Horse Care | Horse Racing Free Tips

Will You Be My Friend? How To Acclimate New Horses To Established Herds Safely

Horses that are turned out together often scuffle to establish a pecking order, sometimes regularly giving the head honcho a run for his money in an attempt to topple the hierarchy. As a horse owner, these squabbles can be tough to watch, with teeth and hooves flying.

Horses turned out in a herd will typically find one close friend whom they spend most of their time with. They can often be found hanging out with their best buddy, grooming each other, swatting flies as they stand head-to-tail and defending each other if the need arises. To encourage friendship formation, it's best to have an even number of horses in a field, avoiding groups of three when possible. Two horses inevitably become friends, leaving one as the outlier. Having good-sized fields also encourages friendship and allows outsiders to get out of the way if a fight breaks out.

Instead of just throwing a new horse into the mix and letting him battle it out in the field, set him up for success by putting him in a smaller enclosure with one other horse from the established herd for a few days. The two horses will bond and then can be turned out into a larger herd together. This friendly face will hopefully allow the new horse to take a bit less abuse as he acclimates to the new herd.

Do We Need To Practice Social Distancing With Our Horses?

Social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, and the dreaded nasal swab have become part of our normal life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The equine industry faces similar types of outbreaks, but placing a mask on a horse isn't feasible. However, there are ways to prevent disease spread within the equine community.

The recent increase in horses affected by herpesvirus neurologic disease in North America and Europe reminds us that herpesvirus (EHV-1) remains a constant threat for horses. The virus, which causes upper airway infection and abortion, is highly contagious and easily transmitted between horses. Although there are vaccines for this virus, these vaccines are not completely effective and do not protect against the neurologic form of the disease, which is often fatal. The best protection to limit the spread of this disease is appropriate biosecurity, including isolation and social distancing.

Like COVID-19, equine diseases such as equine herpesvirus and equine influenza are highly infectious and spread by contact or by inhalation of micro-organisms on particles in the air or water. When an infected horse coughs or sneezes, tiny particles are spread. Viral diseases can also be spread by horse-to-horse contact or by contamination on commonly touched surfaces. Bacterial diseases such as Strangles are also transmitted through contact—from horse to horse or by horses touching common areas such as watering systems, tack, and grooming equipment. Both viruses and bacteria can be spread by humans working with an affected horse and carrying it to other horses.

Keeping horses separated is one of the most important steps in biosecurity to help prevent disease spread. When an infectious disease is suspected or confirmed, all horses in the same facility or on the same premise are at risk of becoming infected. Keeping horses separated in stalls or at a separate facility is crucial to stop the transmission of diseases to other horses. With very contagious diseases like equine herpesvirus, a quarantine is often necessary to stop all horse movement and limit movement of people on the affected premises.

Social distancing only works if appropriate sanitation measures and careful separation of tools and equipment are in place while caring for infected horses. Just as hand washing is needed to help control Covid-19, it is important that hands, clothing and any objects that come in contact with more than one horse are sanitized between horses.

If a horse is suspected or confirmed to have an infectious disease, horse owners should employ the following protocol to help prevent disease spread.

Immediately isolate the horse showing signs of an infection.
Implement movement restrictions of the affected horse and possibly exposed horses until the situation is evaluated.
Contact your veterinarian or the event veterinarian and ask what you should do.
Inventory horses, identify and isolate potentially exposed horses, and immediately implement health monitoring: take temperature twice daily (a temperature above 101.5° F suggests the horse has an infectious disease) and observe for clinical signs of depression or abnormal behavior.
When more than one owner or caretaker is involved, establish communication with all parties.

Additional protocol detail is available here.

‘Maybe It’s A Good Thing’: Derby Trainers Unconcerned About This Year’s Lasix Rules

The general consensus around the Churchill Downs backstretch this week has been that requiring hopefuls on the Road to the Kentucky Derby to race without Lasix has not been a major hindrance for the year's 3-year-old crop.

Precisely half of this year's Kentucky Derby field has never raced on Lasix, while all 20 entrants completed their final prep without the diuretic medication, which aids in preventing exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in racehorses.

“This may not be a popular opinion,” warned David Carroll, assistant to dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. “I was pro-Lasix, but having seen that now, you know what, maybe it's a good thing. Maybe no race-day medication is a good thing. I think a lot of things we do, we're creatures of habit, and we have a tendency to do things because that's the way we've always done it, not the way it's meant to be, and not what's best for the horse.”

“I would say it's an individual thing,” said two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O'Neill. “And in an ideal world, if the horse doesn't have any kind of tendency to have any kind of nosebleed, running without Lasix, they do seem to come out of the races with more energy, and they get back to their normal exercise energy quicker. So they recover quicker, I think, without Lasix.”

Many trainers spoke out against the restriction of Lasix use for years before a ban was implemented for 2-year-old runners in many jurisdictions last year. Now, both the Triple Crown series and the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, as well as the World Championship races themselves, are all scheduled to be conducted without race-day Lasix. In several jurisdictions, all graded stakes races will be held Lasix-free.

“It's something, I think, we all in this sport kind of knew it was coming,” O'Neill said. “Just – if you look around the world, most of the big races around the world are run Lasix-free. So as much as I was apprehensive, like I think a lot of horsemen were and are, I think the longer we've done it, the more able to – I've been able to adjust.”

Some trainers have altered their pre-race and pre-workout regimens, while others say they have not.

“Obviously last year we started with the 2-year-olds not being on Lasix, so we really didn't do anything particularly different with them at all,” said Carroll. “From a personal perspective, we had a few that showed some traces (of EIPH), but no bad cases.”

“We have a little bit different diet leading up to works and races,” O'Neill said. “Just, we're more thoughtful of not having much in their stomach for exercise, which probably, we should have been thinking of that. Anyways, so just try to have them a little bit more light going into their works and races. It's definitely been something that we've been more conscientious of with no Lasix.”

While the majority of this year's Kentucky Derby trainers agreed that the Lasix ban wasn't harmful to the current 3-year-old crop, they remain concerned about requiring older horses, those who are used to running with Lasix, to now race without it.

“I think with this particular crop, for my cohort, it's not been an issue,” said Hall of Fame nominee Todd Pletcher. “I can't speak for everyone else, but I think some of the bigger concerns are around older horses that maybe have been running on Lasix for three, four, five years and then have to come off with it. But bleeding can be an issue for horses, with or without Lasix.”

“You have some horses that struggle with that,” echoed John Sadler. “I've had some older horses, and I have to say no more stakes for them. They've got to run in the easier races. They weren't capable of running without Lasix.”

“I do feel bad for the horses who have been racing on it for years, and now have to stop,” Carroll concluded. “For older horses now that have been racing on it for the last three to four years, I think that's really hard. I wish they'd made it more of a progression.”

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TCA’s Bid On The Bluegrass Charity Auction Now Open For Bidding

Thoroughbred Charities of America's Bid on the Bluegrass Auction is now open for bidding. The online auction offers unique, Kentucky-themed items and experiences including memorabilia associated with many 2021 Kentucky Derby starters. Bidding will continue through Saturday, May 1 at 9 p.m. ET. All proceeds will benefit TCA.

Featured auction items include memorabilia from Derby starters Essential Quality, Midnight Bourbon, Hot Rod Charlie, Like the King, Hidden Stash, Rock Your World, Medina Spirit, Helium, Super Stock, O Besos, Sainthood, Brooklyn Strong, Highly Motivated, and Mandaloun.

Other racing memorabilia includes an original sign from Calumet Farm when it was owned by the Wright Family, two framed shoes worn by Alydar, a print of Secretariat signed by Penny Tweedy, and a framed print of Seattle Slew winning the Derby by Fred Stone. Unique experiences include an exclusive meet and greet with American Pharoah and Justify at Coolmore America with halters for each horse followed by a bourbon tasting, a VIP meet and greet with Rachel Alexandra and a farm tour at Stonestreet Farm, a private tour at Claiborne Farm, a catered farm tour with a Pinhook Bourbon tasting at Margaux Farm, and the opportunity to join race caller Kurt Becker in the announcer's booth for one race during Keeneland's October 2021 race meet.

The auction also features bourbon-related items including twelve bottles of Bulleit Distilling Company spirits signed by Tom Bulleit, a Four Roses Bourbon gift basket, a Buffalo Trace Distillery gift basket, and a Town Branch Distilling barrel head.

A list of items can be found here.

Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) was formed in 1990 to raise and distribute funds to charities in the Thoroughbred industry that provide a better life for Thoroughbreds, both during and after their racing careers, by supporting qualified repurposing and retirement organizations and by helping the people who care for them. In 2020, TCA granted over $1 million to 70 approved charities working within Thoroughbred retraining, rehoming and retirement; backstretch and farm worker services, research and equine-assisted therapy. During the last three decades, TCA has granted over $24 million to more than 200 charities that successfully meet the criteria set forth in its annual grant application. TCA administers the Horses First Fund, founded by LNJ Foxwoods in 2016, to assist Thoroughbreds in need of emergency aid. TCA manages Cómo, a mobile app founded by Godolphin, that connects racing industry employees to the vital services they need through a network of racetrack chaplains and Thoroughbred industry organizations. TCA is the charitable arm of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA).

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