Horse Care | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Hindgut: Understanding Its Role In Equine Digestive Health

Horses rely on fermentation for optimal digestion of feedstuffs and energy production. Hindgut digestion, which occurs in the cecum and large colon, progresses most efficiently when horses are allowed continual access to forage and limited access to feedstuffs that could upset the pH of the cecum, including large grain meals.

Fermentation is achieved through the machinations of billions of protozoa, fungi, and bacteria. Together, these microbes convert carbohydrate-based contents, essentially plant-based fiber, into volatile fatty acids (VFA), which provide energy to the horse. If soluble carbohydrates, such as those found in large supply in grain meals, find their way into the hindgut, some lactate might be produced.

[Story Continues Below]

An overproduction of lactate can shift the pH of the hindgut to a more acidic state, which may cause problems. When a drop in pH occurs, called hindgut acidosis, some of the beneficial fiber-digesting microbes die off. Digestive efficiency drops as a result. In many horses, this manifests as poor appetite, crabby disposition, recurrent colic, and onset of certain stable vices, such as stall-walking and cribbing.

To offset this, horse owners should scrutinize feeding management. Hindgut acidosis is rarely caused by what is fed but rather how it is fed. Here are three strategies to ward off hindgut acidosis:

Good-quality forage should be offered at all times, so the hindgut is continually in “processing mode.” Forage may be pasture, hay, or hay-based products such as cubes or pellets. Forage selection should be based largely on the nutrient needs of the horse.
Concentrate meals should not exceed approximately a half-pound per 100 pounds of body weight (5 pounds for a 1,000-pound horse).
If a horse requires more than 5 pounds of concentrate per day, divide total daily allotment into separate meals. Feeding three or four concentrate meals, evenly spaced throughout the day, is more beneficial to the horse than huge meals.

Some horses, especially those that are asked to perform intense exercise, must consume large grain meals to fuel performance. Hindgut acidosis can be curbed by feeding EquiShure, a time-released buffer that raises the pH of the hindgut and eliminates signs of acidosis.

Deadline Approaching For T.I.P. Horse Show And Youth Ambassador Applications

The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) reminds relevant parties that horse show applications are due September 30 and Youth Ambassador Program applications are due October 1.
Horse shows, horse trials, and other events interested in offering T.I.P. awards in 2022 must apply during the application period even if the information or show dates are tentative. Shows that offered awards in 2021 still need to re-apply for 2022 dates. More information and the online application are available here.

Introduced in 2016, the T.I.P. Youth Ambassador Program selects about a dozen youth ambassadors on an annual basis to positively represent T.I.P. and the Thoroughbred breed.

[Story Continues Below]

The goal of the T.I.P. Youth Ambassador Program is to promote participation in T.I.P. with the mission to encourage retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers in racing or breeding. A youth ambassador's role is to positively represent T.I.P. and the Thoroughbred breed at his or her local barn, shows, competitions, or any other activities in which he or she may participate.
T.I.P. Youth Ambassadors must meet the following criteria:

Be 18 years old or younger as of January 1, 2022
Reside in the U.S. or Canada
Own or lease a Thoroughbred with a T.I.P. number
Participate in T.I.P. shows or programs

The Youth Ambassador Program application can be found on the T.I.P. website.

The post Deadline Approaching For T.I.P. Horse Show And Youth Ambassador Applications appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Retired Racehorse Project Among 2021 Recipients Of ASPCA Humane Awards

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced the recipients of its 2021 ASPCA Humane Awards. The annual Humane Awards honors animal heroes who have gone above and beyond their traditional roles to help humans, as well as people making significant strides to improve animal welfare, in line with the ASPCA's humane mission. This year's winners will be celebrated at the virtual Humane Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021.

Following a nationwide public call for nominations, an expert ASPCA committee reviewed hundreds of entries and selected winners in seven categories, including Kid of the Year, Dog of the Year, Cat Advocate of the Year, the Equine Welfare Award, the Corporate Compassion Award, the Public Service Award, and the Henry Bergh Award, which is given to an individual or institution exhibiting exceptional leadership, compassion, and commitment to animal welfare.

“Our 2021 ASPCA Humane Award winners represent the best of us—heroic people and organizations dedicated to helping vulnerable animals, and amazing animals who demonstrate the invaluable love and comfort they're capable of providing,” said Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the ASPCA. “We're proud to honor each of these recipients as outstanding examples of compassion and commitment who inspire their communities and animal advocates around the country.”

This year's honorees include:

EQUINE WELFARE AWARD: Retired Racehorse Project (Lexington, KY)
The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) works to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the equestrian world. In addition to producing the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium—the world's largest retraining competition for retired racehorses—the RRP also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, hosts off-track Thoroughbred retraining clinics and programming at major horse events around the country, and maintains the online Thoroughbred Sport Tracker (the internet's only user-driven database tracking second career talents and accomplishments of registered Thoroughbreds).

KID OF THE YEAR: Evan Bisnauth (Bronx, NY)
Eleven-year-old Evan Bisnauth leads a busy life in the Bronx, but he doesn't let his many interests—or even a pandemic—deter him from his primary passion: helping socialize adoptable dogs at Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) by reading to them regularly. Always eager to help animals in need, Evan also creates amusing animations of ACC's adoptable animals to help them get attention and ultimately be placed in safe and loving homes.

CAT ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR: Sterling “TrapKing” Davis (Atlanta, GA)
A rapper and full-time cat advocate, Sterling “TrapKing” Davis uses his talent and tenacity to teach his Atlanta community about the importance of spay/neuter surgery and caring for community cats. In 2017, Sterling formed his own nonprofit organization, TrapKing Humane Cat Solutions, to engage and activate his community, combining his dedication to saving cats with his love for making music. When he is not trapping cats in Atlanta, Sterling speaks at animal welfare conferences and provides insights on topics including the intersection of cultural bias and animal welfare.

DOG OF THE YEAR: Dogtor Loki (Baltimore, MD)
A sweet Rottweiler named Loki is a unique therapy dog and supporter of healthcare heroes at the University of Maryland Medical Center. When the COVID-19 outbreak brought severe physical and emotional stress to healthcare workers in the Maryland area, Loki's owner, medical student Caroline Benzel, helped Loki deliver “Hero Healing Kits” containing vital health and nutritional supplies to these workers and first responders throughout the state. Loki also delighted workers and raised their spirits with her fetching “Dogtor” attire. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Loki has delivered more than 7,000 kits to local medical professionals and has helped raise more than $100,000 to deliver more kits and other resources to first responders and healthcare workers, including food and personal protective equipment (PPE). Loki also continues to provide meaningful support at her hospital, whether by raising money, improving morale, delivering food and supplies for staff, educating people about the importance of therapy animals, or making patients' stays at the hospital a little brighter.

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD: Christine Kim (New York, NY)
As the former Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare, Christine Kim has been instrumental in laying the foundation for the first office of its kind in the county and advancing critical New York City animal welfare initiatives. She effectively united the animal welfare community and city government city leaders to tackle animal welfare issues in public policy issues including the construction of new animal shelters spay/neuter policies, animal hoarding, companion animals in shelter and housing, and crisis prevention. Christine also advocated strongly for the city's animal shelter provider, Animal Care Centers of NYC, and played a key role in developing NYC's COVID-19 Pet Response Plan and collaborated with the ASPCA to implement a COVID-19 pet hotline to help New York City's animal guardians experiencing financial hardship or health emergencies during the pandemic. In 2020 alone, the COVID-19 pet hotline coordinated services for over 19,000 animals.

HENRY BERGH AWARD: Oregon Humane Society (Portland, OR)
A longtime leader in the national animal sheltering community, Oregon Humane Society (OHS), based in Portland, Oregon, has always been an innovator of approaches and programs that most effectively meet the needs of vulnerable animals. The depth of OHS programs goes far beyond adoption, including dedicated work in behavior rehabilitation, veterinary education, government relations, animal crime forensics, and free and low-cost services for low-income residents. By conceiving, implementing, and demonstrating groundbreaking programs that respond to contemporary animal welfare challenges, OHS has become a model for the entire animal welfare field.

CORPORATE COMPASSION AWARD: Subaru of America, Inc. (Camden, NJ)
The largest corporate donor of the ASPCA, Subaru of America, Inc., consistently demonstrates a deep commitment to protecting animals in need and supporting the loving bond between pets and their owners. In recent years, Subaru has elevated this commitment through their Subaru Loves Pets initiative, annual Subaru Share the Love® Event, and National Make A Dog's Day celebration, which shines a light on our nation's “Underdogs”— special needs and senior animals in shelters. These pet-focused initiatives substantially impact animals in need and make Subaru a brand that is more than a car company.

By participating as an event attendee, corporate supporter, or making a general donation, your involvement will help the ASPCA continue to provide local and national leadership in three key areas: caring for pet parents and pets, providing positive outcomes for at-risk animals, and serving victims of animal cruelty. For more information on the 2021 Humane Awards, please visit www.ASPCA.org/2021HAL.

The post Retired Racehorse Project Among 2021 Recipients Of ASPCA Humane Awards appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Minimize Gastric Ulcers In Rapidly Growing Weanlings

The prevalence of gastric ulcers among Thoroughbreds in training and racing is well known, but gastric ulcers also occur frequently in Thoroughbred foals and yearlings. Reports suggest one-quarter to one-half of foals have gastric ulcers.

“Ulcers compromise the health of the horse, affecting appetite and feed conversion efficiency. In young foals, growth rates can be negatively affected. As many horse owners know, diagnosis with a gastroscope and treatment with omeprazole are expensive, so preventing ulcers is vital,” explained Clarissa Brown-Douglas, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist.

[Story Continues Below]

In addition to the general stress associated with weaning, the type of feed a foal is offered, such as high-starch concentrate, can also contribute to the development of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).

Tradition dictates feeding weanlings high levels of grain-based concentrates (such as oat-, corn-, and barley-based feeds) to achieve the accelerated growth required by Thoroughbred yearlings for sales. However, these high-starch feeds are linked to rapid growth rates and implicated in the manifestation of developmental orthopedic disease, including osteochondritis, angular limb deformities, and physitis.

Considering the potential negative effects of high-starch diets in young, growing horses, there is evidence that the same level of growth can be achieved by feeding a diet in which the energy is provided by fiber as opposed to cereals.

A recent report showed similar growth rates in foals born in the United Kingdom and fed either an all-fiber or a traditional cereal-based creep feed.^* In this study, average daily gain, height at the withers and hip, heart girth, and body length were all similar between the groups of weanlings fed either the all-fiber or high-cereal creep feed for 18 weeks. Specifically, the average daily gain was in line with other reported growth rates of Thoroughbreds at the same age.

This study also examined the effect of the two different feeds on stomach pH of the weanlings. Horses fed the all-fiber feed maintained a more consistent and less acidic gastric pH compared with those fed the cereal-based feed. The researchers deduced that the high-fiber ration had the potential to help reduce the incidence of acid-precipitated gastric ulceration.

“This work supports several other studies that have reported a high incidence of gastric ulcers in weanlings, suggesting high-fiber diets protect against gastric ulcers in horses of all ages. Many feed companies are now producing feeds for young, growing horses containing high levels of digestible fiber, including beet pulp and soy hulls, with less reliance on cereal grains,” Brown-Douglas relayed.

In sum, this study adds to the increasing pool of data supporting the use of high-fiber diets to achieve growth rates comparable to traditional cereal-based diets in young horses.

Reducing the risk of the incidence of gastric ulcers in weanlings during their rapid growth can be achieved in one of two ways: by offering a high-fiber feed rather than a traditional cereal-based feed and by supplementing their diets with Triacton, a research-proven supplement developed by Kentucky Equine Research.

Triacton contains a specific source of calcium proven to buffer the gastric and hindgut environments, restoring gastrointestinal normalcy. Triacton features the added benefit of boosting bone mineral density, which is advantageous for growing foals.

*Moore-Colyer, M., P. Tuthill, I. Bannister, and S. Daniels. 2020. Growth rates of Thoroughbred foals and in vitro gut health parameters when fed a cereal or an all-fiber creep feed. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 93:103191.