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HISA Confirms Delay And Clarification Of Racetrack Shoeing Rules

Implementation and enforcement of federal regulations of shoeing at Thoroughbred racetracks in the U.S. will be delayed until August 1, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority told American Farriers Journal.

HISA also confirmed clarification of the shoeing regulations, which previously were set to take effect July 1.

“The delayed enforcement date is to allow shoe manufacturers to have sufficient time to ensure adequate inventory for compliance,” Dr. Susan Stover, chair of HISA's Racetrack Safety Committee, told the publication.

Some members of the farrier industry have expressed a number of concerns over the regulations.

“The rules have also drawn criticism from some within the farrier industry over their vague language, the universal application on all Thoroughbred racetracks, as well as the short time frame for manufacturers and distributors to fill a large inventory void,” wrote Jeff Cota of American Farriers Journal.

The new shoeing rules, which can be found on Page 27, Section 2276 of the HISA Racetrack Safety Program, are brief and focus solely on traction devices. Toe grabs are prohibited.

According a survey conducted by American Farriers Journal, 58% of respondents said they disapproved of the mandated shoeing rules while 42% approved. Much of the opposition is due to blanket application of the rules while offering no flexibility for such variables as climates, track surfaces, or horses.

To read more at americanfarrier.com, click here.

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Second Horse At Thistledown Returns Suspect Test For Strangles; One Barn Remains Quarantined

On May 10, the Ohio State Racing Commission revealed that a single case of strangles had been confirmed on the backstretch of Thistledown Racing in North Randall. Three barns were placed under quarantine, and no horses were allowed on or off the grounds at that time.

The OSRC released the following update on the case to the Paulick Report May 13:

From over 250 swabs from the three quarantined barns, there was one swab that returned a suspect test for Strep equi. That horse was located in the same stable as the first confirmed positive. The horse with the suspect test for Strep Equi was removed from the grounds and placed into isolation on the same farm as the first horse.

The barn that had the horse with the suspect remains in quarantine. The other two barns at Thistledown have been released from quarantine.

Horses are allowed to ship into Thistledown, however, once on the grounds they are not allowed to leave until the horses who are stabled in the affected barn at Thistledown complete the second swab in approximately two weeks.

Strangles is a highly contagious respiratory bacterial disease which is characterized by swelling in a horse's lymph nodes around the horse's head and jaws. The swollen lymph nodes will sometimes abscess, and the abscesses may rupture and drain through the skin or into the guttural pouch, which may cause additional infection and complications.

In addition to this characteristic swelling, symptoms of strangles may also include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite and nasal discharge. The lymph node swelling tends to appear several days after the first signs of fever.

Strangles can be passed between horses through nose-to-nose contact but also inanimate objects that are shared between horses.

Most horses recover well from strangles but young horses or those with compromised immune systems can be especially vulnerable.

Virtual Owner Conference Panel Offers Veterinary Insights

The 2022 Thoroughbred Owner Conference held the third session of its virtual series May 10 with a panel of veterinarians who presented on health topics that commonly affect racehorses. The series is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Dean Dorton Equine, and Stoll Keenon Ogden.

Tuesday's panel was sponsored by Mersant International LTD and OCD Pellets and moderated by Mike Penna of Horse Racing Radio Network. The presenting veterinarians were Dr. Larry Bramlage, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital; Dr. Lisa Fortier, Cornell University; and Dr. Steve Reed, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital.

Fortier led off the discussion with a presentation on joint injections, their use, and potential alternatives. Fortier noted that while steroids are potent and easily available, negatives associated with steroid joint injections include that steroids could show up in a post-race drug test and that steroid injections do not protect the joint from additional damage.

Fortier promoted the use of platelet rich plasma (PRP) in treating joint issues, noting that PRP has regenerative properties and “works better and longer” than steroids. However, she emphasized that PRP, a type of biologic, is not a miracle cure and that horses' joints must be treated before they are severely damaged.

Reed focused his presentation on neurologic issues in horses, including cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1). He reviewed symptoms and treatment options for these diseases and stated the ideal characteristics of a hypothetical effective EHV-1 vaccine.

Bramlage described different conformation flaws that can affect a horse's future soundness and efficiency. He reviewed videos of young horses with various conformational defects and discussed how they could negatively affect the horse as an adult. He also highlighted that “good” conformation in foals and yearlings is different from what should be considered desirable in an adult horse due to how a horse's structure changes as it grows.

While Bramlage noted that many conformation defects can be corrected surgically if necessary, others will be self-correct with natural growth.

“Most horses aren't perfect, but most horses that are successful have reasonable conformation,” he said.

The virtual owner conference will return September 6 with a panel of Thoroughbred owners. Six virtual panels are scheduled in 2022, and sessions are recorded for registrants to view at their convenience if they cannot watch live.

This year, OwnerView is also hosting an in-person conference in Saratoga Springs, New York, on July 25-26. Registration information for both the in-person and virtual conferences can be found at ownerview.com/event/conference.

OwnerView is a joint effort spearheaded by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to encourage ownership of Thoroughbreds and provide accurate information on aspects of ownership such as trainers, public racing syndicates, the process of purchasing and owning a Thoroughbred, racehorse retirement, and owner licensing.

The need for a central resource to encourage Thoroughbred ownership was identified in the comprehensive economic study of the sport that was commissioned by The Jockey Club and conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2011. The OwnerView site was launched in May 2012.

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Study: Mare Age May Influence Foal Sex

Researchers from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais found that mares older than 15 were more likely to deliver fillies than younger mares, reports EQUUS magazine.

The researchers reviewed breeding records of almost 60,000 Mangalarga Marchador horses born between 1990 and 2011.

They then compared the sex ratio of offspring to the age of both the sire and dam; they also compared the age gap between both. The team also analyzed breeding records of 253 other horses foaled between 1989 and 2010.

All analyzed data showed that mares older than 15 were more likely to have fillies than their younger counterparts. Age of the stallion had only a minor effect on the sex of the foal.