In this month's Science Corner, the research covers the whole spectrum of life, health, and illness in Thoroughbreds. From understanding pregnancy loss and growing out perfect foals to finding them the right trainer to bring out their potential, we unpack it all.
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. Echocardiograms can find early warning signs for sudden death
What's it about?
This study, undertaken in collaboration between the University of Minnesota and the University of Pennsylvania, retroactively looked at the ECGs of 11 horses who experienced exercise associated sudden death (EASD) to identify early warning signs of the event.
Key findings:
Of four horses wearing an ECG monitor at the time of death, three had atrial fibrillation throughout the recording that led to malignant arrhythmia and sudden death, and one had variations that culminated with death during recovery.
Another horse had atrial fibrillation during their last recording and died nine days later.
What it means for you:
More work needs to be done to isolate the patterns of atrial fibrillation that will result in EASD, but it is clear that ECG monitors during trackwork can be useful to watch out for problems with the heart's rhythm that can prompt further investigation.
#2. Air pollution impedes performance
What’s it about?
In collaboration with The Jockey Club, scientists examined the relationship between air quality in the 21 days before a race and the speed of winning horses on raceday.
Key findings:
Horses exposed to higher pollutant levels during the pre-competition period had slower winning speeds when compared with those exposed to lower levels.
The difference in air pollution levels led to horses exposed to the higher pollutant levels decreasing in winning speed by 0.044 metres per second compared to those exposed to lower levels.
What it means for you:
Air quality is a factor worth considering when preparing racehorses, particularly in city centres, and it is worthwhile looking at ways to improve it in barns. This could be in regards to general airflow, or looking into further techniques to improve the quality.
#3. Individual farms play key role in foal weight
What’s it about?
This 10-year longitudinal study undertaken in Argentina examined the relationships between birth month, birth year, and individual stud farms on the weight of Thoroughbred yearling at the 18-month mark.
Key findings:
There was significant variation from farm to farm, with a 26.4 kg difference between the lightest and heaviest farms.
There was variation by birth month, with July-born foals being much heavier than November-born ones, but there was also change year on year with different climactic environments.
What it means for you:
The way a stud farm raises its foals can be very different to others in the area, or country, and their feeding and exercise programs are reflected in how resident foals grow up.
#4. A better picture of what causes fetal loss in New South Wales broodmares
What’s it about?
While the percentage of live foals born in Australia has almost doubled in the last 40 years, there is still a percentage of fetal loss which has a large financial burden on breeders. This study aimed to improve the understanding of what causes fetal loss in Thoroughbred mares in New South Wales.
Key findings:
Infection was responsible for 54% of fetal losses in the study with a confirmed case, and 46% had non-infectious causes, with umbilical cord occlusion being the most common diagnosis.
June to August experienced the highest incidence of fetal loss, and Chlamydia psittaci was responsible for the most losses due to placentitis, which peaked in 2016.
What it means for you:
Knowing that infection of some kind is the greatest contributor to fetal loss, mare owners should examine their own management protocols to ensure the risk of infection and disease is as low as possible. The study also reinforces the need to carefully monitor late stage pregnant mares who are most at risk of fetal loss so problems can be caught early.
#5. Cheaper horses with better trainers outperform more expensive horses
What’s it about?
The yearling sale season is nearly over, so what can we hope to see from this year's purchases? Conor Banaham of The Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, looks at whether auction prices and selections are accurate predictors of performance.
Conor Banaham | Image courtesy of The Economic and Social Research Institute
Key findings:
Good trainers tend to get the results regardless of the price tag. Cheaper horses placed with better trainers outperformed more expensive horses put with less high-performing trainers.
There are a lot of variables in the equation that are hard to account for beyond trainer assignment, but price generally speaking reflected ability on the track.
What it means for you:
Buying and training a yearling is not an exact science, but there's a reason everyone wants a horse with Chris Waller. That isn't to say you can't get good results with a horse trained elsewhere - that's the thrill of the game!
