stress | Horse Racing Free Tips

Brain Waves And Equine Welfare

While not the most widely available diagnostic option, measuring the brain waves of horses shows promise as an objective tool for assessing stress and welfare in horses. Often equine welfare is assessed by how people feel when they find animals in particular situations, rather than on scientific findings, Drs. Nora de Camp, Mechthild Ladwig-Wiegard, Carola Geitner, Jürgen Bergeler and Christa Thöne-Reineke note.

The study team created a pilot study to see if an electroencephalogram (EEG) could be used to objectively measure animal welfare and associated physiological states. An EEG detects electrical activity in the brain. The researchers used three adult horses for the study. The horses were recorded for 30 minutes a day for six days. On each day, they were either resting or placed in stocks for a veterinary treatment, which is stressful to horses.

EEG readings were taken throughout and the videos were assessed on the science-based Horse Grimace Scale. The researchers reported that they were able to see differences in EEG activity between the rest and stress phases of the study, which corresponded with significant changes in the Horse Grimace Scale scores.

They conclude that EEGs may be used as a tool to objectively asses animal welfare and well-being. They note that a crossover into human medicine is also a possibility; EEGs could be used as a tool to help determine the comfort level of people who are unable to actively communicate.

Read the full study here.

Is Racing ‘Natural?’ Industry Participants And Animal Advocates Respond

Thoroughbred industry participants and animal welfare advocates often have differing views over how natural racing truly is. Those involved in the racing industry often say that “horses love to race,” even when presented with equine behaviors that don't support this idea. Industry enthusiasts also tend to claim that horses are hardwired to run if given the opportunity. This claim is unsubstantiated as horses in the wild spend the majority of their time grazing and walking, rarely galloping, researchers report.

University of Sydney researcher Dr. Iris Bergmann notes that the equation between horses moving freely and the regimented training protocol many racehorses undergo seems to be flawed. Bergmann created a study, recently published in the peer-reviewed, open-access journal Animals, in which researchers interviewed nine Thoroughbred senior and executive-level industry participants from the United States and Australia, as well as from one international organization. Seven people affiliated with animal advocacy groups also participated. They were from Australia, Britain and the United States.

Bergmann showed each participant four racing-related images (which can be seen here) and sought their opinions. She found that the people involved in the racing industry used assumptions of Thoroughbred nature as explanations for their expressions and behaviors; for example, that the horses are “hot” and needed various methods and means to control them.

For Bergmann, this implies that those involved in the industry normalize and occasionally downplay the behavior and expression of Thoroughbreds. Industry participants viewed the images they were shown more as visual issues than equine welfare problems, holding to the idea that the horse is actually excited and ready to race. Bergmann notes that this reaction is consistent with the view that racing is a natural activity for Thoroughbreds.

Study participants from the animal welfare organizations felt that Thoroughbreds have become a product of human breeding. These individuals viewed the images as expressions of stress and anxiety. They reported that they felt these horses were “hot” because of the practices used on them to encourage them to race. These advocates also cited a problem with the images, but they feel it involved the lack of public visibility of other welfare issues facing racing Thoroughbreds.

Bergmann's study concluded that the way “naturalness” for horses is viewed directly impacts the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds; the problem is much broader than what those involved in the industry consider attention-worthy. Bergmann believes that the industry's limited interest in addressing common handling, training and racing practices poses significant threats to Thoroughbred welfare and questions the legitimacy of the industry as a whole.

Read the full study here.

‘Vacations’ Not Always Relaxing For Horses

Though vacations can be a good way to relieve stress and relax for humans, new research has found that the same can't be said for horses that experience time off from work. A study out of Spain shows that horses that are in work regularly become stressed when they're turned out for a lengthy break. However, after a few weeks, the horse's stress levels decrease, allowing them to get in some quality vacation time, reports The Horse.

Dr. Manel Lopez-Bejar, of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, noted that the downtime is difficult on horses as it changes almost everything about their environment, including feeding, management and work routines.

Lopez-Bejar and a study team tested eight Spanish stallions owned by the Municipal Police of Barcelona, Spain, for stress caused by an increase in leisure time. The horses were turned out in a pasture for three weeks and not worked. The researchers clipped hair from each horse's abdomen once a month from August through February to analyze the hair for the presence of long-term stress, denoted in the cortisol levels. Five police stallions were used as controls and had their hair samples taken from November to October.

The police horses went on vacation during the last 22 days in August. They were removed from the stalls where they are traditionally housed while working, loaded on a van for a 45-minute trip and turned out in fields. The horses had no set routines and were exposed to unknown caretakers and horses.

The researchers found a significant increase in cortisol in the hair samples during the rest period. Though the move itself didn't stress the horses, everything else that lasted throughout the period did. Lopez-Bejar noted that this doesn't indicate that a vacation is bad, but that the horse is responding physiologically to an environmental change. The cortisol response should return to normal once the horse adapts to his new environment.

It's important to ensure that the horses don't remain in a constant state of stress, however, as this could compromise his welfare. When giving horses time off, it's imperative to monitor him to be sure he's adapting to his new normal—no matter how long that will be.

A Spotlight on Stress in the Era of COVID: Price Bell

Working in racing has always been a stressful occupation; a roller-coaster of emotions, triumphs and tragedies, long hours and travel. Add a global pandemic and unprecedented economic worry, with many participants fearing for their health, livelihoods and businesses, and the stress can become almost overwhelming. It’s the sort of topic many people don’t like to talk about, but we asked several industry participants to open about what particular stresses they were feeling during these very concerning times, and how they were dealing with them.

PRICE BELL, Mill Ridge Farm

We are very lucky. My godfather spent 20 days in the ICU due to COVID-19 and twice was presented DNR papers to sign, giving him 30 minutes to improve his oxygen saturation levels prior to intubating him.

He is home- still recovering, but home. He was diagnosed on March 16^th. We spoke on March 18^th and at that time, “it was not as bad as the flu, just more aggravating.” On March 20th he was admitted to the hospital, March 22nd the ICU and discharged home on April 12th. He is still recovering, but can now walk for 30 minutes. He played fullback for Coach Parcells at Vanderbilt, and on March 15th he was in the best shape of his life. We are lucky.

It is really hard. Like many, Beth and I both work full-time. Trying to excel in our professions, parent/teach/keep it on the rails with our two children (five and three) and have a relationship is impossible. The peace of two sleeping children is often our greatest victory.

Perspective, patience and community have been key to “handling” the stress of the pandemic.

Perspective that our health, the health of our team, the health of their families and the health of our families and loved ones is paramount.

Patience that we are all going through this together. We have to be patient with each other because it’s impossible to know if someone is up or down on the “coronacoaster.” I can’t say that I always have perspective and patience, but it’s something I am consciously working towards.

Our community has provided us with plenty of silver linings. We have felt great joy in sharing Mill Ridge on virtual tours, we have had many family picnics that never would have occurred because we would have been “too busy” in the past and we have forged relationships with plenty of neighbors with whom we would have normally only shared a passing hello. And, the love I felt at the outpouring of support when I tested positive for COVID-19 recently and had to isolate away from my family for 11 days. I was lucky and asymptomatic.

We will get through this and be stronger together.

Would you be willing to share your thoughts on stress during this particularly difficult time? Email the TDN’s Katie Ritz at katieritz@thetdn.com or Sue Finley at suefinley@thetdn.com.

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