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‘People Don’t Know What’s Out There’: Marketing Key To Aftercare Success

The third session of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses' (IFAR) virtual conference series concluded Tuesday following speeches on the various paths for Thoroughbreds in different countries at the conclusion of their racing careers. This session was the third in a series of four webinars that compose the 2021 IFAR Conference.

The webinar, “Global Insights on Aftercare (Aftercare Providers, Equine Charities),” was moderated by Donna Brothers, who is part of the horse racing coverage team for NBC Sports in the United States. The list of speakers consisted of Stacie Clark, operations consultant, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (U.S.); Lisa Coffey, founder and director, Racing Hearts (AUS); John Osborne, director of Equine Welfare and Bloodstock, Horse Racing Ireland; Dr. Ignacio Pavlovsky, veterinarian, owner, and breeder (ARG); and Kristin Werner, senior counsel, The Jockey Club, and administrator, Thoroughbred Incentive Program (U.S.).

Clark and Werner described the path from the racetrack to placement into accredited aftercare programs. They emphasized the importance of these organizations' promoting themselves and communicating to the Thoroughbred industry that they exist so that horse owners are aware of the retirement options for their former racehorses.

“The biggest disconnect that we have is that people don't know what's out there,” Clark said.

According to Werner, “Part of any aftercare program should be the permanent retirement of the horse's racing eligibility. This is accomplished through The Jockey Club's Transferred as Retired from Racing process. This ensures a horse will no longer be eligible to race, while maintaining eligibility for breeding and second careers.”

Coffey's Racing Hearts retrains off-the-track Thoroughbreds for use in equine-assisted therapy and other careers. It is the first charity of its kind in Australia and currently has a waiting list of about 50 clients. Coffey stated that Thoroughbreds are especially suited to therapy due to their willingness to please.

“Horses and other animals offer a genuinely non-judgmental relationship. They have no other agenda other than actually wanting to be with us,” she said.

Osborne indicated that aftercare has become a priority for the Irish Thoroughbred industry relatively recently, as perspectives have shifted from viewing horses as commodities to viewing them as individual, sentient beings. Last year, Treo Eile was founded in Ireland to assist racehorse trainers and owners who wish to rehome and retrain horses once their racetrack careers are complete.

“Ultimately, our catchphrase is that ownership comes with the responsibility to the animal, not just on the glory days but in the dog days, too, where things are not so promising, where the dreams are behind those horses, but the responsibility still remains to look after that horse properly and do what's best for that horse at all times,” Osborne said.

In Argentina, Pavlovsky indicated that Thoroughbreds are in high demand due to their versatility to be retrained in disciplines such as polo, jumping, and pulling carriages. Compared to other jurisdictions, it is much easier to place racehorses in homes following their retirement from racing.

“Today, the welfare of horses is something that we have to be extremely dedicated to and think about,” Pavlovsky said. “Horses are more than our business. They are our way of living.”

The 2021 IFAR Conference concludes 27 April with a final panel, “Aftercare for Racing Industry Participants: Owners, Breeders, and Trainers.” It will begin at 12 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. in the U.K.) and be moderated by Francesca Cumani, horse racing presenter in the U.K. and Australia. Speaking will be Mark Fisher, Kotare Bioethics Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand; Dr. Eliot Forbes, chief executive officer, AniMark Ltd. (AUS), and member, IFAR Steering Committee; Tom Reilly, chief executive officer, Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Aushorse; and Dr. Christopher Riggs, director, Equine Welfare Research Foundation, and chief advisor, Veterinary Science, The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The full schedule of webinars, including speakers, moderators, presentation topics, bios, and the link to register can be found here. All sessions are free, but registration is required. Those who attend each session live will be able to ask questions to presenters. A recording of the first three sessions is available here.

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New Strain Of Hendra Virus Discovered In Australia

Australian researchers have determined a new strain of Hendra virus was responsible for the unexplained death of a horse in 2015. Hendra virus has a mortality rate of nearly 80 percent in horses. It's also lethal to humans, with a 60 percent mortality rate. Since its discovery in 1994, Hendra virus has killed over 100 horses and four humans in Australia.

The new strain of Hendra virus had not been seen in routine equine biosecurity testing, but has been detected in grey-headed flying fox samples from 2013. The samples collected in Adelaide share 99 percent of their sequence identity with the virus infecting the 2015 horse sample.

Prior to this discovery, Hendra virus was only known to occur in areas where black flying foxes and spectacled flying foxes live. The research team has developed diagnostic lab techniques to identify the new strain. They expect the currently available Hendra virus vaccine will be effective against the newly discovered strain.

The research team, led by Dr. Peter Reid, suggests that unwell horses living in areas where flying foxes are present should be treated with the same precautions as horses that have had a positive Hendra diagnosis, even if their initial Hendra test comes back negative.

The scientists suggest that preventative measures to curtail the spread of Hendra virus be put in place, including vaccination, good hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment and putting biosecurity measures in place.

Study: South African Swine Vaccine Can Limit Castration Complications

Surgical castration of intact male horses is common throughout the world, but the routine surgery isn't always complication-free. A South African study led by Dr. John Birrell investigated the use of a GnRH vaccine (sold under the name Improvac by Zoetis in South Africa) prior to castrating 19 colts. The study sought to determine if the vaccine could reduce testis size and therefore minimize the risk of surgical complications.

GnRH is an immunocontraception vaccination – it's a birth control that uses an animal's immune system to mount a response against the reproductive process.

The colts were divided into three groups. Two groups received the GnRH vaccine and were castrated 57 and 100 days after receiving the two-part vaccine while the third group acted as a control. The testis of each horse was measured for length, width and height on days 0, 28 and 57 or 100 depending on when the horse was gelded. The horses were also monitored for 10 days after the surgery for complications like swelling, surgical site discharge and depression. The horses also had both their testosterone concentrations and anti-GnRH titers measured.

The GnRH vaccinated colts had no fevers, swelling or lameness after vaccine administration. They also had a decline in testosterone levels after the first vaccination; testosterone was undetectable 28 days after the second dose. The vaccinated horses had a 50 percent reduction in testicular volume prior to castration and they also had no post-surgical complications.

The study team concluded that GnRH vaccine administration reduced testicular size and was helpful in controlling post-surgical complications. They noted that the GnRH vaccine could be used to control undesired behavior in stallions.

Bid On The Bluegrass: Online Auction To Benefit Thoroughbred Charities Of America

Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) will host Bid on the Bluegrass, an online auction of unique, Kentucky-themed items and experiences including memorabilia associated with many 2021 Kentucky Derby starters. Bid on the Bluegrass is set to open on Thursday, April 29 at 9 a.m. and will conclude on Saturday, May 1 at 9 p.m. ET. All proceeds will benefit TCA.

“This online auction will feature a wide array of items with a Kentucky focus,” said Erin Crady executive director of TCA. “We have bourbon-themed items, racing memorabilia, one-of-a-kind experiences, farm tours and so much more. We are very grateful to all of our item donors for making this auction possible.”

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, Like the King, O Besos, Sainthood, and Mandaloun. Other racing memorabilia includes 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. New items will be added daily until the start of the auction.

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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