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New Arrangements For Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance In England

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has announced the implementation of key steps towards re-establishing on a long-term basis the essential equine infectious disease surveillance provision that had been performed by the Animal Health Trust (AHT) until its closure in July 2020.

Acting on the recommendations of an industry-wide committee set up to assess options for the future, HBLB has concluded an agreement from August 2021 with Rossdales Ltd to provide the diagnostic microbiology testing capacity, arrangements that will work in conjunction with the epidemiological surveillance and monitoring unit that will now be based at the University of Cambridge Veterinary School.

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Since the closure of the AHT, the surveillance services have been provided by the former AHT team headed by Dr. Richard Newton on a temporary basis under contract to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). This team will be employed by Cambridge University under the new agreement and will continue to respond to disease outbreak incidents and to produce daily updates on infectious disease reports worldwide for the benefit of the health of all horses, Thoroughbred and non-Thoroughbred.

Over the past year, diagnostics have been available to Dr. Newton's team on an ad hoc basis from Rossdales Ltd, and funded by HBLB. Full coverage has therefore been maintained, meaning that the team was able to respond promptly and effectively to any incidents of disease.

The new arrangements will span an interim period of at least two years while options for the longer term are considered and developed.

Funding will be provided, as previously, by HBLB, racehorse owners and the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA). Discussions are also being held with the sport and leisure horse interests regarding potential contributions in the future.

In addition, HBLB has formed a representative oversight committee, with HBLB Government Appointed Member Anne Lambert as its chair. The membership will include representatives from HBLB's Veterinary Advisory Committee, the TBA, the Racehorse Owners Association, the BHA and the non-Thoroughbred sport and leisure sectors. This committee will have responsibility for monitoring the service in its initial phase and for designing plans for future, with the paramount objective of safeguarding the national herd. Full engagement between the Thoroughbred and non-Thoroughbred sectors in respect of infectious disease management will underpin the work which includes the development of an epidemic risk management plan.

Alan Delmonte, Chief Executive of HBLB, said: “This is an important milestone in putting in place successor arrangements to the services that had been carried out by the Animal Health Trust for a long time. A full evaluation of the current situation and the equine sector's requirements took place including through a tender process that was announced by BHA in 2020. Substantial work has been done by Stephen Atkin, who was retained to act as project manager of this complex area that has taken many months to consider. As well as now engaging the widely recognized expertise of Rossdales, it will be welcomed that it has been possible to retain the previous AHT team headed by Dr. Richard Newton. All in the equine sector are grateful to them for continuing to provide disease monitoring coverage and reaction to outbreaks given the challenging circumstances of the past year.”

Dr. Alastair Foote, director of Rossdales Laboratories, added: “We are delighted to have been awarded the tender, and to be able to provide continuity of the former AHT services that were critical to the equine industry, maintaining essential diagnostic testing and surveillance work. Our recent major investment in new laboratory facilities at our Newmarket site has meant we have been able to rapidly accommodate the required testing requirements, with new tissue culture and virus isolation facilities, and we look forward to working alongside the surveillance and research team at Cambridge.”

Thoroughbreds As Therapy Horses: A Study Into The Welfare Of Horses Who Help People

A new study will examine the selection, training and welfare of thoroughbred horses as they transition from racetrack to therapy horse. The pioneering project, led by academics at the University of Bristol's Veterinary School in collaboration with Racing to Relate, will develop a recognized global welfare standard for former racehorses who are moving into Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT).

Thoroughbreds are recognized for their sensitivity and this project will provide a research-based approach to retraining them for therapy work. EAT careers could include work with a diverse group of people, from veterans and disabled children to those struggling with mental health issues. The research, which is funded by the John Pearce Foundation, is the first of its kind to study EAT across many countries and will look at practices in the UK, USA, France and Ireland, to understand the impact of EAT on the horses.

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Claire Neveux, Bristol Vet School PhD student for the project, said: “I have worked with Thoroughbreds for about 20 years, mainly with broodmares and young horses, and I have always been amazed by their high reactivity and sensitivity. I'm also fascinated by the human-horse relationship. I had a few opportunities to participate in Equine Assisted Therapy programs as an intern during my graduate studies. That's why, when I met Jennifer Twomey from Racing to Relate, I took the opportunity to be part of this pioneering and collaborative project, and I'm thrilled to contribute to this research. I'm convinced that a better understanding of the thoroughbred personality traits and suitability of horses for EAT is essential for equine and human welfare.”

The main aim of the research is to create a create a global standard for selection and training, to help the racing industry to improve welfare support for off-track racehorses going into a career in EAT. The research will help industry and stakeholders to improve Thoroughbred welfare through a successful transition to their new career in EAT.

Little research has been carried out on the welfare of horses within EAT programs, and especially on the impact it may have on their wellbeing. In particular, this research will analyze the educational process for all horses within the EAT sector, to gain a clearer picture of why and how horses are selected for particular roles. The aim is to fully understand the current selection and training methods within the sector and identify specific characteristics of the thoroughbred, which are suited to a career in EAT. The study will also explore details of the life and routine of equines within EAT, examining existing perceptions and considerations of horse welfare.

Dr. Mathilde Valenchon, Research Fellow at the Bristol Vet School and co-supervisor of the PhD project, added: “I am delighted we successfully developed this research project to understand and facilitate the involvement of ex-racehorses in EAT activities. I have been studying equine behavior, cognition and welfare for the past 12 years. I have always been impressed by the thoroughbred's sensitivity and adaptability. I am thrilled to contribute to a better knowledge of their suitability for EAT and the development of standards, as this will significantly and positively impact the horses' welfare, as well as people's. I am especially proud that our research includes the horse's perspective.”

Dr. Siobhan Mullan, Senior Research Fellow at Bristol Vet School and co-supervisor of the PhD project, said: “Thoroughbred horses involved in EAT programs are performing a really special and valuable role in society, and yet little formal research has been done to understand how to optimize their welfare throughout their transition from racehorse to therapy horse and in the course of their new career. I'm heartened by the interest around the world in using the results of our research to develop standards which will have a long-lasting impact on horse welfare.”

Antioxidants For GGT Syndrome In Training Racehorses

Blood analyses of Thoroughbred racehorses can reveal elevations in the enzyme gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT). In what appear to be otherwise healthy horses, the significance of these high GGT values remains unclear. Using advanced metabolomic, viral and chemistry techniques, veterinarians suggest that “GGT syndrome” in fit racehorses could be related to oxidative stress.

“The horse's body produces excess GGT in the face of liver, pancreatic, and kidney disease, particularly injury to the bile duct. Concomitant increases in other liver enzymes, however, usually do not occur, suggesting that primary liver disease does not explain elevated GGT levels seen in racehorses,” explained Peter Huntington, B.V.Sc., M.A.C.V.Sc., director of nutrition, Kentucky Equine Research.

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Elevated GGT levels may be caused by:

Hypoxia (decreased oxygen reaching tissues);
Infection;
Toxicity (e.g., pyrrolizidine alkaloids from toxic plants);
Liver injury;
Hepatic glycogen depletion and repletion;
Overtraining; and
Oxidative stress associated with inadequate selenium or glutathione

Previous studies show that GGT levels tend to increase with racing frequency and cumulative training load and then decrease with recovery. This trend in GGT raises the possibility that oxidative stress and oxidative depletion play a role in the syndrome.

In a recent study, veterinarians collected blood samples from Thoroughbred racehorses.^* GGT values were analyzed, as were other liver values, selenium levels, viral load, and metabolomics. Comparisons were made between horses that did and did not have elevated GGT.

“Many of the potential causes of GGT syndrome were ruled out based on this testing, including viral hepatitis. One particularly interesting finding was that while selenium concentrations in horses with high GGT levels were within normal limits, they were significantly lower than selenium levels in horses with normal GGT,” noted Huntington.

These low selenium levels were reported in earlier studies and may reflect reduced antioxidant capacity related to oxidative stress. That said, one investigation found that selenium supplementation did not prevent increased levels of GGT in racehorses in training. In contrast, supplementation with the powerful antioxidant coenzyme Q10, such as Nano-Q10, can increase serum coenzyme Q10 levels.

“Racehorses in training with higher coenzyme Q10 levels had significantly lower GGT levels in one study. In addition, supplementation with EO-3, a marine-derived omega-3 fatty acid supplement, was associated with a significant reduction in GGT levels in horses in training,” Huntington said.

Overall, GGT syndrome is likely multifactorial rather than a result of a single mechanism, including oxidative stress. But, according to Huntington, there are some nutritional strategies that may be used to manage it, such as supplementing the horse's diet with antioxidants.

^*Mann, S., J.D. Ramsay, J.J. Wakshlag, T. Stokol, S. Reed, and T.J. Divers. 2021. Investigating the pathogenesis of high-serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity in Thoroughbred racehorses: A series of case-control studies. Equine Veterinary Journal:13435.

Reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research. Visit ker.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to Equinews to receive these articles directly

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Zulu Alpha Retired to Old Friends

Grade I winner Zulu Alpha (Street Cry {Ire}–Zori, by A.P. Indy) has been scratched out of Saturday's GII Calumet Turf Cup and Kentucky Downs and will be retired from racing. The 8-year-old will take up residence at Old Friends.

“I'm going to scratch Zulu,” Hui told the KY Downs notes team. “He's going to be retired to Old Friends. There's not a whole lot that's physically wrong with him. After consultation with Mike this weekend, he just believes he will not be competitive at this level.”

Claimed by Hui and Ortiz for $80,000 out of a winning effort at Churchill Downs in September of 2018, Zulu Alpha won the GIII Sycamore S. in his first start for those connections and was subsequently transferred to Mike Maker. Capturing the GIII W.L. McKnight S.and GII Mac Diarmida S. at the start of 2019, the gelding took the GIII Kentucky Turf Cup S. later that season.

Scoring a career high with a win in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. in 2020, Zulu Alpha followed suit with asuccessful title defense in the Mac Diarmida and won the GII TVG Elkhorn S. two starts after that. Shelved after finishing third in the 2020 Kentucky Turf Cup last September, he was off the board in his two starts this year in the July 17 GIII Arlington S. and GI Mr. D. S. Aug. 14. Zulu Alpha retires with 12 wins from 37 starts and hit the board an additional 11 times, earning $2,269,084.

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