British Racing Launches New Campaign to Address Welfare Concerns

A new communications campaign, HorsePWR, has been launched by British racing, designed to share and promote the facts around welfare in horseracing.

HorsePWR will have its own dedicated website to provide information about the sport and the thoroughbred, the lives they lead and the high welfare and safety standards within racing. The website also explores the areas that racing has committed to improve, from reducing risk on and off the racecourse to better supporting horses when they leave the sport.

The campaign has been led by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Great British Racing (GBR) and racing's Horse Welfare Board (HWB), with additional funding provided by the Jockey Club.

Kinross-based National Hunt trainer Lucinda Russell said of HorsePWR, “This is just what racing needs. We must provide the facts, help educate and confront the tough questions head on. The facts matter. We understand our responsibility and respect our horses and we want to make sure the public know this too.

“It's good to see us taking a new approach, showing pride in the lives we give our horses and challenging and correcting inaccurate information which is put into the public domain by those who are opposed to the sport.”

Robin Mounsey, BHA head of communications and HWB member, added, “The HorsePWR campaign sees the sport take a new approach when it comes to talking about welfare. It is about being up-front, open and transparent. It is about tackling head-on the elements of the sport that we know are areas of concern and providing information to educate and reassure.

“Those who work in the sport are rightly proud of our record and standards when it comes to welfare. This campaign provides a platform to allow those connected with the sport to share their pride. It will be aimed at racing's current and potential fans, seeking to ensure that future generations of racing followers are not lost to the sport due to negative perceptions around the welfare issues which are tackled by this campaign.”

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HISA Establishes Horsemen’s Advisory Group

As promised in remarks made by Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) CEO Lisa Lazarus during The Jockey Club Round Table in Saratoga Aug. 14, a Horsemen's Advisory Group to provide feedback to its executive team and Standing Committees on the implementation and evolution of HISA's regulations and protocols has been established.  HISA is inviting all horsemen and women who wish to be considered for membership in the Advisory Group to email horsemenadvisory@hisaus.org indicating their interest and qualifications by Friday, Sept. 9, 2022.

“We look forward to building upon our existing efforts to collaborate with participants in all facets of the sport by seeking more targeted input from active horsemen and women,” said Lazarus. “Their hands-on experience will help ensure the practicality and effectiveness of our rules for all racing participant. HISA is proud of and grateful for the unparalleled expertise that has informed the development of our regulations–the first ever national rules to govern our sport. As we continue the implementation phase of our mandate from Congress, HISA will benefit immensely from additional perspectives from the trainers and owners who are on the backside, standing trackside and in the racing office every day.”

HISA will select a group of 10-12 horsepeople with input from its Standing Committees and seeks members who are involved in both small and large racing operations. Those interested should expect to participate in monthly meetings with HISA leadership and to serve as individual sounding boards on specific issues on which they may have unique knowledge or insights on a more frequent basis.

“Establishing the Horsemen's Advisory Group will significantly enhance our regulatory system and allow us to account for the wide range of environments found at tracks across the U.S. as we continue to implement HISA's safety and integrity programs,” said Ann McGovern, HISA Director of Racetrack Safety.

The Advisory Group's membership is expected to be announced and hold its first monthly meeting in October.

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Grazing Overweight Horses: Restricted Access Appropriate At Times

Are you toying with the idea of regaining control of your horse's body condition by implementing a weight-loss plan? Depending on your horse's situation, restricting access to pasture might be the place to start.

Why limit pasture access? Aren't horses natural-born grazers?

While horses evolved as grazers, the quality of the pasture grasses has increased dramatically in recent years, making it unsuitable for some horses, especially those that tend to be easy keepers.

“Many horses can graze pasture grasses with no problem whatsoever. Chronically overweight and obese horses sometimes benefit from limited grazing, however, which results in caloric restriction and improved health,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research. “Overweight horses are at a higher risk for insulin dysregulation and metabolic syndrome, both of which can lead to laminitis.”

In addition, many horse owners use restricted grazing preemptively to keep horses and ponies from becoming overweight.

What's the best approach to restrict pasture intake?

Horse owners have found several ways to successfully restrict pasture intake. The method used is often dependent on access to facilities and turnout areas, owner schedule, and what works best for the individual horse, according to Crandell. A trial-and-error approach must often be taken. Effective methods include:

  • Strip grazing, which uses temporary fencing to section off areas of a larger field, allowing horses to graze fresh pasture in a controlled, strategic manner and moving the fences as pasture is eaten down.
  • Feed limited hay (weighed at about 1.5 to 2 percent of body weight) provided in a way that slows consumption (e.g., small-hole haynets). For horses at risk for laminitis, hay should be tested for nonstructural carbohydrate content (below 12 percent is recommended).
  • Use of drylots that allow limited or no access to pasture, but appropriate hay or other preserved forage is allocated, the quality of which is dictated by age, workload, and metabolic status of horses.
  • Well-fitted grazing muzzles curb consumption by allowing horses to eat through holes or slits.

With all these options available, how do I know which method is the best?

Results of a recent survey in England may help you decide.* Nearly 470 respondents had experience using one or more of the aforementioned restricted grazing methods. The most important considerations reported by respondents were practicality and welfare.

Fencing for strip grazing is more expensive and labor intensive than grazing muzzles, and these costs may therefore limit the method employed. Further, most boarding facilities have management restrictions. Owners are typically not allowed to alter a paddock, have only limited opportunities for turning out their horse (especially during inclement weather), and do not have the space or resources for drylots.

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In terms of welfare, grazing muzzles had a low “welfare rating” by owners participating in the study, yet muzzles were frequently used. The researchers suggested that this disparity likely arose because muzzles are inexpensive and not particularly labor intensive.

While grazing muzzles got a bad rap in terms of welfare, respondents may not have fully understood the benefits of muzzling. For example, horses evolved as trickle feeders, grazing almost continuously for 16-18 hours a day. When their grazing time is restricted, horses are at risk of gastric ulceration, alterations in the equine intestinal microbiome, and behavioral changes, such as the development of stereotypies.

According to Crandell, “Muzzles do not necessarily limit a horse's time spent grazing or exercising; they do, however, restrict the amount of grass that can be consumed. Muzzles also allow horses to have contact with their peers, which means this approach supports both the physical and psychological needs of the horse.”

Horses fed all-forage diets benefit from a ration balancer or a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplement, as these products provide important nutrients that are often in short supply in fresh and preserved forages.

Crandell also recommends addressing the potential stress associated with restricted grazing. “Horses with restricted grazing may benefit from a research-proven digestive supplement, such as Triacton.” Triacton provides total digestive tract support, including ingredients that buffer both the stomach and hindgut for gastrointestinal protection during times of stress.

*Cameron, A., P. Harris, A. Longland, S. Horseman, and J. Hockenhull. 2021. UK horse carers' experiences of restricting grazing when aiming to prevent health issues in their horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 104:103685.

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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Age Old Puzzle: Difficulties Inherent In Assessing Equine Quality Of Life 

The inability to accurately assess quality of life can be harmful to horses, as owners may potentially sacrifice equine welfare due to a lack of understanding of the factors that influence that quality of life. Though multiple quality of life models exist, most don't consider a horse's mental health and are difficult to apply in real-world situations.

Quality of life is often only considered when horse owners are faced with the decision of when to euthanize a horse. A recent report, however, suggests that quality of life should be assessed multiple times in a horse's life.

The report, which was published by the Advancing Equine Scientific Excellence (AESE) project, involved students from several institutions throughout England. This team used surveys, interviews and literature reviews to understand how equine quality of life was perceived, as well as how it could be measured.

Using existing quality of life models, the research team found a marked disparity between what researchers considered feasible and what horse owners considered feasible, with regard to ease of incorporation into a daily routine.

Any tool used to measure equine quality of life would have to be practical and effective; the tool should assist owners and caretakers in the assessment of management and training, as well as the horse's response to treatment if he is injured or ill.

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Any successful assessment tool will need to be developed by both researchers and real-life horse owners and caretakers so that its use is feasible. Supported by World Horse Welfare and The Horse Trust, this project is the first step in the development of a usable quality of life tool, which will help to improve equine welfare.

Read more at HorseTalk.

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