For a start we have made it through storms Isha and Jocelyn with the loss of only one roof tile and a fence panel. There were no loose horses or fallers, and there has been no ice under the hooves of the fresh horses just back from their winter holidays. These sound like minor considerations, but in a small stable, when the horses who live below and the staff who come in every day to ride them feel like family members, every day that passes without dramatic incident is a good day. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't skip around every minute of the day being irritatingly upbeat. I have grave concerns over the way racing is heading in some areas, particularly that so many people seem willing to gamble on trading horses but have no interest in racing them. With little acknowledgement of their importance to the Levy, the paltry level of funding for lower-tier races is making it increasingly unsustainable for many of the sport's smaller participants to continue and is in part deterring others to get involved. It is becoming harder not to conclude that there is now no place for the small breeder, the small owner or the small trainer with their lesser horses. That would be a shame. 

In the long history of sport, fans have deified the very best, and rightly so. We all need a Pele, a Piggott, a Klopp or a Cecil to sprinkle a little magic. But the sporting public also loves an underdog. Only recently, the exploits of Hewick on Boxing Day reminded us of this. And I long to see another horse of the ilk of Sergeant Cecil or Speciosa in the hands of trainers whose talents lack only the supply of horses. 

For a start, what a story. Fresh faces, a new narrative. And then there's the knock-on effect; the hope brought to others in a similar situation, that encouragement to roll the dice. 

Racing has always been built on dreams. People come and people go, and new people replace them with that same old dream. Retention is important, of course, and it is hard not to look upon last week's announcement from Andrew and Gemma Brown of Caldwell Construction with anything other than concern. Here are owners who have enjoyed major success, with some exciting young National Hunt prospects on their hands, withdrawing from racing and dispersing their stock, apparently following three recent fatalities among their string. One can sympathise with the Browns while wondering how long jump racing will be tolerated by the general public, particularly in Britain. 

Among the other issues of the day are prize-money, concerns over Britain and Ireland becoming nurseries for other racing nations with deeper pockets, and the hoovering up of top-class stallion prospects by our friends in Japan. Well, guess what. None of this is new. 

'No Racing and no Money as 1968 comes in' ran the cheery headline on the editorial leader in the February 1968 edition of Stud And Stable. Britain was then in the grip of a foot-and-mouth epidemic which had halted racing during the previous December (the same disease later caused the cancellation of the Cheltenham Festival of 2001). Remarkably, the December Sales of 1967 had been permitted to go ahead by the government under strict protocols and they recorded some notable returns despite some epidemic-enforced withdrawals. Sound familiar? 

Vaguely Noble sold for a record 136,000 guineas, and he was far from the only high-priced lot to fall into the hands of owners from overseas.

The gloomy leader stated, “Already supported by racing programmes that justified the payment of high prices, French and American buyers were afforded a field day.”

It continued, “Throughout the century, England and Ireland have acted as a storehouse from which to supply the world's Thoroughbred requirements. This year's December Sales raised more dramatically than ever the question of how long we shall be able to go on doing so unless we can increase our prizes and keep the best at home.”

These words, written 56 years ago, could so easily have been penned today.

Elsewhere in the same magazine there was a short report on the sale of the stallions Larkspur and Hard Ridden to Japan, which began, “Following on from the rather alarming foreign purchases of the top lots at the Newmarket December Sales comes news of the export to Japan of two Derby winners.” Again, this has a familiar ring of recency to it (as did an advertisement in the same edition for Rathduff Stud's promising young stallion by the name of Cracksman).

In fact, the only thing that felt a little different in this edition of Stud And Stable from 1968 was a photograph of the packed stands at the Curragh in an advert for the Irish Sweeps Derby which boasted of the higher average prices of yearlings with Irish Derby entries. Just don't tell Patrick Cooper or he might write another letter. 

Over the years we have had epidemics of the human and bovine variety temporarily halt racing in its tracks. It would have felt catastrophic at the time, and the worry of the months of April and May 2020 in particular is still fresh in the mind. 

Somehow, though, this industry bounces back, often stronger than ever. 

Racing limped on, restricted and reduced, through the far graver years of the Second World War. The Derby and the Oaks were run at Newmarket, but at least they took place. It must be said that the influential owner-breeders of the day played a major role in persuading the government that a certain amount of racing must continue for the morale of the people, not to mention the important continuation and testing of the breed on the racecourse.

And yet even in those desperate times we find in the Bloodstock Breeders' Review similar buoyancy at the sales, which is quite staggering considering what was taking place in the real world. A report written in the sixth year of war concluded, “Bloodstock Sales in 1944 showed the highest aggregate ever known…The December Sales results alone beat all hitherto established records…The same story is to be recorded regarding the Dublin Sales. All records were surpassed by the results in 1944.”

I've lost track of the times I've reported on a “record-breaking” sale over the last decade. Of course the vitality of the bloodstock market should not be confused with the overall health of racing. As stated, an increased number of people treat the sales like the stock market and are not involved beyond that, while plenty of money that changes hand comes from foreign investors. 

That's not all bad though. We have always needed international interest in our bloodstock market, and the breed itself needs it. Many of those investors hail from countries which are not conducive to the breeding and rearing of horses, and the fact that the green and pleasant lands of Britain and Ireland are ideally suited to that pursuit has not gone unnoticed by those from overseas who have decided to establish their own breeding operations in this part of the world. 

And yes, to a degree, it is facetious to imply that little has changed. Glancing through those old books and magazines, the most telling difference is that there were once so many small, independent studs that each stood a stallion or two. Now, many have been subsumed by those major investors whose breeding operations have become empires. Whether that is good or bad is almost a moot point. It's different, but we still have the choice of a large range of stallions, with many of the best in the world standing in these isles.

None of this means that we can simply think all is well and turn to complacency. Those quickly expanding racing programmes in the Middle East will need more and more horses to meet their demands, at a rate and standard which exceeds the potential of their local breeding industries. In part that is good news for European breeders, but it may well prove detrimental to racing here.

A personal gripe is how much owners appear to be encouraged to sell on a horse as soon as it shows a glimmer of talent. Obviously lucrative offers are hard to turn down, and horses can suddenly be lame in the blink of an eye, so this isn't pointing the finger of blame at anyone who has cashed in. But what happened to that dream? Isn't it what drew people in in the first place, the chance to race a top horse? 

There really is nothing like the thrill of being connected to a winner, whether in a syndicate or as a sole owner-breeder. That's the dream we should be selling, for no get-rich-quick scheme can equal that high.

The politics of racing can certainly detract from our enjoyment of the sport if we let it. So it's time to stop doom-scrolling. Put down your phone and get yourself out to a paddock or a racecourse to marvel at the beauty of the Thoroughbred. The start of the Flat turf season is now but two months away and the foaling barns are once again filling up with the stars of the future. 

If we get it right now and treat these wonderful creatures with the respect they deserve throughout their lives, then there is hope that in another 80 years the bloodstock journalists of the future will be writing about yet more sales records and why the Irish Derby should remain at a mile and a half. 

The post Cheer Up, It Might Never Happen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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One of Australia's finest equine properties, Strawberry Hill Stud, is set to continue its role as an industry leader with the famed thoroughbred nursery purchased by Coolmore Australia for an undisclosed amount.

And they are very pleased to have done so with Tom Magnier telling The Thoroughbred Report, “You just don't see places like that anywhere in the world go on the market.”

“The facilities are top class, everything has been done to the highest of standards,” he said, adding that not much needs to be done at the Mount White farm–“It is already at a Coolmore standard!

“It is all down to John's passion, there is no farm like it in Australia–it is just an unbelievable property, and one with such great proximity to Sydney.”

Ideally located just 58km north of Sydney, Strawberry Hill was named in honour of Singleton's great galloper Strawberry Road (Aus) (Whiskey Road).

A horse who so famously travelled the world, adding to his four local Group 1 victories (the 1983 WS Cox Plate, the 1983 AJC Derby, the 1983 Queensland Derby and the 1983 Rosehill Guineas) another two overseas–the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden in Germany and the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France.

“The first time we saw the farm we knew we had to have it,” Magnier said, adding that whilst exact plans are still being formulated for its use alongside Coolmore's current properties, it is likely that “by the end of this spring carnival we will have horses spelling there.”

A Historic Property

Magnier is not only excited to see Strawberry Hill become part of the Coolmore Australia story due to the advantages of the farm but also because of its history.

“It is a huge thing for Coolmore to be able to continue the legacy that John has built. It is a historic property that has the famous results on the board… it is truly one of the most iconic properties in Australia.”

One that has been built up over the decades with Tom respectful of the “time, effort and passion that John and his family have put into this farm.”

“It takes decades to develop a farm to this standard and the attention to detail was something we noticed from the minute we drove in,” he said.

Looking forward to the farm becoming “a world-class spelling farm for the best horses,” Magnier said that Coolmore had “searched for a long time to find the right place and it is a huge thrill to end up with Strawberry Hill.”

Singleton's Legacy Lives On

Singleton dispersed his considerable thoroughbred assets via a Magic Millions sale in late August, one which saw the likes of Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, the China Horse Club, Newgate Farm, Go Bloodstock, Trilogy Racing, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing, Kestrel Racing, Highway Farm (Yulong), Kingstar Farm and Kia Ora Stud secure quality bloodstock.

The sale saw 55 lots sell at a gross of A$15.497 million with the top-priced seller being the regally bred G2 Tea Rose S. winner Miss Fabulass (Aus) (Frankel {GB}), a daughter of the Australian Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Samantha Miss (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) who was knocked down for A$1.85 million to Highway Farm (Yulong).

Magic Millions' Managing Director Barry Bowditch is happy at the outcome, noting that “one of the most successful thoroughbred breeding and racing operations globally, Coolmore identified from first inspection that this property was world-class and that it was an opportunity not to be missed.”

“It is a fantastic outcome,” Bowditch said.

And Clint Donovan, Director of Donovan & Co, agreed.

“It has been a pleasure representing John Singleton and the Singleton Group in facilitating this substantial transaction in partnership with Magic Millions,” he said.

“Strawberry Hill Stud is the pinnacle of equine farms of its size nationwide–the love, heart and soul poured into the farm by John over a number of years was clearly evident to all that visited this magical property.

“The result of the Coolmore Australia purchase is a fitting next chapter for this incredible piece of the country.”

The post Coolmore Australia Secures Strawberry Hill Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Using tens of thousands of data records from prominent breeding nations across the world, Dr Pagan not only looks at the relationship between foal size and their achievements in the sales ring or on the racecourse but also, and perhaps most crucially, skeletal soundness.

With the benefit of international analysis on a scale never before seen in this field, the findings are significant; providing breeders and stud farmers with the knowledge to potentially adjust practices in pursuit of most favourable future outcomes.

What affects a foal's birthweight?

Before digging into the correlation between foal size and performance, the research initially highlights the factors affecting a foal's birthweight in the first place. 

Assessing a pool of over 3,000 birthweights, the basics show that in every region fillies were 1.5kg smaller than colts and America bred the heaviest foals, followed by the UK, with the lightest being born in Australia.

In addition to gender and region, one of the most significant elements to affect birthweight is the number of foals that a mare has had before – also referred to as parity. It may come as little surprise that maiden mares produce the smallest foals but most interestingly these first foals were on average 15% lighter than those out of mares that had already produced more than two foals previously (multiparous mares); adding scientific significance to the anecdotal 'first foal' theory.

The month of birth had a considerable impact on the weight of foals as well, with those born earlier in the season much lighter than those born later on. Of course, the likelihood that maiden mares are often bred towards the beginning of the season might explain some of the reason why January and February foals were lighter. However, equal gravity may be given to the availability of better pasture for mares foaling in springtime (April and May), with Dr Pagan suggesting that nutrition of mares at the time of foaling is also an important determinant of birthweight. 

Does yearling size affect sales price and racing performance?

As the study continues, percentiles and quartiles are referred to in order to make comparisons among varying sets of data. In simple terms, percentiles rank the size of an individual based on its age and gender in relation to a wider population on a scale from 1 to 100, while quartiles divide this further into quarters. The first quartile is the bottom 25%, the fourth quartile refers to the top 25% and so on.

Dr Pagan's research goes on to look at the relationship between the size of yearlings – measured by both body weight and wither height – and sales price, as well as racing performance. 

At the Kentucky yearling sales, a premium was paid for the biggest yearlings available – 55% of yearlings purchased for over $250,000 were in the fourth quartile for weight and 75% of those purchased were in the third and fourth quartiles for height. 

In the UK, the situation was a little different. Purchasers at the sales on this side of the Atlantic preferred a lighter yearling, with 70% of those sold for over £200,000 being in the second and third quartiles for weight; the same was evident for wither height; UK buyers favouring a slightly shorter type (59% being in the second and third quartile). 

Regular transatlantic racegoers and sales attendees might find these differing trends unsurprising given the powerful model of equine athletes that run over dirt in the US versus the slighter frames of those that compete on the turf in the UK. 

And here's the thing: 43% of Kentucky stakes winners were also in the fourth quartile for weight as yearlings and 62% were in the third and fourth quartiles for height. Proving that, fundamentally, the heaviest and tallest yearlings which found the highest favour at the sales in Kentucky, also achieved greatest success on the racecourse.

Reassuringly, racecourse results in the UK also stack up with yearling sales trends, whereby horses in the second quartile for yearling weight also took home the highest number of stakes races on home turf. 

How does foal size affect OCD and racing performance?

Having established factors affecting birthweights and, subsequently, yearling size in relation to sales results and racing prowess, the study moves on to analyse trends in skeletal soundness. For the purposes of this study, this may be defined by the incidence of surgery for osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). 

When looking at foal size and its correlation with skeletal soundness, results clearly show that during early life (1-90 days old) foals that had OCD surgery were far heavier than those that did not have surgery or, indeed, those that became stakes winners.

It is important to note, however, that as foals grew to become weanlings and yearlings (241-360 days old) weight no longer had a significant effect on OCD surgery. When it came to height though, the tallest foals at all age ranges (0-360 days old) had the highest incidence of OCD surgeries than any other groups.

When solely looking at birthweights, research highlighted that the very heaviest foals (born in excess of 64kg) were twice as likely to have OCD surgery than the rest of the population (foals born under 64kg) and only one-third as likely to win a stakes race.

Put simply, skeletal unsoundness was most prevalent in the heaviest-born foals but had less significance in foals that were of normal size and grew to become heavy weanlings or yearlings. And while weight caused most issues in the early life of foals, height was relevant throughout the first year, with the very tallest foals being at most risk and having the highest incidence of OCD surgery.

These findings neatly tie-in with the fact that foals that went on to reach the top of their game and win stakes races were a normal size as foals and became heavier, but not taller, as weanlings and yearlings. Still following? Basically, you're better off having an average-sized foal at birth that becomes a big yearling than a big foal from the start.

Does month of birth and parity have an impact on skeletal soundness?

The early part of Dr Pagan's study clearly showed that a foal's birthweight was significantly affected by the number of foals a mare had had previously, and also their month of birth. It goes on to highlight the strong relationship between these factors and the likelihood of OCD surgery. 

In Kentucky, foals born in April had by far the highest incidence of OCD surgery, while in the UK it was May-born foals that had most skeletal unsoundness. It is then perhaps no coincidence that the heaviest foals were born in April in Kentucky and May in the UK – emphasising further still the correlation between birthweight and OCD surgery.

Evidence showed that primiparous (maiden) mares produced foals that were less likely to have OCD surgery than mares that had had foals previously which would also make sense, given what we learnt earlier about maiden mares producing lighter foals compared to their more experienced counterparts. 

While parity in mares, can go some way to explaining why birthweights are higher and OCD surgery is more likely in foals born in the spring – because maiden mares are generally bred earliest in the season – the study places as much importance on the level of forage available around the time of foaling which can impact the nutrient intake of mares, foetal growth and milk production.

It suggests that being able to adjust a controllable element such as nutrition through understanding how a mare's due date and parity could affect its foal's birthweight, there is potential to improve sales-ring success and athletic ability, not to mention skeletal soundness.

Conclusion

So, what's the take-home message? In truth, there are many. And to reduce this level of research into a single sentence is possibly a disservice. But in basic terms, size really does matter, and it matters most during the early life of foals. So where size – and specifically birthweights – can be manipulated through feeding practices then so much the better.

Presentations by Dr Joe Pagan and Nick Wingfield Digby MRCVS at Saracen's Thoroughbred Growth Forum last June can be found via this link.

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The seasons were donated by breeders in six states, including several leading farms in Central Kentucky. To date, the sale has raised over $600,000 for the PDJF.

“The season donors as well as the buyers in both racing industries upped their game this year to help those former jockeys who gave a big part of lives to this sport and we thank them all,” said Jockeys and Jeans President Barry Pearl.

Jockeys and Jeans, founded in late 2014 by five former jockeys, has raised over $2.7 million for the PDJF through an annual fund-raising event and stallion season sale.

The post Jockeys And Jeans Stallion Season Sale Reports Gains Over 2022 Totals appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Kirsten Rausing, ITBF Chairman, said, “Over the years, through members meeting face to face at the Conferences, ITBF has been able to disseminate a vast and ever-increasing amount of equine information to benefit countries across the globe…We are delighted to be welcoming so many representatives from various ITBF member countries to Newmarket. This meeting is set to increase, by almost two-fold, the number of members who attended the last two conferences.”

For full details, visit the ITBF website.

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Godolphin Flying Start is an excellent way to learn and experience the Thoroughbred industry worldwide. As we are currently in the Australian phase, I have been looking into some differences between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere breeding schedules, and how the shorter Australian breeding season affects stud farms and stallions. I then offer solutions to the challenges Australian breeders, stud farms and stallions face.

Northern Hemisphere Thoroughbreds turn a year older on Jan. 1, with the covering season officially opening on Feb. 14; however, mares will sometimes be covered earlier, but their foals are not permitted to be registered as born the following year if they foal prior to Jan. 1. In the Southern Hemisphere, all Thoroughbreds have their birthday on Aug. 1, even if they are foaled in July, but no Thoroughbred can be bred before Sept. 1. Aug. 1 has been the official birthday of Thoroughbreds in the Southern Hemisphere since the inception of the Stud Book in 1860, but the strict date of covering only came into play in 2001. This rule was enforced by John Digby (keeper of the Stud Book) when he discovered an extraordinary number of foals were born on Aug. 1. He then decided the easiest way to regulate the birthday of foals was to set a start date to the covering season.

The season in Australia, as a result, is much shorter than in Europe. If you consider the commercial European season to take place between Feb. 1 and June 1, there is a total of 120 days when a mare can conceive. In a typical mare, this allows for 5.7 breeding cycles. In the Southern Hemisphere, a commercial breeding season usually runs from Sept. 1 until Dec. 1, a total of 90 days and 4.3 cycles for the mare to conceive. This shorter time frame puts significantly higher pressure on vets, stud farms and stallions to achieve pregnancies.

There are several reasons why Australian breeders are reluctant to breed into December. First, it's less profitable to have a November yearling versus an August yearling in the sales ring: over the last five years, November foals were 36% cheaper than August foals at all yearling sales.

Second, they are a lot less likely to be accepted at major sales unless they are exceptional types or have deep pedigrees; only 3.8% of the yearlings at the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale were November foals. The whole Australian breeding model at present focuses on 2-year-old speed and it is widely accepted that November foals are at a disadvantage during their 2-year-old career.

I believe another reason for decreased breeding in December is due to lack of staff. By Dec. 1 most farms have begun on-farm inspections for Magic Millions, which means more staff will switch to yearling operations.

The European model of breeding for 3-year-old Classics allows breeders to cover into June and beyond as later foals have more time to catch up with their peers. The additional month is beneficial to the welfare of stallions and mares. There is less pressure on stallions to cover large books over a short period, which leads to a positive correlation with fertility and libido.

I do not believe the Australian breeding sector can sustain the model they are using; however, I believe there are a few possible solutions.

First, stallion farms could blanket discount any mares covered in December to incentivise breeders to cover later in the year and offset the discount they are likely to receive in the sales ring as yearlings. A possibility for a scheme to encourage the racing of November foals would also incentivise buyers, which would increase the number of mares bred in December.

Second, moving the date of birth of Southern Hemisphere Thoroughbreds to July 1 and setting the covering date to Aug. 14 in line with the Northern Hemisphere. This would give mares over five cycles to conceive, which would increase conception rates, decrease the pressure on stallions and decrease the pressure on vets and farms.

Conversely, this does raise the issue that a longer season may mean more mares covered by individual stallions, but I believe overall it is for the benefit of the Australian industry. Stallions are under far more pressure now than they were in 2001. There are half as many stallions covering–stallion numbers in Australia are down 53% in the last 18 years. The foal crop is also decreasing rapidly; it is down 29% since 2001 to just under 13,000.

This is a serious issue for the Australian industry. The extra time on either side of the season would increase pregnancies and thus increase the foal crop.

The post Global Views: Challenges Of Southern Hemisphere Covering Practices appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Owners Christine and Vince Cagle have spent the morning contacting broodmare owners to alert to their loss as well as working with surrounding farms and veterinarian agencies to make arrangements for surviving horses. A final count of horses perished and those injured has not been made as of press time.

As of press time, a cause has not been confirmed. South Central Indiana experienced high winds and dropping temperatures throughout the past couple of days.

Updates regarding the fire will be made as more information is discovered. For now, the family asks for privacy and respect for the horses, owners and everyone involved.

The post Indiana’s Springcliff Farm Destroyed By Fire, Number Of Horses Lost Unknown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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According to Ray Smith, researcher and forage extension specialist in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, above-average temperatures and rainfall in the past several weeks have resulted in good pasture growth on horse farms across the region. While this is great news for many horse owners because it will prolong grazing and delay hay feeding, they should monitor the situation for early foaling broodmares.

“Typically, we don't worry about early foaling mares because the cold weather takes care of ergovaline concentrations. But the cold snaps we have had so far have been brief and quickly rebounded to above-average temperatures, keeping tall fescue green and growing into the winter months,” Smith said.

Generally, ergovaline, the toxin produced by the endophyte commonly found in tall fescue, decreases rapidly once temperatures fall into the teens and grass growth is effectively stopped for the year. But because pasture grasses are growing deeper into winter than normal, this also means ergovaline production may continue. At the same time, other common pasture grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and orchardgrass are now dormant and therefore horses are less likely to graze them. Horses on pasture are likely consuming more tall fescue than they normally would in the spring and fall.

“Predicting when ergovaline concentrations will rise and fall is very difficult, so regular testing is still the best method we have. Managers should consider testing the tall fescue in pastures where early foaling mares are currently grazing,” said Krista Lea, coordinator of the UK Horse Pasture Evaluation Program. “Pastures with less than 200 parts per billion ergovaline are likely safe for those mares.”

According to Smith and Lea, broodmares are most affected by ergovaline in the last 60-90 days of pregnancy, so mares expected to foal before the first of March could be impacted by this unusual weather pattern and subsequent pasture growth. Pastures known to be higher in ergovaline in the spring and summer are more likely to be high now as well.

Mares negatively affected by ergovaline can have prolonged gestation, thickened placenta, red bag, poor milk production, dystocia and mare and foal mortality.

To reduce the risk to broodmares, horse owners and horse farm managers should feed hay and grain to reduce ergovaline concentration in the total diet or remove horses altogether from pastures containing tall fescue in the last 90 days of pregnancy.

Local county extension agents can help with pasture testing and submitting samples to the UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for ergovaline quantification. Pastures under 200 parts per billion are unlikely to cause significant issues in broodmares and will likely remain low until the spring green-up. Levels observed in early December are unlikely to affect other classes of horses or cattle. Sample handling is key, so be sure to read this publication on how to correctly sample for ergovaline.

The post Warmer Kentucky Winter Could Change Fescue Toxicosis In Broodmare Pastures appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A Thoroughbred is an athlete. Through centuries of crafting a vision and meticulous breeding to bring that vision to life, the Thoroughbred has become the wonder of horse lovers and sports lovers and the source of big business and cultural richness around the world.

The vision for the Thoroughbred started about 350 years ago with the goal of producing the ultimate racehorse, but the selective breeding to create horses that could excel at racing has also produced horses that can be successful at many other equine sports. That's because of what has become intrinsic to the breed beyond just physical prowess.

“The Thoroughbred looks out into the far distance,” said Chris Ryan, who has worked with Thoroughbreds at the highest levels of horse racing and eventing for more than four decades. “His horizon is way out there and he feels he can get there whenever he wishes. This gives him tremendous forward thinking. A horse thinking forward is going forward. Watch his ears!”

After finishing his education in 1976, Ryan entered the horse racing world, working with Thoroughbreds in both flat and jump racing, first for trainer Thomson Jones in the United Kingdom. He would then become head lad for trainer Jim Bolger in his native Ireland, among other roles as jockey, trainer, breeder, and sales producer. 

“A chestnut race mare, Stanerra, winner of two Group 1s, two Group 2s now upgraded to Group 1s, a Group 3, and European Champion Older Horse of her year, probably gave me the best insight into the Thoroughbred,” Ryan said. “I was on my own with her for long periods of time and got to know her so well and she me. What a privilege to be accepted by her to such a level you could tell what she was thinking while on her back and even at 200 yards distant.”

Ryan's understanding of what made Stanerra tick took the mare from winning just one of 13 starts as a 4-year-old in 1982 to winning two races in one week at Royal Ascot and then becoming the first European-trained winner of the Japan Cup in 1983.

Now, Ryan serves as a judge for the United States Eventing Association's Young Event Horse Series and Future Event Horse Series, where he evaluates the potential of horses to excel at the highest level of the equestrian sport of eventing that the website for the FEI, the international governing body for equestrian sports, dubs “the most complete combined competition discipline.”

“I love their intelligence, their beauty, their refinement, and their courage under fire,” Ryan said of the Thoroughbred. “Nature (100 percent genetics), and nurture (everything else) have given the Thoroughbred a most amazing anatomy and physique, a designer heart to lung ratio and a mind which can process data at speed which allows their engine to 'tick over' at an amazing 35 miles per hour — the Formula 1 of the equine species.”

Ryan's assessment of Thoroughbreds — now one that I'm embracing as I've gone from announcing horse races to eventing on OTTBs — is that the nature of the breed goes beyond its original intentions of racing. So, a Thoroughbred does not lose its nature once it finishes what those in horse racing perceive as its primary purpose. Nor does it take on a new identity if it goes from racing into a new sport like eventing or show jumping or barrel racing or any of the other disciplines that retired racehorses can now excel at as part of the Thoroughbred Makeover.

In fact, the qualities that the Thoroughbred possesses have inspired crossing other breeds with the Thoroughbred. For example, the Irish Sport Horse Stud Book that has excelled in eventing has developed through crossing with Thoroughbreds. 

Horses with a high percentage of Thoroughbred blood were some of the highest sellers at the recent Monart Sale and Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale for event horse prospects in Ireland.

“The Thoroughbred is the most noted Studbook improver,” said Ryan, who was the pedigree announcer for the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale.

From the sale of eventing prospects then to the highest level of the sport, the Thoroughbred has stood out.

“We saw in the recent excellent Maryland 5 Star cross country the ease of travel of the pure Thoroughbred and those with a high Thoroughbred influence,” Ryan said. “Those that lacked found it hard work.”

The author in his role as an announcer of OTTBs at Twin Rivers

The impact of the Thoroughbred goes beyond anything Captain Robert Byerly, Thomas Darley, and Lord Godolphin could have ever envisioned when they each imported a stallion from the Middle East that would bear their name and become the three foundation stallions for the modern Thoroughbred.

So, when you see a Thoroughbred leave the starting gate or the cross country start box or the barrel racing chute, it's an opportunity to appreciate how the breed has evolved over more than three centuries to be an elite sport horse, regardless of what that sport is.

Understanding and embracing the true nature of the Thoroughbred means that events like the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover, programs like The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program, and retired racehorses competing at horse shows can be appreciated as representations of the strengths of the breed, and not just something different that happens after a racing career ends. 

My next column, a conversation with outgoing Retired Racehorse Project executive director Jen Roytz, who, like Ryan, also has both a racing and sport horse background, will explore how the nurture side of Thoroughbreds' evolution through the racetrack has also prepared the breed for success as sport horses. 

Indeed, horse racing is the catalyst for the Thoroughbred's success across the entire equine world.

The post Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Thanks To Genetics, Thoroughbreds Are The Ultimate Shapeshifters appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Question: Why and when might a veterinarian decide to perform a C-section on a pregnant mare?

Dr. Rolf Embertson, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital: Most C-sections are performed as an emergency procedure in the horse. The procedure is usually performed when other methods to deliver a foal have failed. C-sections are infrequently performed during colic surgery on a term broodmare and infrequently performed as an elective procedure in the mare. Indications for the latter would include a compromised birth canal due to a previous pelvic fracture or soft tissue trauma, a compromised cervix, previous episodes of postpartum hemorrhage, and previous difficult dystocias.

Dr. Rolf Embertson

Before discussing success rates, a basic understanding of dystocia in the mare is warranted. Dystocia means difficult birth. In the mare, once the chorioallantoic membrane ruptures (the mare breaks water), a foal is usually delivered in about 20 minutes. If a foal is not delivered within about 45 minutes, the probability of foal survival starts to rapidly decrease. Thus, this can become a true emergency where minutes can make the difference in survival of the foal. Although less of an emergency for the mare, her reproductive future and even her life may also be at risk. The goal should be to deliver a live foal in a manner resulting in a live, reproductively sound mare.

There are essentially four procedures used to resolve dystocia in a mare. Assisted vaginal delivery (AVD) is when the mare is awake, possibly sedated, and is assisted in vaginal delivery of an intact foal. This is done primarily on the farm. Controlled vaginal delivery (CVD) is when the mare is anesthetized and the clinician is in complete control of delivering an intact foal vaginally. This is usually done in a hospital environment. Fetotomy is when a dead foal is reduced to more than one part to remove the foal vaginally from an awake or anesthetized mare. This can be done at the farm or in a hospital. C-section is when the foal is removed through an abdominal and uterine incision. This is best performed in a hospital. These procedures are used as needed to produce the most favorable result.

The success rate for live foals and live mares that go through a dystocia is significantly better when the farms are close to a hospital that can perform these procedures. This is primarily due to the duration of the dystocia prior to resolution, although this can be influenced by other factors. Realistic example: A mare breaks water and 15 to 20 minutes later, the foaling attendants realize they can't correct the head back posture of the foal. Within five to 10 minutes (now 20 to 30 minutes since the water broke) the mare is loaded on the trailer, the mare arrives at the hospital in 15 to 40 minutes (now 35 to 70 minutes into the foaling attempt). A brief exam, IV catheter placement, anesthetic induction within five to 10 minutes (now 40 to 80 minutes overall), attempt CVD for five to 15 minutes (now 45 to 95 minutes). If the attempt is not successful, the team will perform C-section, foal is delivered in 15 to 20 minutes from when the decision was made (now 60 to 115 minutes from when water broke).

Dystocia mares that are sent to our hospital go directly to a dedicated induction stall. The mare is anesthetized, her hind limbs hoisted so her pelvis is about three feet off the floor. The foal is examined, repositioned, the mare dropped to the floor, and the foal pulled out of the mare. This CVD procedure is successful in resolving about 75 percent of hospital dystocias. About 25 percent of the hospital dystocias are resolved by C-section.

Following CVD, about 39 percent of those foals survive to discharge from our hospital and about 94 percent of those mares survive to discharge from our hospital. Following C-section about 30 percent of those foals survive to discharge from our hospital and about 85 pecent of the mares survive to discharge from our hospital.

Elective C-sections have a better success rate. There is about a 95 percent survival to discharge rate for foals and about a 95 percent survival to discharge rate for mares.

Dr. Rolf Embertson graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 1976. He also attended Michigan State where he graduated from Veterinary School in 1979 followed by an internship at Illinois Equine Hospital. Dr. Embertson completed a Large Animal Surgery Residency at the University of Florida, followed by an Equine Surgery Residency at The Ohio State University. In 1986, he became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Embertson is a surgeon and shareholder at Rood & Riddle.  

The post Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: When To Perform A C-Section On A Pregnant Mare appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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