Factors associated with laminitis in donkeys

Recent research suggests that guidelines for laminitis treatment and prevention in horses cannot necessarily be extrapolated to donkeys.

The study found that laminitis is common in donkeys, but factors associated with laminitis in donkeys differ from those reported in horses.

 

Nicola Menzies-Gow and colleagues checked the medical records of all 707 donkeys living on eleven farms run by the Donkey Sanctuary in the south-west of the UK. They found that over a period of 42 months, nearly half (48.5%) of donkeys experienced at least one bout of laminitis. Most (65%) of these episodes involved chronic laminitis.

 

The researchers compared the medical records of donkeys that did or did not experience laminitis, to identify factors that differed between the groups.

 

They found that affected animals were: 

 

1) less likely to have had concentrate food

2) less likely to have another medical condition

3) less likely to have undergone dental work, diagnostic imaging or surgery in the month before developing laminitis

4) more likely to be younger when they first had laminitis

 

A full report of the research is published in the Equine Veterinary Journal. 

 

The authors conclude that factors associated with laminitis in donkeys cannot necessarily be extrapolated from horse and pony studies. 

However, they caution that these results may not apply to the wider donkey population and they suggest the need for further investigation in animals kept under different management conditions.

 

For more details, see:

 

Cross-sectional study to identify the prevalence of and factors associated with laminitis in UK donkeys

Nicola J. Menzies-Gow, Frederica Wakeel, Holly Little, Jesus Buil, Karen Rickards

Equine Veterinary Journal (2021)

 

https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13505

Male jockeys have no more influence over the racehorse performance than female jockeys

 Experts from the University of Nottingham have found that the sex of a jockey doesn’t influence any
aspect of racehorse physiology and performance.

Currently, more than 90% of jockeys, in most racing nations, are men. This is likely due to an unconscious bias toward male jockeys being, on average, physically ‘stronger’, able to push horses harder, and thus performing better in races than female jockeys. Studies assessing the effect of the sex of a rider on racehorse performance and physiology during training have not been reported, mostly due to the lack of available data for female participants within the sport.

 

This decade has seen a marked increase in participation of female jockeys at an elite level in the racing industry. Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore made history in 2021 by winning several high-profile races, and has gone on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup this year. 

 

Success stories like this are challenging the public’s attitude to the ability of male or female jockeys to win big races. In the UK and Ireland, previous research had suggested an underestimation of the ability of female jockeys to win races, as measured in betting behaviour. 

 

In racing, a competitive advantage may lie in the ability of a jockey to control the horse, and/or less weight carried by the horse (i.e. weight of jockey plus saddle). Hence, jockeys are weighed out before, and weighed in after, races. Certain races are ‘handicapped’ by weight carried and according to predicted ability. 

 

If all other factors were equal, would a racehorse working-out at racing speed perform any differently when ridden by either a female or male jockey? Would that racehorse be more or less likely to win a race?

 

Researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham, worked to answer some of these questions, collaborating with Dr Guillaume Dubois, (Scientific Director at Arioneo Ltd– a company that developed Equimetre©, an exercise tracking device for horses); and Dr Emmanuelle van Erck-Westergren of the Equine Sports Medicine Practice, Belgium.

 

They monitored 530 thoroughbred racehorses, ridden by 103 different work riders (66 male, 37 female) over a total of 3,568 work-outs at Ciaron Maher’s racing yard in Victoria, Australia. Variables such as speed, stride length and frequency, horses heart rate and rate of recovery were recorded with the Equimetre^TM

 

This tracker was specifically designed to monitor horses during their daily training routines, simultaneously recording cardiovascular and biomechanical parameters at various exercise intensities (slow canter to hard gallop).

 

The investigators found no effect of sex of the jockey on any objectively measured outcome variable, measured from slow-canter to hard, race-pace gallops. But would this lack of effect of sex of jockey in training, also translate to actual race results, where many other variables come into play?

 

The research team analysed results from 52,464 races, and found that female jockeys had a similar win percentage (of total race starts) as male jockeys in the UK (female, 10.7% vs. male, 11.3%). In Australia, male jockeys had a slightly higher win percentage (11.0 vs. 9.9%), but this was negated when considering a top three race finish.

 

Taken together, the researchers found minimal effect of the sex of the jockey on both training and race outcomes. A report of the study is published at Research Square.

 

Some curious effects were observed. For example, recovery of racehorse heart rate after exercise appeared influenced by sex of the rider, but only when the usual training intensity on each track surface (grass or sand) was reversed.

 

The researchers suggest that perhaps male work-riders, more so than female, anticipated the ‘expected’ training-intensity (e.g. gallop on grass) and their proposed anticipation was transmitted faithfully to the horse, who responded with higher or lower heart rate. Further work is needed, however, to confirm this effect. When considered across all training sessions, then no difference in expected recovery rates of racehorses were noted between male and female jockeys.

 

“Our study is the first to objectively assess whether the sex of a jockey has an influence on any aspect of racehorse physiology and performance. The data convincingly suggest the answer is no and offers a new perspective on the possible balance of elite male and female jockeys on the start line of races” said Ms Charlotte Schrurs, PhD student and lead author with Professor David S Gardner. 

 

“Efforts to favour a more ‘inclusive environment’ would greatly contribute towards equal opportunities and the promotion of fair competition within this highly popular and fascinating sport.” 

 

For more details, see:

 

Does sex of the jockey influence racehorse physiology and performance, (2022). 

Charlotte Schrurs, Guillaume Dubois, Emmanuelle van Erck-Westergren, David S Gardner

Research Square (2022)

 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1341860/v1

 

 

More details of the Equimetre^TM

App to help monitor equine body condition

 A new Equine Body Condition Scoring app has been produced by scientists at the University of
Glasgow.

Obesity in equines is not a new problem. However, the increasing number of obese horses and ponies, predominantly in the leisure industry, has now become a globally recognised welfare concern.  

 

Carrying excess weight contributes to various problems: it increases the stress on the horse’s skeletal system, can limit reproductive performance, adversely affect athletic performance and may lead to an increased risk of laminitis, osteoarthritis, heat intolerance and certain types of colic. 

The Equi-BCS app was developed by Katie Williams, an equine nutritionist, as part of her PhD research at the University.

The app lets owners record and share their horse’s weight data, which should make it easier for professionals to help horse owners keep their horse’s weight on track. This feature also supports horses that are not holding their weight, so health issues can be spotted early.

Ms Williams said: “One of the toughest challenges for any horse owner is keeping weight off their horse, and previous studies have shown that horse owners tend to underestimate their horse’s body condition score.

“To succeed, a collaborative approach is required including vets, nutritionists and farriers working together with horse owners.”

The app contains detailed images and instructions to help horse owners score their horse accurately and photos can be uploaded and stored so that horse owners can remind themselves of how their horse has looked in the past.

Research in human weight tracking apps has shown that frequency of use correlates with greater success and so an important feature of the app is that it will notify users when they are due to assess their horse again.

Ms Williams added: “It is incredible how quickly a horse can change and so monitoring regularly, ideally every two weeks, is key. Receiving a reminder will provide the prompt that many people need to ensure they take time to assess their horse and either make adjustments to the ration, or seek advice from their vet or nutritionist.”

The Equi-BCS app can be downloaded for free from Apple’s app store or Google Play

USA horse transport survey

 Do you transport horses in the United States? If so, researchers at the University of Kentucky would appreciate your help in a survey about equine transportation.

The research team comprises Dr. Amanda Adams (University of Kentucky), Dr. C. Jill Stowe (University of Kentucky), Dr. Patricia Harris (WALTHAM™ Equine Studies Group), Dr. Bridget McIntosh (MARS EQUESTRIAN™), and Erica Jacquay M.S., Ph.D. Student (University of Kentucky).

 

They hope that the survey will help them gain a better understanding of common types of journeys taken, as well as different management practices involved in transporting horses. 

 

To participate, you must be at least 18 years old and own, lease, or be in the full care of at least one horse or pony that resides in the USA. This survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. Your response is anonymous which means no names, IP addresses, email addresses, or any other identifying information will be collected with the survey responses.

Participants will have the option of entering a drawing for an ETHEL M® Chocolates prize basket courtesy of MARS EQUESTRIAN (Your email address will be recorded separately from your survey responses so that your survey answers remain anonymous.)

 

To ensure your responses are included, you should complete the survey by April 1, 2022.

 

For further information, go to:

 

https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bK5B8c5CJIgwqAC

Changing the colour of Jump racing

 A new era of National Hunt (jump) racing begins in the United Kingdom on 14th March when the colour of the obstacles starts to change. The transformation, starting at Stratford upon Avon, will be gradually phased in over ten months, and will see an estimated 368 fences and 2,132 hurdle panels across 40 racecourses change markings from the traditional orange to white.

The project follows research carried out by Exeter University during 2017-2018 into equine vision, commissioned by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and backed by The Racing Foundation.

 

The study, conducted by Dr. Sarah Paul and Professor Martin Stevens of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, looked at the visibility to horses of a range of colours, and then examined the horses’ response to the presence of different colours on racecourse fences.

 

They analysed 131 obstacles across 11 UK racecourses using cutting-edge camera equipment to establish which colours would be most visible to a horse. They compared the traditional orange with possible alternatives: yellow, blue and white. 

 

Horses see colours differently from humans. Humans and other primates have three types of light-responsive cells (cones) in their eyes, giving what is called trichromatic colour vision. Normal human eyes detect four basic colours: red, green, yellow and blue. They can also differentiate up to 100 subtle variations in hue. Humans with red-green colour vision defects can only see two basic colours - yellow and blue.

 

Horses, as with other non-primate mammals, have only two types of cone, giving them dichromatic vision. The colours seen by the horse are likely to be like those seen by humans with red-green colour blindness. They see mainly hues we would perceive as blue and yellow, and are unable to tell apart shades of red, green, and orange.  

 

The study found that changing the wood and vinyl padding of take-off boards, guard rails and top boards to white provided increased contrast and visibility for horses, leading to improved jumping performance. Highly luminant whites or blues at the base of the fence (take-off board) gave the best contrast, while fluorescent yellow gave the greatest contrast against the main fence body (i.e. when used for midrail colour) in different light and weather conditions.

 

Once they had identified the most appropriate colours, researchers tested behavioural responses with 14 horses from Richard Phillips’ training yard in Adlestrop, Gloucestershire. They found that the colour of the fences could influence both the angle that horses jump a fence and the length of the jump. Horses adjusted their jump angles with colours other than orange, and white tended to produce a longer total jump distance.

 

In response to the study, a recommendation was approved by the sport's Racecourse Committee for a trial using fluorescent yellow for all hurdles and guard-rails, and fluorescent white for take-off boards at fences. However further tests found that fluorescent yellow faded rapidly, so white was the chosen colour.

 

A phased roll-out of new white markings will begin from March 2022 with courses carrying out the work after the close of their season. Nine courses will make the change during the first six months (March – August) with all jumps tracks having made the switch by December 2022. Point to point courses will follow for the 2022/23 season.

 

The new white markings are already being introduced at racing’s main schooling grounds and will be in use throughout the summer jumping season.

 

Barry Johnson, Chair of the Horse Welfare Board, said: “This important project is an example of how British racing uses advanced scientific and veterinary research to constantly improve racehorse welfare. Looking through the eyes of the horse to understand how they perceive their world, and making changes because of this new knowledge, shows how racing is continuously striving to increase the safety of all participants in our sport, both human and equine.”

 

For more details, see:

 

Horse vision and obstacle visibility in horseracing.

Paul SC, Stevens M.

Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2020:104882. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104882

Effect of stomach acid on probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms taken orally that are said to deliver health benefits. Clearly, to have an effect they need to reach the relevant portion of the gut. In horses, this is thought to be the large intestine – the caecum and colon. 

 It is recognised that probiotics may be adversely affected by the acid conditions in the stomach. Some products for human use are presented with enteric protection to help them survive the proximal gastrointestinal tract.

 

A study by Ana Berreta and colleagues at Washington State University, looked at the effect of the equine gastrointestinal tract on equine probiotics. The work is reported in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.

 

(c) Sharon Kingston Dreamstime.com

In the laboratory study, they assessed the viability of eleven commercially available equine probiotic products in
conditions of acidity designed to mimic those in the stomach and the small intestine.

 

The research team mixed each of 11 of the probiotics with hydrochloric acid at pH2 (to mimic conditions in the stomach). After 30 minutes the pH was raised to 6.9 and enzymes and electrolytes were added to mimic conditions in the small intestine. Then two hours later they cultured each mixture and used mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the microorganisms present. 

 

The experiment was repeated using an initial pH 4 (to represent the conditions in the stomach when proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole were being used). 

 

They compared these results with those obtained using probiotics straight from the packet.

 

They found that the gastric pH of 2 adversely affected micro-organisms in six of 11 probiotics. Four of the probiotics had at least one micro-organism that was adversely affected when the pH was increased to 4.0.

 

The microorganism that was most commonly adversely affected by conditions in the virtual gastro-intestinal tract was Enterococcus faecium. In contrast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (present in one product tested) actually increased significantly in number after exposure to both pH2 and pH4.

 

None of the probiotics tested matched their label claim - all of them contained micro-organisms not listed on the label.

 

The authors conclude that passage through the proximal gastro-intestinal tract may negatively impact the survival of some microorganisms. They suggest that enteric protection should be considered to improve microorganism viability in equine probiotics.

 

For more details, see:

 

Effect of the equine proximal gastrointestinal tract on probiotic viability

A Berreta, JJ Kopper, TL Alexander, CJ Kogan, CR Burbick

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2021) 104

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103671

New colic researched planned

(c) Maria Itina Dreamstime.com

 Colic features heavily in research projects being supported by the Morris Animal
Foundation in 2022.

New equine health studies to receive funding this year include:

• Studying Intestinal Inflammation

Two research teams will take different approaches to investigate the interaction between inflammation and gut motility, to assist in developing methods of preventing ileus (reduced gut motility) after colic surgery. These approaches could dramatically assist recovery and shorten hospitalization times.

• Understanding Risk Factors for Colic Secondary to Transportation

Researchers will look for colic risk factors associated with transportation, to develop better management recommendations for horses requiring transport.

• Helping Underserved Communities Recognize Early Signs of Colic

Researchers will develop an educational program for horse owners and enthusiasts in underserved communities in Colombia to improve early recognition of colic, a key component of successful treatment.

• New Prognostic Test for Postoperative Complications

Researchers will search for biomarkers to identify horses at higher risk for postoperative surgical complications as a first step toward a new prognostic test.

“Colic consistently ranks among the top health concerns of horse owners and veterinarians,” said Dr. Janet Patterson-Kane, Chief Scientific Officer. “We decided to focus on this topic in this year’s equine call for proposals to advance our understanding of intestinal disease associated with colic and ultimately assist in improving outcomes for horses around the world.”

For more details, see:

https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/new-equine-colic-studies-2022

Risk of inhaled particles during powered equine dentistry

(c) Chelle 129 Dreamstime.com

Powered equine dentistry places operators at risk of inhaling unsafe levels of inorganic particulate
matter, according to a recent study.

Motorised equipment is regularly used by equine veterinarians and dental technicians when carrying out routine equine dental procedures. Research suggests that particulate matter produced during the process poses possible health risks to the operators through inhalation of aerosolised particles.

 

The study, conducted at Bristol University, investigated the dust particles produced during the motorised rasping of horses’ teeth. Sam Bescoby, in the Langford Vets Equine Department at the University, was lead author in the study, which used cadaver heads that were rasped under standardised conditions.

 

A full report on the work is published in the Equine Veterinary Journal.

 

The authors found that both water-cooled and non-cooled motorised equipment produced particle levels (4.48mg/m³and 7.94 mg/m³ respectively) that were higher than the workplace exposure limit (WEL). (The time-weighted average (TWA) limit set by the Health and Safety Executive in the UK is 4mg/m³)

 

The particles produced were of a range of sizes that could reach all levels of the human respiratory tract. Analysis of the dust found not only calcium and phosphorus from the teeth but also tungsten, aluminium and iron.

 

The researchers found that surgical masks reduced the exposure levels to some extent. However, the FFP3 mask was recommended as more effective than the standard surgical face mask.

 

They advise that a suitable face mask should be worn to reduce exposure to dust particles to within acceptable limits.

 

This study looked at only the inorganic particulate matter. The authors suggest that further work on the biological component of the particulate matter is needed.

 

 

For more details, see: 

 

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of operator inhaled aerosols during routine motorised equine dental treatment.

S.R Bescoby, SA Davis, M Sherriff, AJ Ireland

Equine Vet J (2021) 53, 1036 – 1046

https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13379

Antibacterial actions of mesenchymal stromal cells

Infected wound healing could be helped by factors secreted by mesenchymal stromal cells. 

Mention “bacteria” and we tend to think of the individual microorganisms that we see growing in laboratory cultures (the so-called “planktonic” forms.) However, in nature it is more common for bacteria to form biofilms – communities of different microbes that become embedded in a slimy extracellular matrix. Biofilms protect the microbes from both antibacterial substances and the immune response of the host.

Biofilms contribute to chronic inflammation and delayed healing of wounds, and are not readily detectable using current routine diagnostic methods. However, biofilm infections should be suspected in equine limb wounds that are not healing as expected. Treatment is based on repeated debridement and application of topical antimicrobial therapy.

 

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are cells, isolated from different sites, that can differentiate into other types of cells. They take part in the inflammatory, proliferative, and remodelling phases of tissue repair.

 

Previous work has shown that secretions from MSCs promote wound repair by stimulating fibroblast migration in the skin and promoting development of new blood vessels. They also have antibacterial properties. 

 

A recent study looked at the effect of mesenchymal stromal cells on biofilms.

 

Research by Charlotte Marx and colleagues at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine looked at the effect of mesenchymal stromal cells on biofilms, using an equine skin explant model.

 

They found that secreted factors from equine MSC (collectively referred to as the MSC secretome) significantly decreased the viability of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in mature biofilms.

 

They also showed that equine MSCs secrete the cytokine CCL2 that boosts the antimicrobial activity of equine keratinocytes by stimulating the production of cathelicidin and ß-defensin.

 

Reporting their work in the journal Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, they conclude: “Collectively, these data contribute to our understanding of the MSC secretome's anti-microbial properties, both directly by killing bacteria and indirectly by stimulating immune responses of surrounding resident skin cells, thus further supporting the value of MSC secretome-based treatments for infected wounds.”

 

 

For more details, see:

 

Mesenchymal stromal cell-secreted CCL2 promotes antibacterial defense mechanisms through increased antimicrobial peptide expression in keratinocytes 

Charlotte Marx, Sophia Gardner, Rebecca M. Harman, Bettina Wagner, Gerlinde R. Van de Walle.

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (2021) Vol 10 (12) pp1666-1679

https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sctm.21-0058

What are omics?

Photo: Rossdales Laboratories

 You may have noticed that “-omics” are cropping up with increasing regularity. What are they, and why are they important?

Omics refers to a field of biological sciences including genomics (studying the complete genetic makeup, the DNA, of an organism), transcriptomics (studying RNA), proteomics (proteins) and metabolomics (metabolites). Omics encompasses powerful tools that are rapidly transforming our understanding of disease. 

 

To celebrate how the omics disciplines are making a significant impact on equine veterinary medicine, the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) is giving free access to a Virtual Issue of recent articles covering genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics .

 

The virtual issue has been co-ordinated by EVJ’s Associate Editors Mandy Peffers and Pablo Murcia, with guest editors Carrie Finno, James Anderson and Macarena Sanz.

 

“The relationship between microbiota, health and disease in humans has been investigated for years but similar studies in horses have only been recently published,” says Macarena Sanz, whose editorial navigates five articles on this topic.

 

She concludes: “Although equine microbiomics is in its infancy, new studies will provide an exciting insight into the nature of the equine microbiome and its potential role in the development of disease. Knowledge of the microbiome is key to advancing prophylactic, diagnostic and therapeutic options and to better understanding the pathophysiology of equine conditions.”

 

James Anderson prefaces five papers on advances made in equine medicine within the disciplines of proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics (a subset of metabolomics). He concludes: “Omics technologies have enhanced our knowledge of the molecular world and provided fascinating insight into the composition and functions of these components across a range of different animal species. Particularly for equine science and medicine they have increased our understanding of molecular changes in disease and informed the development of diagnostic tests. Although still in its infancy within equine veterinary science, this field looks likely to have a significant impact in the coming years.”

 

Mandy Peffers, Associate Editor of the EVJ said: “It is exciting to see how the equine veterinary sector is now keeping pace with human medicine in the omics revolution. As we continue to advance, there will be more tools at our disposal for the diagnosis and treatment of equine disease.”

 

The Virtual Issue is available to all at 

 

https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1001/(ISSN)2042-3306.OmicsEVJ

Photo competition to promote equine research

 

Keen photographers in North America are invited to enter an online photo contest hosted by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

The contest opens February 1, and entries will be accepted until February 28. Entrants are encouraged to submit original photos of horses representing all breeds, backgrounds, and disciplines on Grayson's website.

 

"Our photo contest has proved to be a popular way for horse lovers to spread awareness of the importance of equine veterinary research," said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has provided more than $30.6 million to fund 397 projects at 45 universities in North America and overseas.

For more details, and to enter the competition, go to:

http://grayson-jockeyclub.org/default.asp?section=2&area=PHOTOINFO

Impact of research on horses' lives

 The next offering in the equine health seminar series from the University of Saskatchewan’s
Western College of Veterinary Medicine on February 8^th is a virtual panel discussion that will explore the benefits of research on horses’ health. 

Topics to be covered include: What's new in horse health research at the WCVM and across Western Canada? What are key horse health problems that researchers are working to solve? If you could choose a health issue that needs further research, what would it be? 

 

The equine health seminar series is open to everyone in the horse community. While there is no cost to attend, you must register in advance.

 

Further details of this, and future seminars, together with recordings of previous talks, are available at:

 

https://wcvm.usask.ca/education/equine-seminars.php#Overview

Monitoring recumbency as equine welfare indicator

 Although horses can doze standing up, they have to lie down to experience deep (rapid eye
movement - REM) sleep, because of the profound muscle relaxation that occurs in REM sleep.   

Normally, horses will spend about 30 minutes a day in REM sleep. They may become sleep deprived if they are unable or unwilling to lie down – for example because of insecurity, or orthopaedic problems. Such horses may lapse into REM sleep while standing and then collapse. 

 

Zsofia Kelemen and co-workers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna conducted a study to investigate the effect of age and orthopaedic problems on the time spent lying down.  A report of the work is published in the journal Animals.

 

A total of eighty-three horses, ages ranging from two to 32 years old, with or without orthopaedic problems, were involved in the study.

 

The research team used wearable automated motion sensors to monitor the time the horses spent lying, moving, and standing. Horses were tracked continuously for 60-hour sessions. Horses with abnormal recumbency patterns were monitored more often and for longer.

 

Eight horses, all with chronic orthopaedic disease, showed signs of REM sleep deficit. They were either seen to collapse, or had abrasions over their knees presumed to be due to falling onto the knees. These horses spent significantly less time lying down.

 

However, in this study, neither age nor lameness due to chronic orthopaedic disease significantly influenced the time spent lying down.

 

The authors conclude that wearable sensor technology can be used to identify horses with low recumbency times at risk for REM sleep deficiency and to assess and monitor equine welfare objectively. 

 

 

For more details, see: 

 

Recumbency as an Equine Welfare Indicator in Geriatric Horses and Horses with Chronic Orthopaedic Disease. 

Kelemen Z, Grimm H, Long M, Auer U, Jenner F. 

Animals. 2021; 11(11):3189. 

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113189

Study highlights factors influencing risk of eventing falls

A recent study has identified factors associated with an increased risk of falls during the cross-country phase of eventing, and has suggested modifications that could reduce the risk of injury – making it safer for horse and rider.

Higher-level events, longer courses, more starters in the cross-country phase and less experienced horses and athletes all showed an increased risk.Identifying these risk factors allows riders and event organisers to assess the level of risk for individual horse, rider and event combinations. 

 

The research, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, recommends simple improvements such as adjusting minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) to ensure horses and riders always compete at a level appropriate to their ability.

 

The study, led by Bristol Veterinary School’s Dr Euan Bennet and Professor Tim Parkin, with Dr Heather Cameron-Whytock of Nottingham Trent University, was funded by Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI).

 

It included data from every horse start worldwide in all International, Championship, Olympics and World Equestrian Games competitions between January 2008 and December 2018. Information from National Federation events was not included. 

 

Of 202,771 horse starts during this period, 187,602 started the cross-country phase. Of these, 1.5 per cent recorded a fallen horse and 3.5 per cent had an unseated rider.

 

At least 50 riders and 109 horses have died since 2000 across all levels of competition worldwide.

 

Bristol Veterinary School’s Dr Euan Bennet said: “Eventing is an exciting equestrian sport, but horses and riders sometimes get injured during competitions. Occasionally they are very seriously injured, even fatally. We have gained a detailed understanding of the risk factors that make horses more likely to fall, so that we can provide actionable advice to governing bodies on how to reduce the number of horse falls, and therefore injuries and fatalities among horses and riders.

 

“This data is about probabilities and we would never say don’t ride because you’re going to have a fall, but we might say what we can see is according to your risk profile you’re in the top 5% at risk of a fall.”

 

The study identified the following factors as contributing to a fall:

 

• Horses competing at higher levels.
• Horses competing over longer cross-country course distances.
• A higher number of starters at the cross-country phase.
• Mares were at increased odds compared with geldings.
• Horses whose previous start was longer than 60 days ago.
• Horses who had previously made fewer starts at the level of their current event.
• At the human athlete level, male athletes were at increased odds of experiencing a fall, compared with female athletes.
• Younger athletes were at increased odds compared with older athletes.
• Less experienced athletes were more likely to fall than their more experienced counterparts.
• Athletes whose previous start was more than 30 days ago were at increased odds compared with athletes who last started within 30 days.
• Athletes who did not finish their previous event, for any reason, were at increased odds compared with those who successfully finished their previous event.
• Horse-athlete combinations who recorded a score in the dressage phase that was higher than 50 (i.e. poor performance) were at increased odds of falling during the cross-country phase compared with combinations who recorded a dressage score of 50 or less.

 

The researchers now hope the FEI will use this new evidence to implement evidence-based rules for eventing which protect the safety of athletes and horses without compromising on competitiveness.

 

 

For more details, see:

 

Fédération Equestre Internationale eventing: Risk factors for horse falls and unseated riders during the cross-country phase (2008-2018)

Euan D. Bennet, Heather Cameron-Whytock, Tim D. H. Parkin

Equine Veterinary Journal (2021) 13522

 

https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13522

Sustainability in British racing

Concerned about the impact of climate change on equine welfare in the racing industry? Here’s your chance to have a say. 

An online questionnaire, open to anyone involved in racing, has opened to help identify environmental activity, expertise and interest across British racing and breeding.

 

The questionnaire forms part of a wider assessment of progress on environmental sustainability, commissioned last year by industry leaders and initiated and funded by the Racing Foundation.

 

The work aims to build a clearer overall picture of current environmental activities and expertise across racing and breeding. It is hoped that this will identify some of the key issues, risks, and opportunities for British racing, and make recommendations about what steps the industry could take to start embedding environmental sustainability in its long-term planning.

 

In a statement, Brant Dunshea, British Horseracing Authority Chief Regulatory Officer, said: “Climate change and sustainability are major challenges for our sport, given how dependent we are on the environment, transportation, and the use of essential resources.

“There is a real opportunity here for British racing to lead progress in this area, taking positive action to find effective solutions to the challenges we face – and crucially grasp some of the opportunities.

 

Rob Hezel, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, said: “A large amount of work has already been carried out across the industry, ranging from decarbonisation efforts to grassland management and waste reduction, so this work will help build an overall picture of where we are and where we want to be.

 

To complete the questionnaire, which runs until 14^th February, go to:

 

https://form.jotform.com/220072452759355

Free online Horse Management Seminar from Rutgers Equine Science Center

Rutgers University Equine Science Center’s annual Horse Management Seminar will be held in a virtual format this year over three Tuesday evenings: February 8th, 15th, and 22nd. Each evening the event will start at 6:30PM (EST) and conclude at 8:30PM (EST) and is free to attend.

 

The first, on February 8th, will cover recent advances in veterinary medicine with an emphasis on equine diseases and rehabilitation and conditioning with Drs. Mark Crisman and Sarah Gold.

 

On February 15th, Drs. Samantha Brooks and Amanda Adams will cover genomics and equine metabolic syndrome.

 

The final evening will feature topics in equine nutrition with Dr. Weinert-Nelson, a recent Rutgers graduate, and Anna Draeger. 

 

For more details, and to reserve your virtual seat, go to :

 

https://go.rutgers.edu/2022HMS.

Behaviour of retrained Thoroughbred racehorses

 

Thoroughbred racehorses have been bred with one purpose in mind – racing. It is often thought that their temperament may result in erratic or dangerous behaviour making them unsuited to other disciplines. 

 

Lillian Hellmann, based at the Equine Genetics and Genomics Group at the University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues conducted a study to see if such perceptions are justified.

 

The study assessed the behavioural differences, as noted by the owners, between thoroughbred horses bred for racing that entered an alternate discipline after retiring from racing and horses of other breeds. A full report is published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

 

The authors analysed data from 313 horses compiled using an online questionnaire. 

Responses were received from a total of 25 countries, with the majority coming from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

 

Horses included in the study were used in four main disciplines: dressage, eventing, show jumping and recreational riding.

 

The analysis revealed few significant differences in behaviour reported by the owners between horses bred for racing and those bred for other pursuits. 

 

Interestingly, and perhaps surprisingly, the researchers reported that where differences did occur, it was generally the thoroughbreds that were thought to behave more favourably. 

 

They report that owners considered Thoroughbreds showed more “dominance / aggression” than horses bred for other disciplines. Despite that, Thoroughbreds were seen as more social and were reported to show higher levels of “self-control.”

 

They suggest that as the average age of a racing thoroughbred is well below that of horses competing in other disciplines, perhaps the dangerous reputation of thoroughbreds is more a reflection of their youth and relative inexperience rather than purely breed predisposition.

 

They conclude: “Although this study does suggest some potential distinctions between the behaviors of thoroughbreds and horses bred for other disciplines, the notion that thoroughbreds may be unsuitable for certain disciplines based solely on their behavior and associated temperament is not supported.”

 

For more detail, see:

 

Owner-perceived behaviour in thoroughbred horses in secondary careers – A pilot study

Lillian Hellmann, Natasha A.Hamilton, Elizabeth A.Staiger, Marina Solé, Brandon D.Velie

Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2021) Vol 244, 105480

 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105480