Tag: Horse Care

With a spike in equine fatalities at Churchill Downs this spring, racehorse safety is once again in the spotlight. Dr. Michael Hardy, longtime regulatory veterinarian and executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, recently outlined two systems that could use new technology to help prevent injuries.

Speaking at this week's Track Superintendent Field Day at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Hardy provided a short update on the use of StrideSafe at Churchill Downs. As we reported at the end of 2022, officials at Churchill had planned to conduct a study using the sensor system well before national media began monitoring a spate of breakdowns at the facility.

StrideSafe had its first significant test in New York, where it was placed on every runner starting in summer 2021. The sensor system is attached to a saddle towel and measures concussion and acceleration across all four of a horse's limbs. Its goal is to detect a departure in the horse's typical way of going which could signal an impending injury. The system provides each horse a green, yellow, or red rating for its performance, with green ratings indicating no problem, red indicating a serious departure from normal motion and yellow indicating a potential problem.

In New York, the system had been used observationally and retrospectively, meaning officials recorded each horse's rating and whether or not the horse suffered an injury in-race after the races had been run. Officials indicated the system was able to correctly identify 90 percent of fatal injuries that happened on the circuit in the time it was used, meaning that 90 percent of horses who suffered breakdowns got red ratings in that final race.

Churchill's goal for their study of StrideSafe was to test the system in action by providing trainers and veterinarians with information about their horses' yellow or red ratings after a race to allow them to do follow-up investigation to look for any physical issues. The project involves cooperation from Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians and will include data analysis from Dr. Warwick Bayly of Washington State University.

While the research at Churchill is ongoing, Hardy said initial feedback from trainers and veterinarians has been positive. Trainer Dale Romans recently told The Blood-Horse about a horse in his barn whose StrideSafe data suggested a possible abnormality. The horse underwent a PET scan, which turned up bony changes that suggested a condylar fracture could have been imminent.

Hardy said Churchill officials plan to continue using StrideSafe on runners at Ellis Park, a track the company also owns.

Video analysis may also be part of the next generation of injury prevention. At Keeneland, Hardy said the track safety team has 17 cameras in various places around the racing surface. These allow veterinarians to pull up imagery of a horse they may have concerns about to get a history on how that horse has been moving in the mornings, even if those veterinarians weren't actively watching the horse in real time. This can also be useful in retrospective looks at a horse who may have suffered a serious injury in a race, to help veterinarians figure out what to look at for warning signs going forward.

Hardy also outlined another system in development by 1/ST Racing which uses video technology to identify abnormal motion from a horse. 1/ST recognized that given the national shortage of equine veterinarians, there may not be enough eyes watching horses for gait abnormalities, especially in the morning. The organization has installed a huge number of sensors and cameras around its Santa Anita facility to monitor both racing and training and the company is working on a series of models to collect data points from videos of moving horses. The developing system uses 15 models to collect and analyze 350,000 data points per race, studying the way at which different joints and limbs on the horse are interacting with the ground. The system can use AI to generate a 360-degree view of each horse as it moves across the track.

Hardy said the system has encountered its challenges – the size of a track can complicate cameras' ability to get views on all horses, lighting can be a challenge, and busy periods in the morning can also obstruct views of some horses as they move around each other. Also, existing modeling technology was evolved to study human movement, not necessarily to detect changes in equine motion.

Currently, 1/ST is working to input information from veterinary observation to the artificial intelligence system to help it “learn” what problematic motion looks like. The full system is in place at Santa Anita and Hardy said it will be coming to other 1/ST tracks soon.

“The idea is the system will automatically identify high-risk workouts,” said Hardy. “The relentless pursuit to do better is the concept here, and it certainly takes a collective effort.”

The company is also developing an app that will share sensor information with owners and trainers after collection to help them make strategic conditioning and veterinary decisions.

The post Multiple Tech Systems Being Tested To Help Prevent Racehorse Injury appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The American Horse Council (AHC) wrapped a trip out West with its 2023 Annual Conference on June 6. The enthusiasm for learning and combatting a growing list of missions filled a packed crowd of industry leaders and ardent enthusiasts.

Attendees heard updates on the actions of such committees as the United Horse Coalition, Equine Welfare, Health & Regulatory, Racing Advisory, Show and Competition and Recreation/Trails/Land Use Committees that encompass the many facets of the AHC. Presentations spurred conviction to look for change or action during engaging presentations at the annual National Issues Forum.

“The theme for the 2023 National Issues Forum is 'The Measure of Tomorrow,' and is intended to showcase four important focus areas for the future of equine and equestrian industry – Economics, Sustainability, Herd Health, and Strengthening the Community,” stated AHC President Julie Broadway in her opening remarks. “As you hear these presentations, I ask you to think about how the information shared will inform your actions to 'shape' tomorrow. We all strive to leave things 'better than we found them' so that's my challenge to you – how does the content you hear today help you and us think as visionaries and leaders that have the opportunity to 'shape' tomorrow?”

Economics and how the industry is valued was the first focus of the forum. Speakers included Dr. Gregory Graff, professor of the Economics of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University; Michael Vanaskie of The Innovation Group, one of the lead economists for the AHC Economic Impact Study and Julie Broadway of AHC on the 2023 AHC Study. Broadway and Vanaskie highlighted how the differences between the current format of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) census and what the AHC hopes can become a more encompassing horse census. This census has been spurred by the AHC's (ongoing) Equine Economic Impact Survey and how more accurate numbers can help the industry get a fairer piece of the Farm Bill, which is currently in debate in Washington, DC.

The focus on sustainability took an eye-opening and nose-pinching turn when Colorado State University Capstone students Jessica Stock and Vanessa Roy shared their presentation on how horse manure is being repurposed to consumable electricity in Finland and how that could be used in the United States. Scott Evans shared his mission of helping horse show circuits and associations take a greener approach to their events with his initiative Green is the New Blue. It all started with trying to eliminate single-use water bottles being left behind at shows to something that's bigger than just your local show circuit. Finally, Megan Fellows shared her mission of Carbon Hoofprints—innovative solutions for stakeholders in the equestrian industry.

Always a hot topic, the focus on Herd Health included Joe LaFollette of League of Ag & Equine Centers, Dr. Nat White of Equine Disease Communication Center and Dr. Angela Pelzel McCluskey of the USDA on biosecurity measures needed to mitigate disease at shows and events and at home. This was supported by a presentation by the University of Florida's Dr. Sally DeNotta that shared how the changing climate is affecting equine infectious diseases and increasing vectors that might not have been thought of in years past.

Finally, the forum focused on strengthening the horse community with the AHC Marketing Alliance. Members Jen Grant of Zoetis and Christy Landwehr of National Reining Horse Association shared a new campaign to reach out to more than our own industry, but outside the horse industry with the “HereForHorses” campaign. The campaign is an evolution of two previous campaigns that included the Time To Ride campaign to introduce riding and horses to the general public. The “HereForHorses” campaign is in its infancy, with more details to come.

“This was one of the best issue forum I've attended,” said Dr. Josie Traub Dargatz, formerly of CSU, who was happy to attend the forum in her own back yard of Colorado. Her sentiments were echoed from many who attended.

AHC also honored five award winners and the recording of the award ceremony will be on the AHC website soon. Rep Jacki Walorski, Dr . Jerry Black, Gary Carpenter, Dr Chelsie Huseman and Days End Farm Horse Rescue.

“The conference is one of the best ways to engage and be reinspired with our mission to bring together the horse industry—no matter the breed, discipline, background or location,” says Broadway. “We hope everyone left reinvigorated with new ideas and calls to action.”

The next AHC National Conference and National Issues Forum will be held in Washington, DC, June 9-11, 2024, with plans to build on the momentum created in Denver.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers several livestock disaster assistance programs including the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP), the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

Horses are now eligible for LFP for the 2022 grazing season. Qualifying horses include those that contribute to the commercial viability of an operation and are maintained for the purposes of pleasure, roping, pets or show. The FSA has extended the application deadline to June 2, 2023, and has waived the measurement fee for pastures that were not previously certified by producers.

Additional eligibility requirements for LFP 

The producer needs to be in control, or at risk, of the horse and the pastureland during the entire grazing period.

The horse must be grazing on eligible land for two months prior to a county being designated eligible for LFP as rate by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

For additional information about LFP and to file an application, producers should contact their  FSA county office.

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Have you trail ridden or strolled through tall grass or forest lately? You might want to check for ticks on you and your horse. Spring brings warmer, damp weather that leads to an increase in tick activity. Ticks can transfer disease-causing organisms to humans and horses, so being aware of common tick diseases in horses and prevention steps can help you keep your horse healthy.

Common Tick-Borne Diseases in Horses

Anaplasmosis is the most common tick-transferred disease to cause illness in horses. Humans and other animal species, including dogs and livestock can get a similar illness from ticks. Deer ticks commonly transfer the bacteria from small mammals (deer mice and woodrats). Signs of illness in horses after 10 to 45 days and include the following.

• Swollen limbs
• Small bleeds around the nose, mouth, eyes or vulva
• Fever
• Less common, incoordination; swollen muscles; or gut pain

Lyme disease is caused by the organism Borrelia burgdorferi and is less common in horses. Few horses develop clinical illness, usually months after the bite. Signs of Lyme disease are common among other diseases and include the following.

• Lameness
• Swollen joints
• Kidney disease
• Moon blindness
• Incoordination

If you suspect a tick-borne disease in your horse, consult your veterinarian to perform a proper diagnosis and rule out other conditions with similar signs of illness.

Preventing Tick-Borne Diseases

There are no vaccines available for anaplasmosis or Lyme disease, but there are prevention steps you can take.

• Remove and destroy ticks as soon as possible. Watch horses for early signs of illness.
• Reduce tick habitat near horses. Clear brush out of pastures and along both sides of the fence line. Keep pastures mowed.
• Use a topical insecticide that includes a label claim for ticks. Apply it to your horse before riding through long grass or brush. Water and dirt can reduce the effectiveness of topical insecticides. Always read and follow instructions on the product label.

Sign up for the University of Minnesota Extension newsletter here.

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