Epidemiology of equine performance wastage: importance of analysing facts and implementing their message in management

Parkin, T. D. H.; Rossdale, P. D.

doi:10.2746/042516406776563279

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 24 publications

(19 reference statements)

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“…Previous studies that investigated and described these parameters have used the term ‘wastage’ to describe the proportion of the population that did not race, or the proportion of the racing population that left racing [ 15 , 16 , 25 – 27 ]. More recently, however, the term ‘wastage’ has been considered inappropriate for use in epidemiological studies that do not assess the economic aspects of production losses [ 28 ]. When research findings are translated into more mainstream media coverage, the term ‘wastage’ implies a disregard by the TB industry for horses in its care [ 6 , 7 , 29 – 32 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Descriptive analysis of Thoroughbred horses born in Victoria, Australia, in 2010; barriers to entering training and outcomes on exiting training and racing

et al. 2020

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The reasons for Thoroughbred (TB) horses not entering training or exiting the racing industry, are of interest to regulators, welfare groups and the broader community. Speculation about the outcomes of these horses threatens the community acceptance, or social license, of the TB breeding and racing industries. A representative survey of the 2010 Victorian born TB foal crop was used to determine the outcomes and reasons for exit for horses that had not entered training, or had exited training and racing by eight years of age. Horses exported for racing or breeding (4%), or that were still actively racing (7%) at the start of the follow up period were excluded from the study. An online questionnaire was sent to breeders or trainers of 3,176 TB horses eligible for enrolment in the study. Of the 2,005 (63%) responses received, the two most frequent outcomes were that the horse had either been retired or rehomed (65%), or deceased (16%). For the 1,637 TB horses that had entered training, the majority of retirements were voluntary (59%), followed by involuntary retirements due to health disorders (28%). For TBs that did not have an industry record of entering training ( n = 368), death (34%), or retirement or being rehomed (27%), were the most frequent barriers to entering training. The median age of retirement for TBs that raced was five (Q1 4; Q3 6) years regardless of sex, or whether their first race start was at two, three or four years of age. Relatively large numbers of horses voluntarily retiring at five-years of age suggests that industry-level, rather than individual horse-level factors are the predominant influences on racing career duration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Descriptive analysis of Thoroughbred horses born in Victoria, Australia, in 2010; barriers to entering training and outcomes on exiting training and racing

et al. 2020

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“…(1) The total number of days (events) exercised at "three-quarter pace and above" (faster than 13 m/s; 15 s/furlong; 800 m/min; 48 km/h) (2) The total distance (furlongs) travelled at "three-quarter pace and above" (3) The average distance per event at "three-quarter pace and above" (4) The total number of days (events) exercised at "gallop" (faster than 15 m/s; 13 s/furlong; 900 m/min; 55 km/h) during trackwork (5) The total distance (furlongs) travelled at "gallop" during trackwork (6) The average distance per event at "gallop" during trackwork (7) The total distance (furlongs) travelled in jump-outs (non-official trials) (8) The total distance (furlongs) travelled in official trials (9) The total distance (furlongs) travelled in races (10) The combined distance travelled for jump-outs, official trials, and races (11) The total distance travelled at "gallop" during trackwork, jump-outs, official trials, and races (furlongs)…”

Section: High-speed Exercise Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia: How These Vary for Two-Year-Old and Older Horses and with Type of Injury

Crawford

Finnane

Phillips

et al. 2021

Animals

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Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) continue to affect Thoroughbred racehorses internationally. There is a strong interest in developing training and management strategies to reduce their impact, however, studies of risk factors report inconsistent findings. Furthermore, many injuries and fatalities occur during training rather than during racing, yet most studies report racing data only. By combining racing and training data a larger exposure to risk factors and a larger number of musculoskeletal injuries are captured and the true effect of risk factors may be more accurately represented. Furthermore, modifications to reduce the impact of MSI are more readily implemented at the training level. Our study aimed to: (1) determine the risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries and whether these are different for two-year-old and older horses and (2) determine whether risk factors vary with type of injury. This was performed by repeating analyses by age category and injury type. Data from 202 cases and 202 matched controls were collected through weekly interviews with trainers and analysed using conditional logistic regression. Increasing dam parity significantly reduced the odds of injury in horses of all age groups because of the effect in two-year-old horses (odds ratio (OR) 0.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02, 0.36; p < 0.001). Increasing total preparation length is associated with higher odds of injury in horses of all ages (OR 5.56; 95% CI 1.59, 19.46; p = 0.01), but particularly in two-year-old horses (OR 8.05; 95% CI 1.92, 33.76; p = 0.004). Increasing number of days exercised at a slow pace decreased the odds of injury in horses of all ages (OR 0.09; 95% CI 0.03, 0.28; p < 0.001). The distance travelled at three-quarter pace and above (faster than 13 m/s; 15 s/furlong; 800 m/min; 48 km/h) and the total distance travelled at a gallop (faster than 15 m/s; 13 s/furlong; 900 m/min; 55 km/h) in the past four weeks significantly affected the odds of injury. There was a non-linear association between high-speed exercise and injury whereby the odds of injury initially increased and subsequently decreased as accumulated high-speed exercise distance increased. None of the racing career and performance indices affected the odds of injury. We identified horses in this population that have particularly high odds of injury. Two-year-old horses from primiparous mares are at increased odds of injury, particularly dorsal metacarpal disease. Two-year-old horses that have had a total preparation length of between 10 and 14 weeks also have increased odds of injury. Horses of all ages that travelled a total distance of 2.4–3.8 km (12–19 furlongs) at a gallop in the last four weeks and horses three years and older that travelled 3.0–4.8 km (15–24 furlongs) at three-quarter pace and above also have increased odds of injury. We recommend that these horses should be monitored closely for impending signs of injury. Increasing the number of days worked at a slow pace may be more effective for preventing injury, if horses are perceived at a higher risk, than resting the horse altogether. Early identification of horses at increased risk and appropriate intervention could substantially reduce the impact of musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses.

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“…There are important ethical, welfare, and economic consequences resulting from MSI. A principal issue is the serious injury and/or death of horses [4][5][6][7][8] and riders [9,10]. A further important consequence of MSI is the involuntary retirement of these horses from racing, which results in substantial economic losses [7,11] and public concern regarding the final destination/repurposing of these horses [4,[12][13][14][15][16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature

Crawford

Ahern

Perkins

et al. 2020

Animals

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Despite over three decades of active research, musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) remain a global problem for the Thoroughbred (TB) racing industry. High-speed exercise history (HSEH) has been identified as an important risk factor for MSI. However, the nature of this relationship remains unclear, with an apparent protective effect of HSE against injury, before it becomes potentially harmful. Many MSI cases and fatalities occur during training rather than during racing, resulting in an underestimation of injury from studies focused on race day. The objective of this study was to examine the current evidence of the effect of combined training and racing HSEH on MSI in TB flat racehorses, through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic search of the relevant literature was performed using PubMed®, Scopus®, Web of Science®, and Embase® online databases and the gray literature using sites containing “.edu” or “.edu.au”. Studies included in the review had explored seven different measures of HSE, including total career HSE distance, cumulative HSE distance in the 30 and 60 days before MSI, average HSE distance per day, per event and per 30 days, and the total number of HSE events. The total cumulative career HSE distance significantly affected the odds of MSI, with every 5-furlong increase, the odds of MSI increased by 2% (OR = 1.02; 95% CI 1.01, 1.03; p = 0.004). The average HSE distance per day also affected the odds of MSI, with every additional furlong increasing the odds of MSI by 73% (OR = 1.73; 95% CI 1.29, 2.31; p < 0.001). Other measures of HSE were not found to be consistently associated with risk of MSI, but these results should be interpreted with caution. Significant methodological limitations were identified and influence the comparability of studies. Standardizing the measures of HSE in studies of MSI, and describing training conditions in more detail, would support a more thorough investigation of the relationship between HSE and MSI. An improved understanding of this relationship is critical to mitigating the impact of MSI in the Thoroughbred racehorse.

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Epidemiology of equine performance wastage: importance of analysing facts and implementing their message in management

Cited by 16 publications

References 24 publications

Descriptive analysis of Thoroughbred horses born in Victoria, Australia, in 2010; barriers to entering training and outcomes on exiting training and racing

Descriptive analysis of Thoroughbred horses born in Victoria, Australia, in 2010; barriers to entering training and outcomes on exiting training and racing

The Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia: How These Vary for Two-Year-Old and Older Horses and with Type of Injury

The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature

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