Tag: Horse Care

A voluntary biosurveillance program has allowed for the study of 10,296 horses with respiratory tract infections over the last 13 years in the United States.

Researchers discovered that the bacterial or viral cause of illness was only able to be determined in 23.8 percent of horses suffering from acute onset of fever and upper respiratory tract issues. The cause of issues in the remaining 76.2 percent of horses was never determined.  

Respiratory diseases are one of the most prevalent issues in young performance horses and often cause horses to miss training and competitions. Veterinarians often struggle to determine whether respiratory infections are viral or bacterial; this is an important distinction because the treatment for each type of infection differs.

Lead researcher Dr. Nicola Pusterla noted that unknown viruses could have been responsible for respiratory disease in some of the inconclusive cases, but added that there is a need to investigate the nature of novel viruses and their association with clinical disease. 

It's not uncommon for horses to travel around the world for competition and sport, increasing the risk of pathogen transmission, as evidenced by recent EHV outbreaks. Determining the factors for upper respiratory tract disease and the factors for each pathogen can not only help to determine the nature of infection, but also how to control its spread.

The researchers used molecular-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing to determine whether equine influenza virus (6.8 percent), equine herpesvirus-1 (0.7 percent), equine herpesvirus-4 (6.6 percent), equine rhinitis A and B viruses (2.3 percent), or S. equi (4.7 percent), which causes strangles, were present. 

The team learned that most of the respiratory infections were found in colder months; viral infections were found in younger performance horses (4 years old and younger) and strangles was most often found in older pleasure horses (5 years old and older).

Clinical signs included fever (73 percent), nasal discharge (67.8 percent), lethargy (65.3 percent), poor appetite (53.8 percent), and coughing (43.5 percent). Coughing was most common with equine flu.

Nearly one-third of all cases were vaccinated against equine flu and/or equine herpesvirus-1 and 4, though vaccination against S. equi was uncommon.  

Study results do not offer conclusive data to determine whether an illness was caused by a virus or bacterium. Diagnostic testing is still necessary.

Read the study here. 

Read more at HorseTalk. 

The post Respiratory Illness Update: Strangles Most Common In Older Horses appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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An equine veterinarian, a former jockey and an innovation officer enter a horse show competition. While this may sound like the start of a horse joke, it is a real-life story. What started as a, “Hey, why don't we … ?” has blossomed into Team 1/ST Racing's foray into the Real Rider Cup, a charity horse show where racing industry individuals team up with Off-Track Thoroughbreds to compete over jumps while raising money and awareness for Thoroughbred Aftercare.

The Lexington, Ky., leg of the 2022 Real Rider Cup takes place on Saturday, July 9, 7 p.m. ET, at Mereworth Farm and is free to attend.

Dr. Dionne Benson is the chief veterinary officer for 1/ST Racing and oversees all veterinary protocols and staff at each one of 1/ST Racing's tracks. An avid proponent of aftercare and the thoroughbred horse, she owns four OTTBs. “These horses are brave and honest partners who want to please and have always made sure I am taken care of,” said Benson.

When Jodie Vella-Gregory, 1/ST Racing's manager of innovation, asked Dr. Benson to take part in the Real Rider Cup on Team 1/ST, Benson jumped on board. “I believe aftercare is incredibly important,” said Benson. “These horses give their all during their racing career. We have a duty to make sure we give back to them. The Real Rider Cup showcases their talent.”

A second career is important to the racehorse transitioning to aftercare, added Benson. “Being able to give them time to find the new career that is best suited to them can make all the difference in the world,” she emphasized.

Benson will be pairing up with a relatively new mount in her barn in Stand Up Stand Out. Of her partner, Benson says that he is a kind horse who always tries his best. An 8-year-old gelding, Stand Up Stand Out had run primarily in New Mexico but made starts in Del Mar as well as a few times in Louisiana. Since retiring in 2019, Stand Up Stand Out has been Eventing through novice level. The pair has done three competitions at Starter level earning fifth place each time. Most recently, Benson and Stand Up Stand Out were the Reserve T.I.P. Champion at their last show.

Aaron Gryder is no stranger to horses or the Real Rider Cup. A former jockey who won 3,905 North American races with over $120 million in earnings, Gryder also competed in the Real Rider Cup for the first time last year. Now the vice president of industry relations at 1/ST Racing, Gryder serves as a liaison between industry stakeholders with an eye on advancing jockey outreach, health and safety initiatives.

“I am proud to be riding in the Real Rider Cup again this year,” said Gryder. “It is a great event where horse lovers come together to celebrate retired racehorses and their new lifestyles. I enjoyed a long career as a jockey, but I will love being around horses for a lifetime.

“Being on a team [representing 1/ST Racing] with Dr. Dionne Benson and Jodie Vella-Gregory is exciting,” said Gryder. Both Benson and Gryder have been part of the 1/ST Racing team's commitment to equine safety and welfare, helping institute several new protocols focused on continued health and safety for equine athletes (they can be viewed here).

“Our team is dedicated to finding happy homes for our retired racehorses once their racing career is over. The Real Rider Cup displays these beautiful thoroughbreds continuing to enjoy a nice life,” said Gryder.

Gryder is again pairing with his mount from last year's Real Rider Cup, 17-year-old Stronach homebred and multiple-stakes-placed runner, Sligovitz. “I am excited to see him again,” said Gryder. “He is a kind and happy horse. Sligovitz is small in stature, but big at heart. He is currently competing at the novice level in Eventing.”

Jodie Vella-Gregory grew up riding and competing in her native Canada. She is on the board of directors of the Retired Racehorse Project and serves on the advisory board for The Jockey Club's Safety Net Foundation, raising funds for the backstretch community needs.

“I decided to dust off my boots from a long layoff and ride in the Real Rider Cup because I want to do my part in raising money and awareness to the importance of thoroughbred aftercare and the Retired Racehorse Project,” said Vella-Gregory. “It means a lot to me that 1/ST Racing is supporting and sending a team to do the same!”

Vella-Gregory has partnered with Dr. Hal (barn name Chili), a 12-year-old Kentucky-bred who earned more than $100,000 on the track. “I have not met my equine partner yet, but I am excited to ride Dr. Hal as he raced for five years including at 1/ST tracks, Laurel Park and Pimlico. I have always had a soft spot for a feisty little chestnut!” she said.

A leader in racing and fan engagement, 1/ST Racing is dedicated to advancing the mission of thoroughbred aftercare through fundraising and awareness. The Real Rider Cup fits well with these goals and provides a fun and enjoyable way for industry participants and fans to watch racing personalities and their OTTB counterparts raise money for thoroughbred aftercare. If you are interested in donating toward thoroughbred aftercare through the Real Rider Cup you can do so here: https://therealridercup.com/make-a-donation.

Jeanne Schnell is thoroughbred aftercare liaison and events manager for 1ST Racing at Santa Anita

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One of the most anticipated events of the summer, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's Barbeque at the Barn, has been scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 23, from 5:00-9:00 p.m. and will again be held at the beautiful Saratoga Winery. The event has annually sold out.

In addition to a delicious meal, the event will feature family friendly activities, music, raffle and silent auction items along with special guest appearances from racing celebrities including Maggie Wolfendale Morley, Acacia Courtney, Ramon Dominguez and more as well as a few special equine guests.

“This event is a celebration of a summer of horses and friendship in Saratoga,” said Kim Weir, Director of Major Gifts and Planning for the TRF, “We are looking forward to seeing so many friends of the herd join us to support our mission to save horses and change lives.”

Early sponsors of the annual event include Five College Movers, Churchill Downs, Druthers Brewing Co., Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Lazy Dog Cookie Co., the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, the Walter Borisenok Family Foundation, Glen Hill Farm and more. There are several levels of sponsorship still available.

Tickets are available at https://www.trfinc.org/event/bbq-2022/ at a special advance price of $45 each until August 1 at which point the price increases to $50 per ticket. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the door the day of the event.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will partner the New York Racing Association (NYRA) on Sunday, July 17 for the Quick Call Stakes presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. The stakes race honors Quick Call, a multiple graded stakes winner who retired to the TRF's Second Chances program at Wallkill Correctional Facility where he made a significant impact on the lives of the incarcerated men that cared for him.

About TRF: Founded in 1983, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is a national organization devoted to saving Thoroughbred horses no longer able to compete at the racetrack from possible neglect, abuse, and slaughter. As the oldest Thoroughbred rescue in the country, the TRF provides lifelong sanctuary to retired Thoroughbreds throughout their lifetime.

Best known for its pioneering TRF Second Chances program, the organization provides incarcerated individuals with life-changing vocational training through its accredited equine care and stable management program. At eight correctional facilities across the US, including one juvenile justice facility, this program offers second careers to its horses and a second chance at life for program graduates upon release from prison. The TRF Second Chances Program at Blackburn Correctional Complex in Lexington, Kentucky provides a home for as many as 60 retired Thoroughbred racehorses and has been changing the lives of returning citizens for more than twenty years.

The TRF cares for nearly 450 rescued and retired Thoroughbreds at Second Chances prison farms and Sanctuary Farms across the country. The organization is funded entirely by private donations. The TRF is accredited by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and has a Platinum rating with Guide Star.

For more information visit: http://www.trfinc.org/

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The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), and New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) will host the second annual New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day on Thursday, July 21 at Saratoga Race Course, which will include a variety of events and demonstrations to highlight the work of the New York State aftercare community.

The featured race will be the $125,000 Rick Violette, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for New York-bred sophomores named for the late trainer and NYTHA President who spearheaded the creation of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program and TAKE THE LEAD Retirement Program.

Violette was a founding member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), the non-profit organization that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain, and rehome thoroughbreds. Based in Lexington, KY, the TAA is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members

Representatives from TAA-accredited aftercare organizations will be on-site at Saratoga on July 21 to educate racing fans about the importance of responsible aftercare efforts, including New Vocations, ReRun, Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue, Lucky Orphans, ACTT Naturally, Old Friends at Cabin Creek, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga.

Fans can visit the Community Booth behind the jockeys' quarters to learn more about the participating organizations.

“Thoroughbred Aftercare Day reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting and re-training equine athletes when their racing days are done,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “New York is the national leader when it comes to supporting and investing in meaningful aftercare efforts, and NYRA is thrilled to host the second annual New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day at Saratoga Race Course on July 21.”

New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day will begin prior to first post with an on-track demonstration of retired racehorses showcasing the skills learned in their second careers.

ReRun will be represented by several horses who have found success in second careers in the show ring. Bourbon Rising, who made his last start at Saratoga less than a year ago, already has been shown at World Equestrian Center (WEC) events; and Sicilia Sal is now appearing competitively in hunter competition and in clinics with former U.S. Olympic coach Eric Hogan.

Lucky Orphans will be sending Eighttwosixtwotwo, a 3-year-old filly whose work in the demonstration will help to underscore the organization's mission of “People Helping Horses Heal People.” New Vocations will be represented by two New York-breds – Soaring Star, who will be showing off his jumping ability; and Bielefeld, who ran his final race last August at the Spa and will be ridden western style in the demonstration.

“Aftercare Day at Saratoga is the ideal forum to communicate directly with racing's most passionate fans about how we care for retired racehorses,” said Rick Schosberg, the New York-based trainer who serves as Vice President of NYTHA and President of TAKE2. “Due to the hard work of horsemen, breeders and the state's racing community at-large, we've established networks and systems that create second careers for thousands of horses.”

NYRA, NYTHA, NYTB and New York owners contribute more than $1.5 million per year to aftercare support. New York's racing community contributes more financial support to thoroughbred aftercare than any state in the country.

In 2014, NYTHA adopted a per-start fee for owners of $5 that provided funding to the TAA. In 2019, In July 2019, NYRA and NYTHA increased the per-start fee to $10. NYRA matches those contributions, and then donates the proceeds to the TAA at the conclusion of each race meet conducted at NYRA.

In July 2019, NYRA and NYTHA increased the per-start fee to $10. This program consistently generates more than $150,000 per year for the TAA.

In 2013, NYTHA's TAKE THE LEAD (TTL) Thoroughbred Retirement Program was launched with NYRA's support and has placed more than 900 hundred horses retiring from the NYRA tracks with TAA-accredited organizations.

In 2019, NYRA and NYTHA launched an aftercare assessment program that requires prospective owners claiming a horse subject to contribute a 1.5 percent aftercare assessment on top of the claiming price of the horse with funding allocated to the TAA and TTL. For example, an owner claiming a horse for $50,000 will contribute an additional $750 toward aftercare.

Racing fans will be able to donate to TAKE THE LEAD by texting AFTERCARE2022 to 44321 to make a contribution, or by opting to make a donation to the TAA when cashing a winning ticket on an AmTote International self-service betting terminal. All donations are tax deductible.

“We're proud to partner with NYRA and NYTHA once again to highlight and bring awareness to Thoroughbred Aftercare in New York,” said Najja Thompson, Executive Director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders. “The efforts undertaken by each of the participating Thoroughbred Aftercare accredited organizations to care, retrain and develop second careers for retired racehorses deserves to be featured. Being able to do so in front of racing fans at Saratoga speaks to the support our industry as a collective is providing to assure the long-term care of our equine athletes.”

About TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program:

The TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. TAKE2 was created in 2012 with the goal of making it easier to find new homes for retired racehorses. TAKE2 sponsors prize money in Thoroughbred Hunter and Jumper classes, high-score year-end awards and the $20,000 TAKE2 Hunter & Jumper Finals. The program partners with more than 400 horse shows nationwide.

TAKE THE LEAD works with owners and trainers to find placements for the horses retiring from the NYRA tracks with TAA-accredited aftercare organizations. Co-funded by members of the Thoroughbred industry around the country: New York Thoroughbred Breeders; New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund; Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations in Maryland (through Beyond the Wire) and Pennsylvania (through Turning for Home); Ocala Breeders' Sales Company; and members of the racing and horse show communities across the country, TAKE2 is a 2021 TCA grantee. For more information on TAKE2 and TAKE THE LEAD, go to www.take2tbreds.com.

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