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Thoroughbred Connect Update Allows Digital Foal Certificates To Be Utilized In Aftercare Assistance

The Jockey Club Registry announced today that contact information submitted through its Thoroughbred Connect program by those interested in providing aftercare or assistance for a Thoroughbred is now available when a horse's digital certificate of foal registration is accessed by the certificate manager.

Thoroughbred Connect enables anyone with an Interactive Registration (IR) account to express his or her willingness to be contacted by someone in possession of a Thoroughbred in the event the horse is in need of aftercare or assistance. It is also a resource for horse owners to list a Thoroughbred that is in need of aftercare or assistance.

With this update, contact information for those who would like to help a specific Thoroughbred is displayed by default on a horse's digital certificate page. Thoroughbred Connect users can elect to opt out of this setting at any time. Contact information associated with horses born prior to 2018, and who thus might not have a digital certificate, can still be shared with a successful connection made via the Thoroughbred Connect link after logging into IR.

“Adding contact information from Thoroughbred Connect to a horse's digital certificate page ensures that a horse's emergency contact will never be lost or removed and will always be easily accessible to its current digital certificate manager,” said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club. “We believe this change will facilitate connections to transition Thoroughbreds to new homes when their racing or breeding careers are over.”

“We at Herringswell Stables believe in the importance of ensuring that Thoroughbreds are cared for at all stages of their lives and have attached our contact information to physical copies of foal papers for years,” said Graham Motion. “We are excited to take advantage of The Jockey Club Registry's update to Thoroughbred Connect, which replicates the purpose of stickers and stamps in the age of digital certificates.”

“We commend The Jockey Club for their aftercare initiatives and their efforts to help horses transition to careers beyond the racetrack or breeding shed,” Staci Hancock of Stone Farm said. “From the Thoroughbred Incentive Program and “Transferred as Retired from Racing” designation to this most recent update to Thoroughbred Connect, we thank The Jockey Club for looking out for the welfare of Thoroughbreds and promoting their potential as sport, pleasure, and therapy horses.”

Since its introduction in May 2011, more than 3,500 users have signed up for Thoroughbred Connect, and there are currently more than 8,600 horses in the system that have at least one customer who has provided contact information to indicate their willingness to provide aftercare assistance.

For more information about Thoroughbred Connect or to sign up for an IR account, please visit registry.jockeyclub.com.

The post Thoroughbred Connect Update Allows Digital Foal Certificates To Be Utilized In Aftercare Assistance appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Common Colic Myths Debunked

The signs of colic are well-known to many horse owners: abdominal discomfort shown by pawing, kicking at the belly, repeatedly rolling, sweating and increased heart and respiration rate. Though colic is unfortunately common in horses, only about 10 percent of colic cases require surgical intervention to resolve.

Colic surgery can seem scary, but improvements in the past few decades have lessened the chance of a negative outcome, reports The Horse. Yet, myths regarding colic surgery remain. Dr. Jacqueline Hill, who practices at Littleton Equine Medical Center in Colorado, dispels some of the most common colic surgery myths.

Myth 1: A horse will never return to pre-surgery performance levels. Though colic surgery is a major surgery with a long recover period, horses can go back to their pre-surgery performance levels. A study that used over 200 horses of different breeds found that 84 percent of the horses returned to their discipline after colic surgery and that 79 percent were performing at or above the level they were at before the surgery.

Myth 2: A horse can be “too old” for colic surgery. The life expectancy for horses, like humans, has lengthened in the last few decades, with many horses ridden well into their 20s. A recent study from the University of Pennsylvania compared horses between 4 and 15 years old that had colic surgery with horses that were over 20 that had colic surgery. They found that both categories had similar post-operative complications and survival rates.

Myth 3: A horse is never the same after having a resection. Horses tend to fare differently depending on the section of intestine that has been resected: horses that have had their small intestine resected tend to fare better than those that have had the end of the intestine resected. It was recently reported that horses that have had their large colon resected have 65 to 75 percent long-term survival rates; small-intestine only resections see up to 75 percent of patients with long-term success.

More evidence is needed to resolve the myth that horses that have had colic surgery are more prone to colicking again. Studies have reported that between 0 to 35 percent of post-surgical horses have another colic episode within 12 months of a colic surgery. Factors that appear to affect this include what portion of the bowel was affected and what surgical procedure was used. Generally, if a horse doesn't colic in the first year after surgery, his risk of colicking again is similar to a horse that didn't have surgery.

Top Eventer Offers One Simple Tip For Teaching Young Horses To Leg Yield

Many people have embarked upon quarantine projects as the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched on. For top eventer Cathy Wieschhoff, that project has been sharing her knowledge from decades of horsemanship. Wieschhoff has begun a web series titled 'One Minute With Cathy' which provide viewers with her tips, tricks, and perspective on common mistakes.

In this edition of One Minute With Cathy, Wieschhoff shows off one of the easy tricks she uses to help young horses begin to understand the concept of leg yielding, or moving away from a rider's leg pressure applied to one side.

See a compilation of previous One Minute With Cathy videos here or visit her YouTube chanel.

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Miniature Horse Has Complete Hip Replacement

Veterinarians at the University of Liverpool have totally replaced the hip of a Miniature Horse. Duncan arrived at the clinic in July severely lame in his hind leg; a CT scan showed that he had dislocated the left hip joint and damaged the head of the femur beyond repair.

Duncan's vet, Dr. Dave Stack, discussed treatment options with some small-animal surgical specialists. As Duncan weighed under 200 pounds, they felt that a total hip replacement was an option to offer pain relief and a good quality of life.

The procedure had been tried before in small ponies but had failed. To be a success, teamwork between equine and small animal surgeons was paramount; anesthesiologists and internal medicine were also integral to a successful outcome.

The surgery team placed a hip implant used on large dogs in Duncan. The gelding stayed in the clinic for over three weeks and required 24/7 supervision. He also required intensive physiotherapy to return to normal function. He is now able to walk and trot almost normally, the vets report.