Tag: Horse Care

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission heard the final veterinary reports for the abbreviated Churchill Downs spring meet and Keeneland's April meet at its regularly-scheduled meeting on June 20.

KHRC chief veterinarian Dr. Nick Smith told commissioners that prior to switching the remainder of the Churchill spring meet to Ellis Park, the track saw 1,855 total starts and, by the commission's count, 11 highly-publicized equine fatalities. That count does not include the fatal injury of Kentucky Derby contender Wild On Ice, who suffered a fracture in training prior to the actual start of the meet, although his injury is included in year-end overall totals. (Officials track fatalities in Kentucky “per race meet” at the end of each track's meeting, so fatalities that happen outside of the dates of a meet are counted separately at the end of the year.)

That makes for a rate of 5.93 fatalities per 1,000 starts (or, if Wild On Ice is included in the total, 6.46 per 1,000) — significantly higher than the national average of 1.25 per 1,000 starts recorded by the Equine Injury Database in 2022.

According to analysis by the Paulick Report of previous presentations before the KHRC, Churchill's rate varies by race meeting but has been as low as zero and as high as 1.85 per 1,000 starts over the past two years.

Upon being asked by commissioners, Smith said there had been no racing or training fatalities at Ellis Park through six racing cards. He said the regulatory veterinarian team is “very adept at moving track to track. It's a pretty seamless transition from Churchill to Ellis.”

Throughout the meet, Churchill had 53 veterinary scratches, 33 of which came as the result of morning pre-race exams; another 20 were scratched between the paddock and the gate, either for soundness issues or accidents in the paddock or gate. There were 212 horses claimed, with 20 claims voided for unsoundness after the race.

Those figures are roughly in line with Keeneland's spring meeting, which saw 1,262 starts. There were 44 vet scratches there, 31 of which after morning pre-race exams, 13 of which were on-track pre-race. There were 85 claims at Keeneland, seven of which were voided afterwards for unsoundness. Keeneland's meet included three racing fatalities and one training fatality, all the result of musculoskeletal injuries.

There were 80 horses added to the veterinarian's list at Churchill Downs, and 66 added to the veterinarian's list at Keeneland. Most of those were based on pre-race examination results, but also included some horses who exited races with a soundness problem, bled, or were treated for heat distress. It does not include horses who were placed on the list temporarily as the result of receiving therapeutic medication or treatment. Some treatments or drug administrations require a set amount of time on the list to ensure analgesic or other physical impacts have worn off before the horse can race.

KHRC veterinary staff provide these statistical run-downs to the commission at the conclusion of each regularly-scheduled race meeting. Kentucky's racetracks all report injuries to the Equine Injury Database, although only Keeneland permits some of those figures to be made public. Previous reports are available in the meeting materials archive from previous KHRC meetings.

The current Churchill meet at Ellis is scheduled to run through July 3. On July 7, Ellis will begin what was its regularly-scheduled meeting, which will run through Aug. 27.

The post KHRC Receives Final Veterinary Safety Figures On Troubled Churchill Spring Meet; So Far, So Good At Ellis appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Horses with insulin dysregulation absorb more sugar from feed and forage in their intestines than their healthy counterparts, which may affect blood glucose levels. Though horses consume sugars in their daily rations, horses with metabolic issues are often fed specific feeds that limit their consumption of nonstructural carbohydrates. 

A study out of Australia has shown that feeding horses with equine metabolic syndrome or insulin dysregulation even a small treat can affect how their intestines absorb sugar.

For the study, researchers, led by Dr. Melody de Laat of the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, fed 10 ponies applesauce-coated bread slices twice a day; this added 25 percent more nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) to the ponies' diet. The treats didn't impact blood insulin levels, but it did change how ponies' intestines absorbed simple sugars after 10 days of being fed the treats. 

“Insulin-dysregulation” means that affected horses and ponies release more insulin into the bloodstream than necessary after meals – specifically meals that include higher NSCs. Certain forages, grains, and sweet horse treats are high in NSCs. 

Insulin dysregulation (ID) can cause a myriad of health problems, including laminitis; because of this, horse owners and caretakers are often diligent in feeding at-risk horses and ponies a specific diet to limit their intake of NSCs. However, they may fail to factor in the NSC content of treats.

To determine how treats affect ID horses, De Laat and her research team used 10 ponies for a study: six of the ponies were metabolically healthy and four experienced ID horses. All horses were from the Queensland University of Technology research herd. The average age was 13 years old; there were five mares and five geldings. The ponies all lived individually and ate a forage diet with an NSC of 9.9 percent. 

Before the study began, a sugar absorption test was run and measurements of the ponies' plasma, blood glucose, and serum insulin responses to eating were taken. 

Then, each pony was then given one or two slices of whole wheat bread coated in applesauce twice a day for 10 days. No pony refused the treat. How much bread each pony was fed was based on weight. The treat added between 1.5 percent and 3.6 percent NSC to the ponies' daily diets – an NSC increase of about 25 percent. 

The same tests were then repeated. The scientists found that sugar absorption in the intestines was 1.6 times higher and that serum insulin after eating was 1.4 times higher. However, the treats didn't affect blood glucose, serum insulin concentrations, or fasting. This means that the ponies' intestines were able to absorb more simple carbohydrates, but their blood glucose and serum insulin levels were not affected. 

This does not mean that there is no issue, the team notes. They say such “early changes” may eventually lead to changes in blood glucose and serum insulin levels if the treats were fed over a longer time period or if the treat's NSC content was increased. More research is needed. 

Read more at The Horse.

The post Treat Well: Can Sugar Levels In Treats Affect A Horse With Insulin Issues? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has announced the members of an Advisory Committee which has been convened to oversee a three-year study on the use of furosemide (also known as “Lasix”) on horses during the 48-hour period before the start of a Covered Horserace, including the effect on equine health and the integrity of competition.

The establishment of this Advisory Committee for the study of furosemide administration and the requirements of the study are specifically mandated and set forth in the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. The HISA Board of Directors delegated its authority to select the Advisory Committee members to HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control Committee who did so based on the members' relevant expertise. The Advisory Committee will oversee the process of issuing a Request for Proposal to conduct the research, reviewing grant applications from academic researchers and allocating grant funding for the study.

When the independent scientific research has been completed and published, it will be presented to the Advisory Committee who will then relay the findings and their recommendations to the HISA Board of Directors.

The Furosemide Advisory Committee is comprised of the following members:

Dr. Emma Adam, DVM, Ph.D., is a veterinarian with over 24 years of racing experience in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Australia. She is board-certified in equine medicine from Texas A&M University and in surgery from the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Adam also received her Ph.D. in musculoskeletal science from the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center.

Alan Foreman is Chairman of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (THA) and Vice- Chairman of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC). Foreman is considered one of the leading racing law and equine attorneys in the United States and is an expert on medications used in horse racing.

Dr. Scott Hay, DVM, is a veterinarian at Teigland, Franklin and Brokken, where he focuses on lameness, performance evaluations and purchase examinations. He also serves on the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Hay previously served as President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and as a member of the Grayson-Jockey Club's Scientific Advisory Committee.

Dr. Ted Hill, VMD, is a racing steward for the Jockey Club with more than 23 years of experience. He previously served as Chief Veterinarian for the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Dr. Hill received his VMD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Rob Holland, DVM, Ph.D., is a respiratory and infectious disease specialist in Lexington, Kentucky and partner at Holland Management Services, Inc., a consulting practice offering solutions in outcomes research and veterinary medicine. Dr. Holland has worked with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and is an expert in equine drug testing processes.

Dr. Heather Knych, DVM, Ph.D., DACVCP, is a Professor of Clinical Veterinary Pharmacology and Head of the Pharmacology Section at the K.L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Pharmacology Laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Kynch is board-certified in Clinical Veterinary Pharmacology and has an extensive publication record in the areas of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. She received her DVM and Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of California, Davis, where she also conducted her residency in Veterinary Pharmacology.

Ryan Murphy is the Executive Director for the Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC), the leading anti-doping research organization dedicated to the protection of clean athletes. Prior to joining the PCC, Murphy served as Program Officer with the Sports Diplomacy division at the U.S. Department of State and prior to that as Senior Manager for Sport & Competition for Special Olympics International. Murphy has also worked as an International Doping Control Officer for International Doping Tests & Management. In addition to his work at the PCC, Murphy serves as an Adjunct Professor for the Sports Industry Management Master's program at Georgetown University.

Dr. Foster Northrop, DVM, is a practicing racetrack veterinarian with more than 35 years of industry experience. He has served on the boards of the KHRC and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), as well as the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee.

Dr. Scott Palmer, VMD, is a former President of the AAEP and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). He also chaired the New York Task Force for Racehorse Health and Safety from 2011 to 2013 and served as a clinician and referral surgeon at the New Jersey Equine Clinic for 38 years. He is currently a member of the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee, the Horseracing Testing Laboratory Committee, the Association of Racing Commissioners International's (ARCI) Drug Testing and Standards Committee and the ARCI's Equine Welfare and Veterinarians Committee.

Dr. N. Edward Robinson, BVetMed, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized veterinarian, academic and researcher who spent nearly 50 years at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, during which he spent more than 20 years as the Matilda R. Wilson Professor of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Dr. Robinson has spent his career researching lung disease in horses. He received his veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College in London and a Ph.D. from University of California, Davis.

Dr. Corinne Sweeney, DVM (HIWU Appointment), is an American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) specialist and has spent the past 44 years at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She has served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission since 2008 and previously served as Chair of the ARCI in 2019. She is a certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner and has served as the Penn Vet Ombuds since 2015.

About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority

When the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law, it charged the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) with drafting and enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HISA is implementing, for the first time, a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. HISA is comprised of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect on July 1, 2022, and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which went into effect on May 22, 2023.

The Racetrack Safety Program includes operational safety rules and national racetrack accreditation standards that seek to enhance equine welfare and minimize equine and jockey injury. The Program expands veterinary oversight, imposes surface maintenance and testing requirements, enhances jockey safety, regulates riding crop use and implements voided claim rules, among other important measures.

The ADMC Program includes a centralized testing and results management process and applies uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the United States. These rules and enforcement mechanisms are administered by an independent agency, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), established by Drug Free Sport International (DFS). HIWU oversees testing, educates stakeholders on the Program, accredits laboratories, investigates potential ADMC violations and prosecutes any such violations.

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In the days of paper foal registration certificates, breeders, owners, and trainers in many places would add notes or stickers to a horse's Jockey Club papers with their contact information and a request – “Please contact me if this horse is ever in need of aftercare.” Since the physical papers were, for many years, required to accompany a horse to each racetrack they were stabled at, this was a way someone from the horse's past could have peace of mind that their offer of help may travel wherever the horse went.

Now that foal papers are totally digital, we've had several questions from readers who wondered – what's the best way to accomplish this now?

The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Connect program is designed to be a digital solution to this question. After creating an Interactive Registration account, a user can enter their contact information and then digitally attach that information to a registered horse in The Jockey Club's database.

The person responsible for managing digital certificates for horses in a stable or at a farm will see a Thoroughbred Connect logo appear on the digital version of that horse's registration papers, letting them know that someone has offered assistance to that horse through the Thoroughbred Connect system.

Thoroughbred Connect launched some years ago but has become a more crucial piece of the breed registry's aftercare efforts now that digital papers are the norm. Registered horses born in 2018 and after were issued digital certificates instead of physical papers by The Jockey Club, around the same time microchips became the standard for identification.

According to Kristin Werner, senior counsel for The Jockey Club and administrator of the group's aftercare services, 5,524 users have signed up to use Thoroughbred Connect. A total of 11,790 horses are in the system with at least one user willing to offer them assistance, should it be needed. A total of 831 horses are currently listed in the system as “in need of aftercare,” though the list may be dated as some have birthdates in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Werner said the registry doesn't have figures on how frequently people use the system. It's designed to provide contact information, but any resulting communication takes place outside the system.

For trainers who have a horse at the track in need of aftercare, Werner said the best way to check for an offer of help depends on the form of the horse's registration certificate.

“For horses with digital certificates, the trainer or the designated certificate manager only needs to log in to their Interactive Registration account and the Thoroughbred Connect information is below the horse's certificate,” Werner said. “If the horse still has a paper certificate, they need to log in to their IR account and add the horse as a horse in need of aftercare. They will then receive an email with the contact information for anyone interested in providing aftercare for the horse.”

The service is free and allows people in possession of horses to list up to 10 on the website as “in my possession or supervision.”

The Jockey Club does not screen Thoroughbred Connect users and encourages people to do their due diligence when connecting with someone offering aftercare assistance to a horse. A link to the program can be found after logging into the Interactive Registration system here. A frequently-asked questions page from The Jockey Club can be found here.

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