The strangles vaccine is the one exception: it should not be given if a horse's vaccination history is unknown. In rare cases, horses that have had strangles before and those that have been repeatedly vaccinated for the disease may have a serious complication called purpura hemorrhagica if they are vaccinated again, according to Dr. David Horohov of the Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington, Ky.

Purpura hemorrhagica is an immune reaction that causes the blood vessels in the head, legs, and abdomen to swell. This condition is painful for the horse as circulation is impaired. Horses with purpura hemorrhagica can be very depressed and it can take a long time for the swelling to abate. Purpura hemorrhagica can be fatal if it isn't treated effectively or in a timely manner.

Though the risk of purpura hemorrhagica is small, it's best to pull a strangles titer on a horse with an unknown history. The titer will show if a horse carries antibodies to Streptococcus equi. If he does show titers, he doesn't need to be vaccinated again.

Read more at EQUUS magazine.

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Beginning Oct. 10, wages for all current and future fully-vaccinated non-tipped, hourly team members will be raised to a minimum of $16 per hour. Tipped hourly team members will be raised to a minimum of $8.50 per hour and salaried team members will receive a 3% increase. Oaklawn's new starting annual salary for fully-vaccinated salaried team members will be $40,000 per year. Current team members are eligible for the vaccine incentive through Dec. 31.

“We live in challenging times right now,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “We are struggling to fill open positions and COVID is still hanging on. With the vaccine incentive, we are looking to change the financial health of our current and future team members. Most importantly, Oaklawn believes in protecting the health of our team members, their families and our community. The vaccine incentive, coming on the heels of the FDA approving the Pfizer vaccine, should move those unvaccinated to become vaccinated.”

New and seasonal Oaklawn team members after January 1, 2022 will be eligible for the vaccine incentive by providing a valid vaccination card.

In addition to the vaccine incentive, Oaklawn will continue its COVID cash incentive drawings, which began Aug. 1. In total, Oaklawn is giving away $45,000 to Team Members who have provided documentation showing they have been fully vaccinated.

Team members are required to wear masks while at work and Oaklawn continues to provide and encourage its team members to get a free vaccine.

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Several workers in other barns have shown positive tests for COVID-19 as well, and CEO Jim Lawson said increased monitoring will be taking place in those barns. Other measures include medical mask mandates and a push for vaccination of backstretch workers.

“We're going into a critical period here for the next few weeks, until we can get [everybody] vaccinated,” Lawson told the DRF. “We've taken every measure that we can, and we'll get through this.”

No date has been officially named for the start of Woodbine's 2021 season. The current stay-at-home order is scheduled to be lifted on May 20, but there is no guarantee the order won't be extended.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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Affected horses may have a fever, get a snotty nose and feel poorly. Horses with strangles develop swollen, sore lymph nodes, particularly under their jaw. These abscesses eventually open and drain pus, Antibiotics are not necessary in most cases. 

Horse Illustrated reports that there is a lot of misinformation surrounding the common and highly transmissible illness.

Some of the most common misconceptions about strangles include misunderstandings about how the disease spreads and how protect against it. Strangles is not spread through respiratory droplets in the air, but rather contact between horses or fomites — contaminated objects like buckets or halters. It also doesn't survive well in an outdoor environment or in soil. While there are vaccinations available for strangles, they may not be effective. Owners should consult a veterinarian for vaccine guidance.

Read more at Horse Illustrated. 

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The 11-day Big A spring meet will include 13 stakes worth $2.7 million in purses highlighted by the 96th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on Saturday, April 3. Live racing will be conducted on a Thursday-Sunday schedule with a 1:20 p.m. first post.

NYRA will continue to permit out of town jockeys to compete at Aqueduct during the 2021 spring meet. Those jockeys must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in New York State within 48 hours of the day they intend to compete at Aqueduct. Out of town jockeys will be provided isolated jockey quarters at Aqueduct.

Members of the regular NYRA jockey colony who travel to ride at any other racetrack during the Aqueduct spring meet will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in New York State within 48-hours of the day then intend to compete at Aqueduct. Jockeys who have traveled and returned to Aqueduct will be provided isolated jockey quarters at Aqueduct.

Beginning on April 1, all jockeys who have been fully vaccinated will no longer be required to undergo COVID-19 testing in order to compete at Aqueduct. Vaccinated jockeys traveling to ride at Aqueduct, as well as members of the NYRA jockey colony who travel outside of New York State, will continue to be provided isolated jockey quarters at Aqueduct.

According to current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, individuals are considered fully vaccinated 14 days or more after receiving the second dose in a two dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or 14 days or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson / Janssen). NYRA will adhere to the current CDC guidance regarding COVID-19 vaccination standards.

Beginning on April 1, all jockeys who have been fully vaccinated to the satisfaction of CDC guidelines will be permitted to enter NYRA barn areas for morning training. Jockeys who have not been fully vaccinated will not be permitted in the barn area but can continue to meet horses in the Belmont paddock and utilize the main track.

In accordance with current CDC guidelines, jockeys who have traveled internationally will be required to quarantine for seven days upon their return. Four days after arrival in the United States, the jockey must be tested for COVID-19. Upon receipt of a negative COVID-19 PCR test, and completion of the seven-day quarantine, the jockey may compete at Aqueduct. All jockeys who have traveled internationally will be provided isolated jockey quarters.

In addition to race day safety protocols which include standard health screening and temperature checks, the jockey quarters at Aqueduct have been substantially altered to provide maximum social distancing and reduce density. All areas accessed by jockeys during the regular course of a race day are closed to outside personnel, including credentialed media, and are cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.

Jockey agents must produce a negative COVID-19 PCR test in order to gain access to the barn area. Races will continue to be drawn via Zoom.

Beginning on April 1, jockey valets who have been fully vaccinated to the satisfaction of CDC guidelines may enter the barn area for morning training. In addition, jockey valets that have been working in the barn area and only saddling horses in the afternoon that have not been fully vaccinated may re-enter the jockeys quarters after completing a 10-day quarantine and providing a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48-hours of their intended return.

For additional information, and the complete stakes schedule for the 2021 Aqueduct spring meet, visit NYRA.com.

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Like human vaccines, many equine vaccinations are delivered intramuscularly. Though most horses will have a minimal reaction other than localized inflammation and soreness at the injection site, some horses may be stiff and unwilling to bend their neck.

While it's not recommended that the horse be worked intensely the day after he receives his shots, he can be ridden lightly the day of the vaccinations or the next day. This should make the sore muscles feel less stiff. After the first 48 hours, the horse can be returned to his normal exercise routine and intensity.

A horse should not be worked at all if he has significant swelling or stiffness, or if he has a fever. When in doubt, talk with the horse's treating veterinarian about what work, if any, they prefer the horse do.

Read more at EQUUS.

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The Retired Racehorse Project, the nonprofit organization that hosts the Thoroughbred Makeover each year, then provided email blasts, webinars and social media content on horse health, often on OTTB-specific topics. The RRP also provided reminders to competitors about things like vaccinations and microchip registration.

The horse-health push culminated in every horse competing in the Thoroughbred Makeover competition receiving an on-site veterinary exam. The horse had to pass the exam to be permitted to compete. Though overwhelming at the outset (veterinarians had a day and a half to complete the exams on over 350 retired racehorses), the process went very smoothly.

First, competitors had to present their vaccination record, proof of Coggins and microchip information to the vet team without their horses. Then, they brought their horses for a 30-minute exam. The ability to sign up for time slots ensured that vets weren't overwhelmed and horses weren't forced to wait for hours; competitors were able to schedule  their exam time around their stall setup and schooling schedules.

The veterinarian in charge of overseeing all of the staff and volunteers was Dr. Shannon Reed, an associate professor of equine surgery in The Ohio State University's Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. She and her team checked every horse for:

• a microchip registered with The Jockey Club and RRP
• a body condition score of at least 4 on the 1-to-9 Henneke scale
• normal vital signs
• any abnormal blemishes or swellings
• soundness

Read more at the Retired Racehorse Project.

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In doing so, Aqueduct has joined NYRA's other downstate track, Belmont Park, which is home to a vaccination distribution center operated by Northwell Health that opened earlier this month.

Over seven million New Yorkers – including doctors, nurses and health care workers, people age 65 and over, first responders, teachers, public transit workers, grocery store workers and public safety workers – are currently eligible for the vaccine. To determine eligibility and schedule appointments at New York State-run vaccination sites, visit https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/.

Opened Sept. 27, 1894, Aqueduct has lived several lives beyond racing, often opening its doors to serve the local community during its venerable and varied 126-year-history.

New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., a lifelong resident of Ozone Park who has represented the 15th Senate District since 2008, expressed his appreciation to New York state and to NYRA for selecting Aqueduct as a new distribution site, which is operating seven days a week.

“Aqueduct Racetrack is a landmark and an institution that is universally known to the constituents that I represent,” said Addabbo. “New York state selected a perfect location for this COVID-19 vaccination site and I applaud them for moving so quickly to transform a racetrack into a vaccination center. This is not the first time the men and women of the New York Racing Association have stepped up to support the community and I also thank them for their efforts to protect and support New Yorkers throughout the pandemic.”

Last spring, New York state officials identified Aqueduct as an appropriate location for an overflow hospital to serve the residents of Queens in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the overflow hospital was not needed then or now.

“NYRA is pleased to be able to contribute to the mass vaccination effort underway across the state,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “New York state has led the way through this unprecedented public health crisis and we will continue to do our part to support this effort.”

Beginning in April 2020, the Big A parking lot has been the home of a drive-thru COVID-19 testing location, and it continues in that role. Information regarding COVID-19 testing can be found at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-testing.

NYRA racetracks have had many previous uses in the community. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, NYRA donated the use of the Aqueduct parking lot to the American Red Cross to operate a mobile feeding kitchen and relief supplies staging area.

In the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Belmont Park served as one of the staging areas for emergency vehicles and personnel. Less than seven weeks later, on October 27, 2001, Belmont Park was the site of the first major international sporting event post-9/11 in New York when it hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

In 1944 during World War II, Aqueduct concluded a trio of War Relief Days in which all the net profits were donated to the National War Fund, American Red Cross and other causes, including three Long Island hospitals. The first two War Relief days were held at the old Jamaica Race Course and Belmont Park.

The day's featured race, the Carter Handicap, resulted in the only triple dead heat in a stakes race, with Brownie, Bossuet, and Wait A Bit hitting the finish line at the same time before more than 25,000 spectators on a rain-soaked Big A track. The event was heralded as a welcome break at a perilous, worrisome time in American history – all of four days after the D-Day landing in Normandy.

One of the track's finest moments came without a horse in sight. On October 6, 1995, Pope John Paul II said mass before 75,000, speaking from the 300-foot-wide papal platform in Aqueduct's infield, surrounded by 10 cardinals, three archbishops and 23 bishops. Though rain and wind had marred the first two days of the papal visit to New York, brilliant sunshine broke through just as the Pope began to speak. The crowd was Aqueduct's biggest ever.

The winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack continues, without spectators, through Sunday, March 21. For additional information, and to access the current television broadcast schedule, visit NYRA.com.

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“We are excited to once again put together an excellent set of lectures and continuing education featuring many of our colleagues,” said Emma Adam, assistant professor and research and industry liaison at the Gluck Equine Research Center. ““The way our industry is helped through the resources we have at the University of Kentucky is unparalleled.”

Due to the current pandemic, the event has moved to a virtual format. Organizers wanted to continue to provide information and continuing education opportunities in 2021 rather than postpone for a year. Recognizing that staying engaged for long periods of time via a virtual format is challenging, organizers chose to break up the annual event into several shorter sessions over the course of a few weeks.

Jan. 5, 6-7:30 p.m. EST, will focus on musculoskeletal issues and include the following topics and speakers:

• Bisphosphonates, NSAIDs and other medicines in the juvenile horse with Scott Stanley, professor of analytical chemistry at the Gluck Equine Research Center.
• Sesamoid bone maturation by the laboratory of James MacLeod, director of UK Ag Equine Programs and John S. and Elizabeth A. Knight chair and professor of veterinary science at the Gluck Center.
• Bone pathology in Wobbler's Syndrome with Jennifer Janes, assistant professor of anatomic pathology at UK's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Jan. 19, 6-7:30 p.m. EST, will focus on nutrition and pasture topics and include the following information and speakers:

• Mineral requirements for a growing horse with Mieke Brummer-Holder, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
• Amino acids and protein synthesis in the growing horse with Kristine Urschel, associate professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
• UK Horse Pasture Evaluation Program information with Krista Lea, program coordinator, and Ray Smith, professor and extension forage specialist, both from the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

Feb. 2, 6-7:30 p.m. EST, will focus on parasitology, vaccination immunology and causes of mortality and include the following information and speakers:

• Vaccination, immunity and immune response in weanlings with David Horohov, chair of the Department of Veterinary Science, director of and Jes E. and Clementine M. Schlaikjer Endowed Chair at the Gluck Center.
• Parasitology as it pertains to weanlings and yearlings with Martin Nielsen, Schlaikjer professor of Equine Infectious Disease at the Gluck Center.
• Common(est) causes of mortality in this age group with Laura Kennedy, assistant professor and veterinary pathologist at the UK VDL.

Feb. 9, 6-7:30 p.m. EST will cover hot topics in a mini session format of 10 minutes each, with updates about equine research literature resources at UK, nocardioform placentitis summary from 2020, COVID-19 economic impact and the next equine survey, lab updates, Equine Biological Passport update, genetic diversity project, updates on equine surface research, important parasitology updates and more.

“This is a unique and special outreach event. The purpose is to showcase some of what is happening at the University of Kentucky in terms of scientific discovery and service efforts relevant to the young horse,” MacLeod said. “Participants will hopefully gain new information they can apply to their programs, but importantly also a greater appreciation for some of the critical questions being addressed at UK, why these issues are important and where the cutting edge of research is on a number of very interesting topics. This annual program, now reaching 10 years, highlights our commitment to advance research, service and teaching for the benefit of horses and the equine community.”

The UK Equine Showcase is open to veterinarians, owners and managers of all horse breeds or anyone with an interest in learning more about foals and horse management. Its virtual format means that this opportunity is open to attendees from across the U.S. and even world.

The cost to attend all sessions is $25 until the early-bird registration deadline of Jan. 5. This package will include a PDF of the presentations and access to a recording of the sessions after the event has concluded. Attendees can also opt to attend only one or two of the sessions they are interested in. Individual event registration will also be available for $10 each. There are special rates for farms interested in having multiple employees attend. Students from any university can participate for free. Please contact equine@uky.edu for help in registering for those discounted or free sessions. Continuing education credit for veterinarians and veterinary technicians is pending approval by the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners. Register here. Contact equine@uky.edu with questions about the event or with help registering.

UK is also accepting sponsor participation for the showcase. Presenting opportunities are available to participating organizations on a first-come, first-served basis. Email equine@uky.edu for details.

Read more here.

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It's best to treat a horse with no vaccination history as if he has never received any vaccines, administering both shots and their routine boosters, reports EQUUS magazine. Administering additional doses of most vaccines is not harmful, with one exception: The strangles vaccine.

In rare instances, horses that have had strangles before, or those that have been repeatedly vaccinated for strangles, may develop a potentially serious complication if administered the vaccine again: purpura hemorrhagica. This abnormal reaction is when the blood vessels of the head, legs and abdomen swell.

Owners of horses with unknown vaccination history would be wise to draw a titer to see if the horse has antibodies to the organism that causes strangles before administering the vaccine.

Read more at EQUUS magazine.

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