Little forage or large amounts of grain can also increase the risk of colic.

Prolonging the amount of time a horse spends eating forage better mimics natural feeding behavior. When grazing isn't an option there are a couple management practices you can try. Consider feeding horses three to four small meals throughout the day. Alternatively, you could use restrictive hay feeders, such as slow feed hay nets. When feeding horses a single hay meal (1 percent body weight in hay), horses spent 6.5 hours eating hay from a slow feed net compared to 3.2 hours when eating off the floor.

Use positive training methods

When training a horse, choose a training method that uses positive reinforcement away from abuse or force. Many horse training methods are available. It is your responsibility to choose a method that meets the best interest of you and your horse. Training methods that use negative reinforcement can lead to poor behavior such as bolting and rearing.

The post Preventing Unwanted Equine Behaviors appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Argentinian scientists who cloned a male horse garnered two offspring – one of which was female. This is the first time a female foal has occurred from somatic cell nuclear transfer (“cloning”) from a male donor.

Cloning is an asexual reproductive technique; the cloned offspring should contain all of the same genetic material as the donor horse. Though this is the first time it has occurred in equines, sex-reversed offspring have occurred in other species, said Dr. Mariana Suvá.

Both horses had identical genetic profiles, which confirmed they were clones of the same animal, reported the study team. Molecular testing indicates a “spontaneous Y chromosome loss” in the filly. The lost chromosome was confirmed through a polymerase chain reaction test. 

Additional genetic testing of blood and skin proved that the foal's chromosomal constitutions were identical. 

Though the exact cause is unknown, the possibility of sex reversal in cloned horses holds promise for the preservation of endangered species, the creation of new breeding techniques, and the development of specific sport-related equines, the study team reported.

The foals were born in November 2020 and the filly showed no anatomic abnormalities. As a 2-year-old, she has normal external genitalia, but an ultrasound showed that she has small, underdeveloped ovaries with no evidence of corpora lutea. Her uterus is normal. 

Read more at HorseTalk. 

The post Far From Foolproof: Cloned Male Equine Born A Filly appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Equine Disease Communication Center announced a strangles positive in an unidentified Thoroughbred racehorse at a Kentucky training center on Jan. 6. According to the disease alert, a quarantine is in place.

As per usual policy for EDCC alerts, the name or location of the facility involved was not published.

The alert information is below.

Source: Kentucky Department of Agriculture

Number Confirmed: 1;
Number Exposed: 13;
Facility Type: Training Facility;
Age: 2; Gender: Gelding; Breed: Thoroughbred (TB); Usage: Racing; Onset of Clinical Signs: 12/29/2022;
Clinical Signs: Horse arrived from Out-of-State 12/28 – was febrile on 12/29 and remained segregated from the general population. Second fever detected 1/2/2023 and horse was shipped to referral hospital where it remains in isolation. Samples collected were confirmed positive for Strep Equi; Confirmation Date: 1/4/2023; Horse Status: Affected And Alive; Vaccination Status: Vaccinated; For more information go to https://www.equinediseasecc.org/strangles.

Strangles is a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract, which is characterized by fever, nasal discharge, coughing, and characteristic abscesses in the lymph nodes around the throatlatch.

Most horses recover successfully, but the disease is highly transmissible and can take some time to clear.

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