In today's Science Corner, it's all about bringing the best out of an athlete, whether that's exploring new ways to prevent gastric ulceration or understanding how gene expression effects the development of muscular structures in the young horse.
Each month, we break down five recently published scientific studies that could affect the way we breed, train, and race Thoroughbreds. We explain what the research found and what it means for you.
You can click the title of each paper to read it in full.
1. RealHorse® holds potential to provide remote gait analysis
What’s it about?
RealHorse® is a markerless computer vision algorithm for the smart phone that aims to assess equine lameness by measuring several vertical displacement signals in a horse. This study assessed how accurate RealHorse was at analysing movement on horses trotting in a straight line or lunging in a circle, using Qualisys®, a three-dimensional multicamera motion capture system currently considered the gold standard.
RealHorse® App | Image courtesy of RealHorse
Key findings:
RealHorse assesses movement by detecting the height of two-dimensional anatomic points on a horse in each video frame - the eye, wither, and croup - and its findings were compared against Qualisys’s measurements.
The difference between RealHorse’s findings and the actual height of each point was very small, with an error as low as 1.4mm for the eye and wither, and 1.1mm for the croup. These errors were marginally higher when the horse was on a circle.
What it means for you:
The study confirmed that RealHorse is highly accurate at detecting positioning of key anatomical landmarks on horses and therefore assessing a horse’s movement with a high level of accuracy. It could be a useful tool for trainers, especially those with multiple locations or horses competing interstate, to assess their horses without physically being in front of them.
2. Expression of genes involved in muscle development changes with age in young horses
What’s it about?
By examining what genes are differentially expressed in a group of Thoroughbreds as 2-year-olds and again as 3-year-olds, this study looked at what genes are being expressed when in what quantity, to get a better understanding of the impact of age on the results of exercise training.
Key findings:
A total of 136 genes were expressed differently in the horses between their 2-year-old and 3-year-old year; 95 increased in expression and 41 decreased.
These genes were most associated with the development and functional integrity of muscle.
What it means for you:
This provides insight for trainers in particular into how genetic expression changes in young horses between the ages of two and three, when they are in the early stages of their careers. Further research could help identify whether specific training methods at different stages in a horse’s life can produce maximal results by how they affect gene expression.
3. Vonoprazan shows promise to be explored for effective gastric ulcer treatment
What’s it about?
This small study tested out vonoprazan, an acid suppressant already successful in humans, as an alternative to omeprazole (a protein pump inhibitor) for the treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers in horses. Horses were given a single dose of vonoprazan with omeprazole and water, and their stomach acid pH was monitored in the 12 hours before and 24 hours after administration.
Equine digestive track | Image courtesy of Ask Animal Web
Key findings:
Horses that received a dose of 1 mg/kg of vonoprazan significantly increased the percentage of time during the observation period that the stomach pH remained above 4, compared to the pre-treatment period and when given a placebo.
The vonoprazan was well tolerated by the horses in the study.
What it means for you:
While it is a small pilot study, it opens the door for further research that could lead to development of more effective or easier to use drugs for treating gastric ulcers in the future. Gastric ulcers are a common problem affecting racehorses, and while omeprazole is currently good at treating ulcers and neutralising stomach acid, it has limitations such as needing to be fed on an empty stomach to be effective.
4. Stable levels of thiol-oxidised albumin in blood correlates to better racetrack finishes
What’s it about?
This study examines the levels of thiol-oxidised albumin, an indicator of oxidative stress, in the blood of racehorses before and after racing in the hopes of finding another biomarker to indicate when a peak or poor performance is coming in a horse. Samples of blood were taken 48 hours before a race and once per day up to eight days post-race.
Key findings:
Horses with a higher thiol-oxidised albumin level - indicating oxidative stress - before racing tended to finish worse in the field. Horses with elevated levels were more likely to finish outside the top three.
There was no significant connection between a horse’s age or sex and the level of albumin in the blood.
What it means for you:
This is a promising biomarker that could be utilised by trainers and their vets to predict a horse’s performance, and potentially even scratch it from a race if it’s not fit to compete. Heart rate variation and faecal acidity as well as rider feedback are all already observations that can factor into a trainer’s decision to run, so this could be one more tool to increase the welfare of runners in a trainer’s care.
5. No difference in race careers for horses who undergo stifle OCD surgery
What’s it about?
The lateral trochlear ridge of the femur is the most common site for an osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion in the equine stifle. This United States-based retrospective study examined the racing careers of horses that had surgery as yearlings to remove those lesions to see what the relationship was between lesion size and future race performance.
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) | Image courtesy of EquineArthritis.info
Key findings:
Horses were split into group S if they were offered at public sale after surgery and group NS if they were not. There was no relationship found between lesion size and performance, and there was no difference in lesion size between groups S and NS.
Group S however did have better race performance than group NS. There was no significant difference in sale result or race performance between horses in group S and control horses within the same sales cohorts.
What it means for you:
There is no real difference between the future of a yearling that has had a successful arthroscopic surgery for a stifle OCD and a yearling that has not, which should reassure buyers of all types when weighing up whether or not to purchase a horse that has had surgery. This should also reassure vendors that they can still get all important results in the ring and on the track with yearlings who have stifle OCDs removed.
The AgriFutures Australia-funded project touched on in the previous edition of Science Corner is looking at the outcomes for Australian horses a range of radiographic findings in all major limb joints, and will comprehensively build on what this study covers.
