Tag: Horse Care

At next year's Paris Olympic Games, Thoroughbreds competing in any of the equestrian disciplines—dressage, show jumping and eventing—will, for the first time, be recognized in the starting lists and results. In past Olympics, the retired Thoroughbred racehorses competing were listed only as 'breeding unknown'.

The agreement follows discussions between the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF), the World Breeding Federation for Sports Horses (WBFSH), the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the International Stud Book Committee (ISBC) and will extend also to all FEI competitions. The issue arose because, under a Memorandum of Understanding between the FEI and the WBFSH, only member stud books of the WBFSH have historically been credited, and the WBFSH only has members that specifically breed horses for the Olympic disciplines.

The arrangement was welcomed by Dr. Paull Khan, Secretary-General of the EMHF and a member of the Steering Group of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR): “Much effort is made around the world to encourage the owners of retired racehorses to explore second careers for them. This recognition will both further the message that Thoroughbreds do go on to compete with distinction in other equestrian disciples and prompt more Thoroughbred owners to consider this retirement option for their racehorses”.

Nadine Brandtner, General Manager of the WBFSH added: “The WBFSH recognizes the extensive influence the Thoroughbred has had on sport horse breeding and development, and that undoubtedly the Thoroughbred deserves recognition. Furthermore, the initiative to encourage second careers for retired Thoroughbreds is a vital effort to maintain the social license to operate. We believe that it is the entire equine sector that must stand together to face this challenge, and so it is natural that the WBFSH would support this”.

The FEI's Director of Governance and Institutional Affairs, Francisco Lima, confirmed that this development carries the full support of the FEI.

Simon Cooper, Vice-Chair of the ISBC, added: “The International Stud Book Committee is delighted that Thoroughbreds will now be recognized for their participation and success in equestrian sports. The ISBC is grateful to EMHF, WBFSH and the FEI for working together alongside the ISBC to support this recognition of off-the-track racehorses. Thoroughbreds have consistently shown that their athleticism, attitude and adaptability so often make for a successful second career in equestrian sports. The ISBC's 68 Approved Thoroughbred Stud Books across the world will be supporting IFAR, WBFSH and the FEI in promoting post-racing opportunities and ensuring recognition for these Thoroughbreds”.

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Oat color has no effect on oat quality, but the variety of hues can range from white or yellow to tan or even black. Historically, oats in horse feed are white, which is what feed companies assumed horse owners would like. Because of this, white-hulled oats are the most-commonly planted for use in equine feed, reports EQUUS magazine. 

University of Minnesota researchers have discovered that horses have opinions about the color of their grain. To test whether the horses had a color preference, scientists used six adult horses that had not been fed oats before. The horses were repeatedly offered white or yellow oats from identical feed tubs. 

For the first trial, the scientists watched the horses eat ½-pound of oats of each color and recorded their choice every 15 seconds until all of the oats were consumed. That trial was repeated 20 times on non-consecutive days.

In the second trial, the horses were offered several pounds of oats of each color in separate feed tubs and allowed to eat for five minutes. The horses couldn't consume all of the oats in this timeframe; what was left was removed and weighed. The same test was repeated 24 times on non-consecutive days.

Results from the first trial indicated that the horses had no oat color preference; they ate all of the oats they were given. In the second trial, however, horses ate more yellow oats than white oats, suggesting they preferred the yellow oats.

The research team notes that equine vision does allow for differentiation between the colors yellow and white. They also say that other factors, like smell, could influence horse's preference for yellow oats.

The scientists also surveyed 801 horse owners regarding oat-color preference and found there was no color preference. It was reported that the owners were more concerned with cleanliness, reporting that color and weight were least important. The team concludes that other market forces are at work to encourage the idea that white oats are preferred. 

Read more at EQUUS magazine. 

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In most pasture systems, resources such as water, shelter and supplemental feed are not spread out. As a result, horses may spend more time foraging near these resources, which can contribute to nonuniform or over grazing. Researchers at Clemson University evaluated the effect of resource placement in pastures on horse grazing behavior and time spent near these resources (concentrate feeding area, water, shelter).

Six mature adult mares (five Quarter Horses and one Warmblood) were grazed in established horse pastures at a stocking rate of 1.2 horses per acre. Pairs of horses were randomly assigned to one of three configurations of resources in six pastures. The horse pairs grazed three pastures at a time for seven days. With four seven-day grazing periods, each pair grazed four different pastures. The researchers monitored the horses' locations in the pastures by equipping them with GPS collars. Additionally, the researchers observed the horses for two hours three times daily and recorded grazing and nongrazing behaviors.

Overall, despite the configuration, 23 to 30 percent of the GPS positions recorded were within 75 feet of the shelter, water source, and concentrate feeding area. Horses tended to visit the feeding area more often than the water source or shelter. On average, the horses spent nearly 77 percent of their time grazing each day. Grazing activity varied between pastures, which could be due to differences in forage composition or quality.

The results of this study suggest that horses tend to spend more time near feeding areas while grazing pastures. As a result, moving feeding locations within a horse pasture can help encourage more uniform grazing.

For more information on this research, read the full paper published in the International Journal of Equine Science. 

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