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Research Update: The Effect Of Equine Bodyweight On Performance

A recent study conducted by scientists in Sweden and Iceland examined the effect of altered body weight and body fat content on exercise performance and recovery. Nine horses were divided into two groups, and changes in bodyweight and fat content were induced by feeding a high or restricted energy diet. After 36 days, horses were switched to the other diet and the study was repeated. In the last week of each diet, bodyweight and body condition score were recorded, body fat percentage was estimated using ultrasound, and a standardized incremental treadmill exercise test and competition-like field test were performed.

Bodyweight, body fat percentage, and body condition score were higher (5 to 8 percent) in high energy horses compared to horses fed the restricted energy diet. In the standardized exercise test, horses on the high energy diet performed more poorly and recovered more slowly compared to horses fed the restricted energy diet. Additionally, locomotion asymmetry was greater in horses fed the high energy diet compared to the restricted energy diet. These results confirmed that increased bodyweight and body fat in horses lowered physiological fitness, reduced symmetry, and decreased performance ability. For more information on this research, read the paper published in Physiological Reports.

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Fall Allergies Can Trigger Equine Asthma, Impact Performance

Just as many humans start to sneeze in the fall, horses also can be affected by seasonal allergies.

Sometimes this is apparent by coughing, but other times, according to Laurent Couëtil, professor of large animal internal medicine in Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine, the only sign is that their performance suffers.

Couëtil has spent much of his career treating and researching equine respiratory disease, and he collaborated with three other researchers to argue for the adoption of equine asthma as an official diagnosis in the Equine Veterinary Journal. Equine asthma can flare up as a result of allergies, especially during the fall, which is when many of the traditional spring races were moved.

“We tend to see an increase in horses showing signs of equine asthma during crop harvest season,” he said. “Horses pastured near fields where crops are harvested may be exposed to the dust generated by the combine harvesting crops.” Horses affected by these allergies may develop signs like coughing or increased breathing efforts within a few days of exposure to the dust or allergens and may show impaired performance.

“Other horses with asthma tend to show signs when pollen and molds peak again in the fall,” Couëtil said. “So, the triggers may be different, but horses will show similar symptoms.”

One reason for so many allergy and asthma flare-ups in the fall has to do with feeding. As grass becomes sparse toward the end of the summer or early fall and horses are supplemented with dry hay, more susceptible horses may develop asthma flare-ups.

“Most asthmatic horses are allergic to hay dust,” Couëtil said, “and, therefore, they usually develop clinical signs when fed hay in the barn during the winter months.”

Additionally, feeding round bales is associated with more severe signs because horses are exposed to higher dust levels compared with eating from square bales.

“This is especially true when round bales are left in the field uncovered as they tend to become moldy from exposure to rain and moisture,” Couëtil said.

Couëtil has found that often, less severe asthma symptoms improve when horses are on grass pasture, but during the fall months, this isn't always possible. Feeding low-dust forages can help horses recover and also prevent flare-ups.

“Our recent research demonstrated that athletic horses, such as racehorses, benefit from being fed steamed hay or haylage instead of dry hay,” he said. “These forages result in lower exposure to dust as compared to dry hay, and this translates in lower levels of airway inflammation. Haylage appears to have the strongest beneficial effect, and this effect seems to be linked to higher omega-3 fatty acid content.”

Additional supplementation with nutrients rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like EPA and DHA found in fish oil and algae, can help keep asthmatic horses healthy.

Avoiding exposure to allergy triggers, such as by feeding low-dust forages, can help horses stay healthy and perform at peak levels. During crop harvest season, this might mean keeping the horse in the barn while crops around the stable are harvested.

“If horses continue to show signs of asthma despite environmental management, your veterinarian may prescribe treatment with aerosolized corticosteroids,” Couëtil said.

Taking preventive measures can help minimize horses' exposure to allergens and prevent asthma flare-ups, keeping horses healthy and performing at their best levels.

Couëtil's research is supported by the Grayson Jockey-Club Research Foundation, the state of Indiana and the Purdue Veterinary Medicine research account.

Study Provides Information On Fate Of Australian Racehorses

Scientists at the University of Melbourne created a study to determine why some Australian Thoroughbreds did not enter race training. Drs. Meredith Flash, Adelene Wong, Mark Stevenson and James Gilkerson examined the records of Thoroughbreds born in 2014 to determine how many horses had not entered race training by the end of their 4-year-old season (August of 2018).

They discovered that 13,677 Thoroughbreds were born in 2014. Of those, 66 percent started training and 51 percent had raced before the beginning of their 4-year-old season in Australia. The scientists chose a geographically diverse sample of 4,124 horses to use as part of a study. Of those, 1,275 horses had not entered race training.

Breeders of the 1,275 horses that had not entered race training were sent an online survey, then received a follow-up call to discover what happened to the horses. Fifty percent of the breeders responded. The researchers discovered that each horse fell into one of four categories:

Alive and active within the Thoroughbred racing industry
Alive and active outside of the Thoroughbred racing industry
Exported
Deceased

The scientists discovered that 154 horses were actively training or racing and 84 horses had been sold at a public or private sale. Many breeders indicated that they were not sure what happened to the horse once it sold. Only one horse was reported as exported.

There were 83 horses reported as retired or rehomed, with 61 percent of these never having any official training. Illness or injury and then poor performance were cited as the main reasons for retirement.

The reports discovered that 239 horses had died, with just over half dying in the first year of their lives of reported congenital malformation. In total, 73 percent of the horses that died passed before they turned 2 years old; these horses were not eligible to start in a race when they died.

Twenty horses had owners that were still intending to race them; the fate of the final 35 horses was unknown, meaning the owners stated they could not remember, did not know or did not choose a response.

The scientists extrapolated the results and concluded that most Thoroughbred deaths in the 2014 foal crop were related to non-training illnesses or injuries. They suggest that research into farm design and infrastructure might provide information to lower the fatality risk to horses. They also note that while official race records indicate the number of horses that start, data underestimates the percentage of foals that enter training.