Tag: Horse Care

As part of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA)'s month-long Holiday Giving Campaign, Kurtis Coady & Megan Devine have pledged to match all donations up to $500 made to the TAA on Dec. 20, 2022. Best known for their contributions to the national horse racing scene as track photographer and on-air analyst, the powerhouse racing media couple also own retired racehorses at their home, Cardinal Creek Farm. Now, the Coady Photography and VidHorse business owners seek to double their investment to aftercare by supporting the TAA Holiday Giving Campaign.

“The Thoroughbred has given us everything, both personally and professionally,” said Devine & Coady. “We met at a racetrack and consider ourselves so lucky to have enjoyed careers in the racing industry. We believe it's incredibly important to give back to the horses, and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance provides an excellent avenue to do so. On our own, we have rescued a few Thoroughbreds and provided both a forever home and a second career. But with your support, the TAA can help so many more horses find a soft landing after their time on the racetrack.”

“Besides being exceptional photographers both on the racetrack and the backside, Kurtis and Megan care deeply for Thoroughbred aftercare and even provide for a few off-track Thoroughbreds of their own,” said fellow racetrack photographer and TAA Inspections Administrator, Suzie Picou-Oldham. “The media is a vital component of the industry, and I am proud to highlight two very talented members of our racing media today as part of the TAA Holiday Giving Campaign.”

TAA's Holiday Giving Campaign commenced November 29^th and is scheduled to conclude New Year's Eve. Those wishing to support the TAA, its 81 accredited organizations, and thousands of retired Thoroughbreds can donate through the TAA's website or text DONATE to 56651. During the Holiday Giving Campaign, TAA is also offering donors the benefit of sending digital holiday cards to colleagues, friends, and loved ones.

Throughout the end of the year, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will continue to host special one-day only donation matches with some of horse racing's biggest names. For more chances to double your donation, watch the TAA's social media, website, and industry advertisements for the next Holiday Giving match day announcement.

To learn more and donate to the TAA's Holiday Giving campaign, visit: ThoroughbredAftercare.org/HolidayCampaign.

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 Kurtis Coady, Megan Devine Devine Pledge $500 One-Day Match Donation To TAA Holiday Giving Campaign appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Now in its third year of application at Santa Anita Park, positron emission tomography (PET) scans have benefited more than 500 horses at the renowned racing facility.

This novel imaging modality, pioneered at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, was initially focused on the racehorse fetlock, but has matured in the last year. The early equine PET studies performed on racehorses at Santa Anita have now been published and have confirmed the value of this new technique. PET was found superior to bone scan in assessing the racehorse fetlock, particularly for identifying injuries of the sesamoid bones, the most common cause for catastrophic breakdowns at the racetrack. PET also demonstrated its ability to monitor injuries over time and predict the amount of time needed to heal.

A multicenter study, combining in addition to Santa Anita horses, racehorses from Golden Gate Fields (imaged with the UC Davis PET scanner) and racehorses from the Fair Hill Training Center (imaged with the PennVet New Bolton Center PET scanner), has looked into what can be found with PET in horses racing successfully. This study represented an important steppingstone in the development of screening strategies to identify horses at risk for catastrophic injuries. A summary of this work was presented at the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit organized by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

The availability of the technology has significantly increased in the past year. In the first two years of standing equine PET, only three scanners were available (Santa Anita, UC Davis, and PennVet). Four more scanners were installed in 2022 with Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital adding the scanners at their Lexington (KY) and Wellington (FL) locations. Additionally, two other scanners are now operating in Florida at the World Equestrian Center Hospital, operated by University of Florida in Ocala, and the Ocala Equine Hospital. Three more installations are planned in the United States, including Churchill Downs, resulting in a total of 10 different sites equipped with the technology by the end of 2023.

With this increased availability comes the access to more diverse populations of horses and a broadening of applications of the technique. Beyond racehorses, many pleasure and sport horses also now benefit from the use of PET. Standing PET can be used from the foot to the knee in the front limbs and from the foot to the hock in the hind limbs.

Dr. Mathieu Spriet, professor of diagnostic imaging at UC Davis, recently presented a summary of the various applications at the 2022 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention.

“Standing equine PET has revolutionized our approach to imaging of lameness,” summarized Spriet. “PET can be used as an advanced imaging technique in addition to CT or MRI in complex cases, but in other cases it can simply be combined with x-rays and ultrasound providing an affordable alternative to other advanced imaging.”

Spriet's work shows common applications of PET for bone injuries, in particular of the foot, fetlock, and hock, but also for soft tissue injuries in tendon and ligaments. On-going studies are investigating the values of PET on other important topics such as laminitis and infection.

The post Increasingly Available, Equine PET Scans Have ‘Revolutionized Our Approach To Imaging Of Lameness’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with state departments of agriculture in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas, is continuing to investigate the illness and deaths of horses suspected to have contracted botulism. 

Horse owners are being asked to not feed Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes with date codes 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522 and 111622. The cubes are produced by Manzanola Feeds and are distributed directly to feed stores in 10 states, though further distribution is possible. 

To date, 98 horses in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas have shown neurologic signs; 45 have died or were euthanized. The horses are showing symptoms consistent with botulism, but further testing is ongoing to determine the cause of the illness. 

Horse owners should take precautions to protect human and horse health. A veterinarian should be contacted immediately if the horse has eaten Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes and is showing neurologic signs such as difficulty eating or standing, muscle tremors or collapse. 

Follow the Equine Disease Communications Center for additional update information. 

The post Nearly 100 U.S. Horses Suspected Ill With Botulism, 45 Dead appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Top of The Rockies Hay Cubes, which are produced by Mazanola Feeds, released a statement on Nov. 12 asking customers to stop feeding their horses any product dated Nov. 11 through 14. 

At least 15 horses have contracted what veterinarians believe is botulism from the cubes; 10 have been euthanized, two died within 48 hours and two are being treated. The condition of the remaining horse is unknown. The ill horses are located in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Louisiana, reports The Horse. 

Samples of various feeds, round bale hay, and water ingested by the sick horses has been sent to the United States Department of Agriculture laboratories in Ames, Iowa, Colorado State University, and the University of California, Davis. 

Horses that contract botulism have difficulty swallowing and excessive salivation. They also will have exercise intolerance and weak eyelid and tail tone. How rapidly the horse's condition declines is related to how much toxin is ingested. Severe cases may result in respiratory paralysis and heart failure. 

Botulism is the most potent biological toxin known. It can be contracted by horses in multiple ways, but it's suspected that ingestion of animal carcass remnants in feed is the cause of this outbreak. It can also be caused by improperly preserved hay or silage. Botulism spores can also be found in the soil and can contaminate wounds or, when ingested, cause Shaker Foal Syndrome. 

A vaccine is available, but is not considered a core vaccination by the American Association of Equine Practitioners. 

Learn more about botulism here. 

Read more at The Horse. 

The post Possible Botulism Contamination In One Brand Of Alfalfa Cubes; 15 Horses Affected, 10 Dead appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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