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Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare Faces Unsure Future, Seeks Community Help

The future of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare is up in the air as the non-profit organization faces an unprecedented increase in both rehab cases and operating expenses.

“Responsible aftercare is an imperative duty of the racing industry–one that cannot be overlooked or ignored,” said CTA Adoption Coordinator Chrissy Laughlin. “As they profit from breeding and bringing these magnificent horses to Puerto Rico, it is incumbent upon the industry to step up and provide the essential funding for their lifelong well-being and care. Embracing this responsibility with unwavering dedication will ensure a brighter future for these incredible athletes who have given their all on the racetrack.”

The CTA, which has seen a decline in on-island adoptions, has struggled to place horses in suitable homes. So much so that they are unable to accept any additional horses as of Aug. 1 due to “depleted funds for quarantine and transportation.”

Those interested in assisting the CTA can find more information here.

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Canada May Face Veterinary Drug Shortage In 2022

The Canadian Animal Health Institute recently issued a warning of impending difficulty in obtaining many veterinary medications.

A 2017 change in veterinary drug regulation limited what drugs could be accessed in Canada and veterinarians are preparing to feel the fallout. Rising shipping costs and pandemic-related shortages are also not helping matters of accessibility, nor is the uptick of penicillin use in human medicine.

Canada imports nearly 95 percent of the vaccines used in veterinary medicine. Accessibility of drugs is a major concern for Canadian vets that is expected to become more problematic. One proposed solution involves allowing for the purchase of pharmaceuticals that are approved in other jurisdictions, like the United States and European Union.

New Study Shows Last Line of Defense Against Equine Parasites Beginning To Fail

New research shows that ivermectin and moxidectin dewormers are losing their efficacy again small strongyles. This is particularly troublesome as these drugs are the last lines of defense against the worms and no new dewormers are in the research pipeline.

The study was the first in the world to confirm small strongyle resistance through repeated testing. Resistance to two of the three deworming drug classes was confirmed years ago and it was predicted that small stronglyes would become resistant to macrocyclic lactones, a class of dewormers of which ivermectin and moxidectin are a part.

The study team included Dr. Martin Nielsen, Professor of Equine Infectious Disease at the M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Michael Banahan of Godolphin's Jonabell Farm in Kentucky, and Dr. Ray Kaplan, parasitologist in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia.

The team found that the efficacy of both ivermectin and moxidectin were reduced in a group of 50 imported Irish Thoroughbreds, though 50 US-bred horses on the same farm had no such resistance. The farm rigorously followed current guidelines for deworming and pulled fecal egg counts on all horses on the farm multiple times.

The horses were dewormed and tested multiple times over an eight-month period. The team concluded that the resistance to ivermectin and moxidectin was imported with the Irish horses. They note that this demonstrates how quickly resistant parasites can spread across the globe. They encourage farm and horse owners to utilize fecal egg count tests and to stringently follow deworming guidelines to attempt to increase the longevity of the efficacy of ivermectin and moxidectin.

Read the study here.

African Horse Sickness Loosens Hold On Thailand

The African Horse Sickness outbreak that affected Thailand has now been resolved in multiple provinces. Efforts to eradicate it elsewhere in the country are ongoing. The provinces Thailand's Department of Livestock Development reported resolved are: Chaiyaphum, Sa Kaeo, Ratchaburi, Chonburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Carried by biting midges, the virus kills nearly 90 percent of the horses it infects; Thailand's first experience with the virus began in February. Efforts to control the spread of infection have included establishing surveillance and containment zones, restricting movement, quarantine and disinfection. Barns housing horses have been wrapped in plastic or fine mesh and regularly fumigated to keep the insects away from horses.

Nearly 6,000 African Horse Sickness vaccines have been administered, some of which have been given to zebras. There is suspicion that the disease was brought to Thailand through zebra importation; the import of zebras was terminated on April 8.

It is reported that between 150 and 500 horses have died.