Horse Care | Horse Racing Free Tips

Japan Racing Association Takes A Long-Range View Regarding Retired Racehorse Care

Though Japan's Thoroughbred industry is smaller than that of the United States, both face similar issues, including the question of what to do with racehorses when they retire from racing. Japan has approximately 7,000 Thoroughbred foals born each year. Per the Japan Racing Association, any horse that hasn't won at least one race by the middle of their 3-year-old year must retire from racing.

The JRA has subsidies in place to support high-end retiring racehorses, but maintaining a retired racehorse still costs between $600 to $1,000 per month. The Japan Times reports that previously, those that did not qualify for these were “culled,” which often means they were sent for slaughter. Horse slaughter is legal in Japan.

In 2018, the JRA launched a program that focuses on finding retired racehorses second careers and improving their environment when they retire. The JRA is investigating new ways to support Thoroughbred aftercare, with particular focus on programs that allow children to learn from OTTBs.

The Japan Times notes that it remains difficult to find the physical facilities or skilled personnel to support a robust aftercare initiative in that country.

Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: Equine Chiropractic Therapy

Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock.

Question: It seems chiropractic care is becoming more popular and accepted in the veterinary community in recent years. What types of issues can this therapy address well, and when is it not a good fit?

Dr. Heath Soignier: “Chiropractic” therapy is very common in the human world and it is beginning to be accepted in the veterinary world. Veterinary spinal manipulative therapy, or more commonly known as “chiropractic” care, is a holistic approach as treatment for injuries, body soreness, etc. and should also be considered a preventative therapy. Documented science backs the effectiveness of manipulative therapy. Spinal manipulation is a safe and effective treatment modality for animal patients. It can and does affect the nervous system directly and indirectly which allows the therapist to think about neuro-anatomical function of the patient. As integrative therapies are being sought after more often, it is important to remember that complete workups of a patient and a common-sense approach to treatment is advised.

A common misconception is that a bone is “out of place.” It is better described as a lack of mobility or restricted motion of a joint through normal range of motion. The goal of a manual chiropractic adjustment is to bring motion into a joint that has not been moving correctly or effectively throughout its entire range of motion.

These joints (motion units) are palpated and evaluated for motion or lack thereof, as well as heat and tenderness. An adjustment is defined by experts as a “high velocity, low amplitude thrust into a specific direction of a specific joint.” When an adjustment is made, there are a few things happening to the specific joint that is being manipulated. These include breaking up adhesions, releasing of synovial folds and stimulation of receptors in and around the joint. It is important to realize that these joints are being manipulated by mere millimeters. By stimulating muscle receptors, the tone of muscles, tendons, and surrounding tissues are also affected. This can help in preventing some tendon injuries where an equine athlete may have some tightness in a muscle that is not clinically showing any pain, but the added tension under stress can lead to an injury.

This treatment modality is most commonly looked into after conventional veterinary care has not resolved pain or discomfort for the patient. Some common indications for this therapy could be unresolved lameness, sudden behavioral changes, sports injuries, or it may be used as a complimentary therapy. Some patients are evaluated for overall conditioning and any signs of pain or discomfort to areas over the body such as temporomandibular issues. Muscle pain and tone can be indicative of signs of joint restriction/dysfunction.

A major contraindication of treatment would be a fractured bone within a joint segment. Other contraindications would include neoplasia, pyrexia (fever), sickness, or hemorrhage. Being able to perform any adjustment will always depend on patient cooperation. Safety for the patient as well as the therapist must always be a priority.

Spinal manipulative therapy is more commonly being sought after now due to increasing drug regulations in equine athletes. A more holistic approach is becoming widely accepted in the equine industry. These therapies can help our equine athletes and offer a safe and effective treatment.

Dr. Heath Soignier was raised on a small farm in Bosco, La. After working at a mixed animal veterinary practice during high school, he decided to attend Louisiana Tech University to pursue an Animal Science undergraduate degree. He earned his degree in 2006 and continued his schooling at St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine and completing a clinical year at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. Dr. Soignier completed his ambulatory internship with Rood and Riddle in 2013 and Rood and Riddle as an associate. Dr. Soignier's special areas of interest include reproduction, neonatal medicine, and dentistry. In 2019, he became a certified veterinary spinal manipulative therapist.

When not seeing patients, Dr. Soignier enjoys spending time with his wife Catherine and his daughter Lucia on their small farm in Georgetown, Ky. He also is an avid sports enthusiast and outdoorsman.

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How Sedated Is My Horse? Research Provides A Scale To Help Non-Veterinarians

A practical tool to help assess the depth of equine sedation has been developed. The facial sedation scale, called FaceSed, is based on the Horse Grimace Scale, which uses equine facial expressions to assesses pain.

Dr. Alice Rodrigues de Oliveira and other scientists at São Paulo State University in Brazil noted that there was only one objective measure of sedation in horses that didn't require interpretation: head height above the ground. Other methods being used to assess depth and quality of sedation were subjective and based on the observer's experience with sedated horses.

Though there are typical facial responses to sedation, no studies have measured their validity and reliability. The research team sought to create a scale that measured equine sedation based on facial expression. They adapted three of the facial measures used in the Horse Grimace Scale: ear position, eye opening, and relaxation of the lower and upper lips.

To test their pain scale, the scientists sedated seven horses both lightly and heavily, and photographed the horse's face before sedation, at the height of sedation, in the middle, and at the end of sedation. Images were sent to four vets who were trained on the FaceSed scale.

There was agreement and consistency between all four vets. The scientists determined that the FaceSed scale is a reliable tool to assess and determine sedation in horses. They recommend further studies be completed in clinical settings and using inexperienced observers.

Read the article here.

Retired Racehorse Project To Host The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Barrel Racing Championships

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) and The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) jointly announced today that the inaugural T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships will be hosted at the RRP's flagship event, the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, this October at the Kentucky Horse Park.

T.I.P. was created to encourage the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers in racing or breeding. The annual T.I.P. Championships features competition in a variety of disciplines, including hunters, jumpers, English pleasure, Western pleasure, and classical and Western dressage. T.I.P. champions in eventing are determined at the American Eventing Championships held each year. The 2021 T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships will be the first time a championship event has been offered in the discipline. The event will feature thousands in prize money and additional prizes for the top horses.

“Thoroughbreds have made their presence known in recent years in Western disciplines, particularly barrel racing, so we are happy to be able to showcase yet another area in which these horses excel through the inaugural T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships,” said Kristin Werner, senior counsel for The Jockey Club and administrator of T.I.P. “Hosting this event in conjunction with the Thoroughbred Makeover will provide the deserved spotlight for these Thoroughbreds that are excelling in careers that may not be typically associated with the breed and will allow us to potentially grow the Championships in future years if there is enough interest from barrel racing participants.”

Featuring competition in 10 different disciplines for recently retired racehorses and over $135,000 in prize money each year, the Thoroughbred Makeover (Makeover) and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, is the largest and most lucrative retraining competition in the world. This year, the event will feature two competition years, including horses from the postponed 2020 event as well as 2021-eligible horses. Makeover entries in the Barrel Racing discipline will have the option to cross-enter the T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships and roll their time from their Makeover runs into the championship standings.

The T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships will be sponsored by The Western Thoroughbred, a grassroots organization that recognizes the contributions of the Thoroughbred to the Western horse industry and celebrates the achievements of Thoroughbreds in Western sports. The Western Thoroughbred's founder, Katelin Bradley, is serving as organizer and steward of the event, and The Western Thoroughbred will be sponsoring buckles for average round winners.

“I am honored to help T.I.P. and the Retired Racehorse Project in organizing and hosting the inaugural T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships,” said Bradley. “This event will be the biggest all-Thoroughbred barrel race in the country. We hope to attract open competitors and encourage Thoroughbred Makeover trainers to participate as well. It should be an excellent showcase of what these horses are capable of achieving in all levels of barrel racing!”

Entries for the T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships will be open to qualified and declared Thoroughbreds in August. Thoroughbred Makeover Barrel Racing entrants for 2020 and 2021 will have the option to cross-enter at the time that they make their Final Entry to the Makeover. Outside non-Makeover participants for this inaugural event will be invited to enter, with preference given to horses that were declared for the barrel championships by the early declaration deadline of June 30, 2021. All participants will need a T.I.P. number to enter.

“We're excited for the opportunity to partner with T.I.P. and the Western Thoroughbred in this way,” said the RRP's managing director Kirsten Green. “The work of our three organizations is so closely aligned and we're happy to come together to offer more recognition to those who are blazing a path for OTTBs to become more of a staple in Western show pens. Katelin and the Western Thoroughbred Ambassadors have contributed heavily to improving the level of competition we offer for our Western Makeover disciplines and we're grateful for her assistance organizing this special event.”

More information about the T.I.P. Barrel Racing Championships can be found here.

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