Risk factors for interruptions to training occurring before the first trial start of 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses

Bolwell, Charlotte F.; Rogers, Chris W.; French, Nigel P.; Firth, E. C.

doi:10.1080/00480169.2012.673163

Cited by 19 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(28 reference statements)

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“…TRIAL2yo horses had strong association with all measures of racing success, and even REG2yo horses were more likely to win or be placed in a race than horses that achieved this milestone at a later age. A recent study investigating risk factors for interruptions to training prior to first trial start in 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses found that risk of MSI interruption decreased with the accumulation of high-speed events in training [15]. The accumulation of high-speed exercise has a protective effect on the risk of fracture [21,22] and has been shown to be positively associated with racing performance [23].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The association of 2‐year‐old training milestones with career length and racing success in a sample of Thoroughbred horses in New Zealand

Tanner

Rogers

Firth

2012

Equine Veterinary Journal

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SummaryReasons for performing study: There is increasing evidence that exercise early in life has a positive effect on musculoskeletal health. At present, there is little whole population research investigating the effect of racing as 2-year-olds on future racing career. Objectives: To investigate the association between attaining training milestones as 2-year-olds with length of career and racing success in Thoroughbred horses in New Zealand. Methods: Retrospective data were obtained of the 2001/02-born Thoroughbred foal crop. The 3 training milestones were: registered with a trainer, trialled and raced. The association of the training milestones with career length was measured using the outcomes: number of race starts and number of years raced, in a Cox regression model. Logistic regression models analysed the association of the training milestones with the outcomes: won or placed in a race. Linear regression was performed to assess the association of training milestones with total career earnings. Results: Of 4683 horses in the population; 3152 horses were registered with a trainer, 2661 horses trialled and 2109 horses raced. Horses that raced as 2-year-olds had significantly (P<0.001) more race starts than those first raced as 3-year-olds or older, this was also true when the 2-year-old year data were omitted. Horses that raced as 2-year-olds had significantly (P<0.001) more years racing. Horses registered with a trainer, trialled or raced as 2-year-olds were more likely to have won or been placed in a race than those that achieved the milestones as 3-year-olds or older. Horses that first trialled and raced as 2-year-olds had greater total earnings than those that first trialled or raced at a later age. Conclusions and potential relevance: Two-year-old training milestones had a strong association with positive racing career outcomes. Horses in training or racing as 2-year-olds may have better musculoskeletal health throughout life than horses that are first in training or racing at a later age.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, minimising the risk of MSI is of great importance. If early exercise were indeed to have a positive effect on musculoskeletal health then it may be possible to manipulate the initiation and structure of race training to reduce the risk of MSI or to reduce the number of involuntary interruptions to training [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The association of 2‐year‐old training milestones with career length and racing success in a sample of Thoroughbred horses in New Zealand

Tanner

Rogers

Firth

2012

Equine Veterinary Journal

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“…In association with this is the introduction of controlled exercise, with 64%-80% of farms providing scheduled exercise, predominately in-hand walking or on a mechanical walker (Gibbs and Cohen, 2001;Bolwell et al, 2010a). Although this exercise was below what would normally be considered to be the threshold to elicit a musculoskeletal response, and was introduced to provide education rather than fitness, total in-hand walking time was found to be associated with a decreased risk of voluntary interruptions during race training of 2 year olds (Bolwell et al, 2012).…”

Section: Exercise In the Young Horsementioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, as a cursorial animal, it is possible that the window of tissue receptiveness is not completely closed by the time we start intensive management and training of the equine athlete (Bolwell et al, 2012).…”

Section: Exercise In the Young Horsementioning

confidence: 99%

Early exercise in the horse

Rogers

Bolwell

Tanner

et al. 2012

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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“…Variation in time to first start has been investigated with perceived maturity playing a key role in when horses commence racing (Bolwell et al . , , ). A major determinant of duration from entering training until first race is interruptions in training (Bolwell et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic contributions to precocity traits in racing Thoroughbreds

et al. 2017

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Adaptation to early training and racing (i.e. precocity), which is highly variable in racing Thoroughbreds, has implications for the selection and training of horses. We hypothesised that precocity in Thoroughbred racehorses is heritable. Age at first sprint training session (work day), age at first race and age at best race were used as phenotypes to quantify precocity. Using high-density SNP array data, additive SNP heritability (hSNP2) was estimated to be 0.17, 0.14 and 0.17 for the three traits respectively. In genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for age at first race and age at best race, a 1.98-Mb region on equine chromosome 18 (ECA18) was identified. The most significant association was with the myostatin (MSTN) g.66493737C>T SNP (P = 5.46 × 10 and P = 1.89 × 10 respectively). In addition, two SNPs on ECA1 (g.37770220G>A and g.37770305T>C) within the first intron of the serotonin receptor gene HTR7 were significantly associated with age at first race and age at best race. Although no significant associations were identified for age at first work day, the MSTN:g.66493737C>T SNP was among the top 20 SNPs in the GWAS (P = 3.98 × 10 ). Here we have identified variants with potential roles in early adaptation to training. Although there was an overlap in genes associated with precocity and distance aptitude (i.e. MSTN), the HTR7 variants were more strongly associated with precocity than with distance. Because HTR7 is closely related to the HTR1A gene, previously implicated in tractability in young Thoroughbreds, this suggests that behavioural traits may influence precocity.

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Risk factors for interruptions to training occurring before the first trial start of 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses

Cited by 19 publications

References 27 publications

The association of 2‐year‐old training milestones with career length and racing success in a sample of Thoroughbred horses in New Zealand

The association of 2‐year‐old training milestones with career length and racing success in a sample of Thoroughbred horses in New Zealand

Early exercise in the horse

Genetic contributions to precocity traits in racing Thoroughbreds

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