Emmet Mullins - the Irish National Hunt trainer who has had no shortage of success - a common trait in the Mullins clan!

Article by Daragh Ó Conchúir

Emmet Mullins possesses the sense of mischievousness that is common in many of the Mullins clan, and there are times when one wonders if it might be a contributory factor in his approach to training racehorses. Or at least his race planning.

We know from a significant sample of more than eight years as a trainer, that Mullins doesn’t throw darts without having given them due consideration. It’s just that his way of getting to the double is more Mensur Suljoviç than Michael van Gerwen. Convention is a constraint he sees no sense in burdening himself with.

So, it is not just plucking outlandish plans out of the ether. That would be idiotic and Mullins is no idiot. He is not unaware that he might be doing something others would not consider however, and when he delivers with an apparently off-kilter plot, he most definitely gets a kick out of it.

Examples of eschewing custom? Landing a listed three-year-old fillies’ hurdle race in Auteuil in 2019 with Fujimoto Flyer, acquired as a yearling on a trip to Japan two years previously. Scoring in a Grade 2 three-year-old hurdle race at the same venue last year with McTigue.

Winning a Grade 1 novice chase at Punchestown last April with Feronily, a horse having his second ever run over fences, just a month after shedding his maiden hurdle status, having been given his debut over both national hunt disciplines at graded level. That elite Punchestown triumph was less than five months removed from the Getaway gelding winning a point-to-point on his first ever public appearance at Rathcannon.

How about preparing ten-year-old The Shunter to bag the £103,080 first prize in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last October? In March 2021, the same horse plundered a £100,000 bonus on offer for any winner of the Morebattle Hurdle that subsequently won at the Cheltenham Festival, doing so over fences in the Plate.

And then there’s capturing the Grand National with Noble Yeats in 2022, the first seven-year-old to be victorious in the Aintree feature since Bogskar, 82 years previously. And that came just 14 months after running in a bumper, 13 from obliging in his maiden hurdle. 

For the most part, these aren’t campaigns his uncle Willie would consider and he is the most successful trainer in jumps racing. That said, when it comes to campaigning internationally at least, Willie has been all over the world and taken a punt in places like Nakayama and Merrano, and his own father Paddy (Emmet’s grandfather) did it before him, winning the $750,000 Grabel International Hurdle at Dueling Grounds – now Kentucky Downs – in 1990.

So there is a bit of nature in the ambition, the refusal to be hemmed in by the norm. He’s even had a runner in an Irish Derby, legging up Rachael Blackmore on King Of The Throne in 2020. But certainly, he has taken pioneering thinking to another level. It is his oeuvre. It takes a lot of confidence but the self-assurance is well placed. The CV tells us the methods produce results at a sustained and very exalted level. 

For all that, and despite an average strike rate of around one in five over jumps in Ireland since he began in 2015, 28% over jumps in Britain over the same period (four from six at the time of writing this season alone) and a career high eight winners on the flat in Ireland this year (15% SR). Success for the Closutton 34-year-old – his 30 boxes are located at the HQ of his father, George’s equine transport business and next door to the gallops used by Uncle Willie to condition his legion of champions –is primarily about getting horses sold.

Sometimes they stay in the yard, which is the case if JP McManus gets involved as he has done on a number of occasions with The Shunter, Filey Bay, So Scottish, Corbett’s Cross and Feronily, and with Noble Yeats after the Waley-Cohens acquired the subsequent Grand National hero. 

Most of them don’t though, particularly the flat horses, with a global market. Of the jumpers, McTigue is one of the more recent to have been bought to race in America.

In an interview in last year’s Irish Racing Yearbook, Mullins said he wasn’t good enough to be a jockey, even though he was a Cheltenham Festival winner in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle on Sir Des Champs for Willie in 2011. 

He won a graded novice chase on the same horse at Limerick the following December and then two years later at the same meeting, was entrusted with the responsibility of steering Faugheen around in a graded novice hurdle. But he couldn’t see himself having enough of those sorts of days.

“I didn’t want to be mediocre. Move on to the next thing and do better,” he explained in that feature.

So he retired at 24, just as his younger cousin David did, having won a Grand National as a teenager. They know their own minds, the Mullins boys.

That independent streak is evident in his second career. Being given the responsibility by Willie of travelling with Blackstairmountain to Japan and overseeing the eight-year-old’s preparations prior to landing the valuable Nakayama Grand Jump planted the seed for training, as well as leaving a very positive impression of racing in the land of the rising sun. 

He knew he wasn’t going to be champion trainer but given his disinterest in being a journeyman, resolved to operate commercially and improve the quality while he could. 

Making money on a horse is success in his eyes, as evidenced when in the aforementioned Irish Racing Yearbook feature, he posited that saddling a two-year-old to score in an auction maiden on the flat at Gowran Park was arguably his most important winner of a year that also included Noble Yeats’ Liverpool romp.

“Grand National prize money wouldn’t get you a deposit on a house,” he reasoned, referring to the filly’s subsequent sale.

Asked now to sum up his model, he uses one word initially.

“Flexible.”

That, as they say, is an understatement. 

“It was always to buy and to sell. Try and advertise your horse and sell it on for a profit. You’ve a lot of advantages with the surname Mullins but there’s a downfall with the selling part. I think most of the market would feel if Willie doesn’t buy it, it’s no good. That’s a drawback. It’s tricky.”

But it’s gone well. He would like to retain the calibre of horse, but it is not at the top of the list.

“I want the quality of the horses to be as high as possible but I don’t think I’ll ever go down the road of too many horses. I’m happy enough with the workload that I have. I went to Kentucky in September and October for the guts of five or six days each time, which you could never do if you had too many horses. There’s a good team at home but the bigger you get, no matter what systems you have in place, the more diluted it gets, I feel.”

As for being hands-on, he says: “I like to know, but I like to delegate. If I’ve all the right information I can make the decisions.”

He only rides work now when they are short of bodies, but is fortunate to have eight full-time staff, while his number one jockey, Donagh Meyler arrives three times a week.

He has just resurfaced a five-furlong gallop he had installed originally in 2018, and describes his method of conditioning as interval training. 

“All I know really is Willie outside the back door of our house. It’s all I’ve seen and it’s a good model to be working on.”

While the conditioning, fitness and schooling aspects are imperatives, they are useless without the raw material and it is here that Mullins seems to really deliver at an incredible level for a small-scale operation. He is very clear about what he is looking for when making acquisitions.

“When it comes to horses in training, it’s when they hit the line. There’s nothing worse than something tying up that might fall across the line and hold on to win. I would definitely be waiting for the horse in third that was too far back and flew home and ran through the line. I’d value him more than the horse that actually won but the market might consider the winner the best horse. There are plenty of different factors gone into where each horse was but horses that run through the line, there’s another day in them.

“With unraced horses, I suppose it’s a lucky dip but if they can’t walk, they can’t gallop. It’s all about the action. When you’re looking at horses that ran, the page is 90% irrelevant because they’ve either outrun their page or underrun it and there’s probably more underrun their page than outrun it. Once there’s black and white form, the page drops way down the list. But with unraced horses, it’s one of your only markers. You’ve got your conformation and pedigree and you haven’t much else to go on.”

Paul Byrne is a key investor, a friend of cousin Patrick (son of Willie), who clearly liked what Emmet Mullins was doing and whose light blue colours have become very recognisable on the likes of Feronily, Corbett’s Cross and The Shunter prior to their sales to McManus, as well as Slate Lane, among many others. Meyler is a key contributor too, obviously.

“We’re on the same wavelength I think,” he says of the experienced pilot. “Sometimes I mightn’t say much and I think I’ve said what needs to be said. If you’re not on the same wavelength, the jockey hasn’t got it. That’s my fault. It hasn’t been communicated the right way. With Donagh, we’re on the same wavelength and a facial expression could say as much as a word.

“McTigue in Auteuil, I walked the track with him [Meyler]. Don’t think he’d ridden there before. I’d won there with Fujimoto, had ridden there and we’d been watching Willie’s horses win there over the years. I told him how I would ride the race, and hurdle by hurdle it was just textbook, following the conversation we had the whole way around.

“Once we come out after getting the saddle, I ask him about the race. I might have my homework done but I want to see what he says first anyway. Nine times out of ten, we come up with a plan together. A few times, I throw a spanner in the works, like with Slate Lane in Haydock when I say, ‘We’re gonna make it today.’

“Donagh thought we’d be switching off as usual, down the paint, but I just thought there wasn’t much pace in the race so I said, ‘No. Line up wide. Go with them. If they’re going too hard, you can always sit in behind them. If you’re going too slow, you’ll get a freebie up front. It’s up to you to figure it out from then. I just wanted him to have those options rather than being locked in a pocket in behind if they were going too slow. But the main thing is we are on the same wavelength.”

When we speak, Slate Lane has just delivered on another target, his fourth consecutive triumph, bagging the £71,188 first prize of that premier handicap at Haydock he has referred to. It is bittersweet though as, barring a miraculous recovery from a very bad tendon injury suffered at some point during that race, he won’t compete again.

“I don’t know how he got to the line. Fifty per cent of the tendon is gone, into the tendon sheath and the big worry with that is infection. He’s in a cast now so as not to put the weight on it. The BHA vets were very good, flushed it out and gave him antibiotics on the racecourse and he went to Leahurst (Equine Hospital in Liverpool). It’s fairly certain he’ll never race again but it’s good news that he avoided the infection and saving the horse was the most important thing. With tendon sheaths it’s often 50-50 whether you’ll survive it because of the risk of infection.”

It is a reminder that even when things are going outstandingly well, in racing, above all other pursuits it seems, the leveller is just around the corner. Only the day before, Jeroboam Machin won a Fairyhouse bumper on debut. He too suffered a nasty cut on his tendon, a bigger one than suffered by Slate Lane but not as deep. It will sideline the youngster for some time and there is a double whammy in terms of a potential sale but he should hopefully return to the track at least. 

Some were talking up Slate Lane as a potential Stayers’ Hurdle candidate, cognisant of Mullins’ propensity to press fast forward with his neophytes but the intention had been to stay in novice company and to see just how far up the ladder the five-year-old son of Ask could go. 

He only had him six months, and though there were three underwhelming performances on the track for Paul Hennessy, the third had been an improved sixth in a two-mile Gowran Park maiden hurdle in March though that ended in disqualification when jockey Niall Prendergast weighed in incorrectly. That actually brought Mullins’ attention to him however, and when he delved a bit deeper to look at his third-place finish in a Moig South maiden point, the manner in which Slate Lane finished strongly was enough for him to press the button.

“He flew home. I know he finished third but he was the horse to buy out of the race. There were no hiccups from then. We were probably on the mark after Newton Abbot but it was 75 days out to the race. As it transpired, the race didn’t fill and he’d only have been a pound or two out off 113 but you couldn’t take that risk and you’d have been longer again out. So in between Newton Abbot and Haydock, we took in the (Corinthian Challenge) charity race at Leopardstown (which he won) to keep him ticking over. Michael O’Neill, who won on him, comes in to ride work for us a good bit.

“Haydock wasn’t mentioned until after Cartmel but first, it was Cartmel for the sticky toffee pudding. That was the big draw! As soon as he crossed the line - it was a 2m6f maiden hurdle - we said, ‘Big pot, three miles, Haydock, November’. I had a runner in it once (2021), Righplacerighttime. I tend not to forget where the money is!

“We couldn’t enter him in Irish handicaps because if you ran him in Ireland, the English handicapper has his own interpretation so we campaigned him exclusively in England over hurdles to keep on their handicap system and we wouldn’t be guessing about what rating we’d have.

“He was working well when we decided to go for the maiden hurdle. We thought he’d win and he kept improving the whole time and he had to. The same horse that won in Haydock, wouldn’t have come off the bridle in the Cartmel race and he came off it on the home bend and had to be scrubbed against a 78-rated horse. So he’s clearly improved. He wasn’t a 127-rated horse. It has been a natural progression.”

Using a charity race to keep him ticking over is unconventional, to say the least, but Mullins readily concedes that “we don’t do much normal”. The outside-the-box planning seems like genius given how often it comes off.

“You’re just looking for those niches. It was 2017 I think I went to those yearling sales in Japan... They are, I would say, on top of the world now with their system, their tiered racing, their midweek racing and their weekend racing, the prize money. It’s ten years this year since I was at the Japan Cup and the racing fraternity were like the Premier League stars. The following was phenomenal.

“I bought Fujimoto Flyer. Another foal I bought privately over there was Crowns Major (owned by long-time patron Annette Mee, who provided him with his first winner St Stephen’s Green). He won the big premier handicap at Galway (in 2021) with Wesley Joyce. Now, the third, I sold to Poland or the Czech Republic fairly quickly after but two out of three isn’t bad.”

No other trainer around would have campaigned Feronily like he did and that they picked him up for just £45,000 at Cheltenham, five days after cantering to victory under Derek O’Connor in his point-to-point was a fantastic start.

“It’s funny, on the day of the sale, I was going over thinking he was the best horse in the sale. Told the clients, ‘Couple of hundred thousand, this is the real deal.’ I hadn’t seen him but looked at the vet report on the phone, saw the video of the race but the rumour machine was going around that he had bad tendons. Two vets were after standing over him and cleared him! I spoke with Ellmarie Holden who won the point-to-point with him. They’d scanned the tendons at home, they showed me them, it was perfect.

“Paul was beside me and I says, ‘We’re buying the next one in.’ He says, ‘What is it?’ I says, ‘You’ll see when you sign for it.’ There were a few mates of his with us and I said to them, ‘Put up your hand now. We’re gone past the reserve and you’ll get him on the next one.’ One of the guys bid, so we got him. They didn’t know what was after happening. I was giggling away and Tattersalls had the buyers as Hughes, Smith and Stokes - three friends of Paul’s!

“He’d won ten lengths. He’d a big advantage going to the last. Popped it. Lost all the ground. Derek sat down on his back and he took off and went again. And you don’t go a second time unless you’ve got a big engine and he galloped through the line after losing all momentum. It was a no-brainer.”

Okay, buying him was, but you cannot tell me the subsequent course of action was obvious.

“It was Paul that wanted to go to Kelso after two good bumper runs (second to Isle Atlantique and third to A Dream To Share). He didn’t run too bad (finishing fourth) because it was a graded handicap on his first start over hurdles. We got the maiden hurdle in Limerick out of the way. I think the entries for Punchestown were closing after that and I don’t know why, but I just thought that the three-mile novice chase division was vulnerable. Stuck him in, then rang Paul and told him, ‘I might have done something crazy again.’ When the entries came out then he said, ‘That wasn’t one of your worst ideas.’

“We got the run into him in Cork (in a Grade 3 chase). We didn’t want to run in a beginner’s chase because if he won, he wasn’t a novice the following season. So you wanted it to be justifiable to lose it. If we won, well and good, if not, you had the experience. He ran very nicely in second and it was on to Punchestown from that.”

Sometimes things just fall into place. The Shunter was slated for a major staying handicap from the time he won his maiden in Sligo in May 2022.

“He wasn’t right for the Irish Cesarewitch and for luck, he went to Newmarket. The extra two weeks probably helped and it rained then as well.

“It was Paul that had spotted the bonus with the Morebattle. He had won the Greatwood already. You can’t be expecting him to be that far ahead of the handicapper to win three premier handicap hurdles so that’s why we had to take up the chase option in Cheltenham after he won the Morebattle. He probably wouldn’t have run over fences at all, he was still in a 0-116 bracket and there was a beginners’ chase at Punchestown for horses rated 116 or less over hurdles. I said to Paul we probably wouldn’t win a beginners’ chase in a month’s time when Willie and Gordon (Elliott) had their horses out and 140 horses were getting beaten in beginners’ chase. That opened that possibility for us. So it wasn’t that we were planning hurdles and fences with the Morebattle and Cheltenham. With that one, it just panned out that we had somehow done the right thing.

“He’ll get a break now and maybe come back for the Chester Cup. He’s an older horse, he’s had plenty of issues and I’d say his jumping days might be behind him.”

Corbett’s Cross is moving the right way and a return for one of the Grade 1 novice chases at Cheltenham is a more straightforward plan.

Noble Yeats is likely to miss the Gold Cup this time around, having finished fourth last year before filling the same position in his bid to go back-to-back in the National.

“I think we found a little race for him to start back over hurdles at Christmas. It’ll be a start. He had a tough year last year. Gold Cup, Grand National, Grand Steep de Paris. He had an extended break and didn’t come back to me till the first of October. At the moment it’s the National. I don’t think we can do both. He won’t be helped by being so consistent in his races, with his handicap mark and plenty of weight but as they say, horses for courses and he definitely has Aintree sussed.

“He’s a funny horse in that he needs a hood or ear plugs for the preliminaries, but when he’s going he needs cheekpieces. There’s no other horse you’d do it with. It’s just figuring them out.”

Just another element of the job Emmet Mullins seems to be very good at. 

Topspec Trainer of the Quarter - Mick Appleby

Article by Lissa Oliver

It wasn’t hard to single out Mick Appleby for our quarterly award, given such top-level international success in such a short space of time, leaving the yard “buzzing”, as Appleby says. With 105 boxes, The Homestead stables in Rutland, Leicestershire, is hardly a “small” stable, and Appleby is renowned for his All-Weather success, having been Champion Trainer for six years. But Group One successes on such an international scale are taking the team to new heights.

“Big Evs’ win at the Breeders’ Cup has been a great boost to the team and there’s a huge buzz around the yard,” says Appleby, “it’s good for all the team, they work so hard all year round.” Just to emphasise that, team-member Madan Singh has just reached the six Finalists for the prestigious Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, sponsored by Godolphin, in the Rider/Groom category.

Add to Big Evs’ grand end-of-season finale the success of Roberto Escobarr in the Premio St Leger Italiano, on his first run for the Appleby stable, and the final months of 2023 really have been quite a purple-patch for Appleby, who isn’t afraid of taking horses abroad for better prize money.

With over 30-years’ experience in racing, Appleby has gone from such roles as stable jockey to John Manners, head lad to Roger Curtis and Andrew Balding, to taking out his own licence in 2010. In 2014, he trained his first Group winner when Danzeno won the Grade 3 Chip Chase at Newcastle. 

The yard is set in 80 acres of Rutland countryside, with 20 paddocks and 40 acres of summer turnout fields. Appleby has also added schooling fences, hurdles and cross-country jumps around the fields and is working on re-opening an historic bridleway to allow further access for hacks across road-free countryside. Together with an undulating one-mile all-weather gallop, he has a five-furlong (1000m) oval gallop and a seven-furlong (1400m) straight grass gallop; with a solarium and a theraplate installed to allow different training regimes.

Appleby describes Big Evs’ run-up to the Breeders’ Cup as, “pretty straightforward, really. We didn’t do anything different with him, but we did use the bell for him to practise coming out of the stalls. We borrowed that from Adam West! But, to be fair, I don’t think it made any difference. He was absolutely grand, he took the travelling all in his stride and the experience didn’t faze him at all. Big Evs is on his holiday now, but he’ll be back for all the big 5f (1000m) races next year.”

Roberto Escobarr had only been bought by the yard in July, so the Premio St Leger Italiano hadn’t really been a target, Appleby says. “We saw that race and thought it might be good for him and luckily it all worked out well. He might go to Dubai now and, long-term, we might even think about the Melbourne Cup next year.”

Group One glory hasn’t changed anything at The Homestead. “It’s business as usual. Hopefully we might get offered more two-year-olds on the back of Big Evs,” Appleby hopes. “I’d just like to thank everyone for all their support and for all the congratulations that poured in for Big Evs, it was overwhelming really, and great for the staff who work hard all year round.” 

Steps to take in order to prevent respiratory disease after a poor harvest

Article by Alan Creighton (Head of environment and nutrition at the Irish Equine Centre)

I don’t want to sound alarmist because I am generally a very positive person, but I have no doubt that there will be an increase in racehorse respiratory issues this winter and next spring due to a combination of poor hay and straw harvests in conjunction with a very damp autumn. 

Through our everyday testing at the Irish Equine Centre we have already seen higher than average fungal contaminated hay, haylage and straw submitted for testing this autumn. Our routine monitoring of racing yard environments in Ireland, the UK and France are also showing increases in fungal contamination in air samples and surface swabs taken throughout the yards. The damp weather conditions from the second week of June right through the summer in western Europe resulted in fields of grass and cereal crops which were showing major signs of fungal contamination while still standing in the field. 

It didn’t get much better when the dry spells came in early September. Land was already saturated which meant the crops once mowed were extremely difficult to dry which has resulted in discoloured, dusty, high moisture straw, many hay stacks which heated and oats with high moisture content. Even haylage, which is the normal go to method of preserving forage when conditions are poor has shown much higher levels of contamination thus far. Damp weather in this period also meant that stables themselves were often damp which encouraged fungal growth on the internal surfaces.

Racehorses are athletes that need a fully functioning respiratory system to maximise performance. IAD, COPD, RAO (all forms of equine asthma) and EIPH (bleeding) are respiratory conditions which are major causes of poor performance in racehorses.  Fungi and mycotoxins are now recognised as a major cause of these conditions and in particular the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus being the main culprit. 

Fungi that penetrate the airways can cause unwanted inflammation and can be infective, toxic, allergenic or all 3 combined. The further the distance a racehorse is asked to race, the more detrimental this inflammation will be to performance. The main sources of this fungus are in hay, haylage, straw and oats. 

This fungus is a storage fungus and so it propagates in stored foodstuffs overtime where the moisture level is above 14%. When the fungus contaminates a foodstuff or bedding the horse has no choice but to breathe in the harmful spores in their stable environment. The fungus also causes a level of immunosuppression which can often be the precursor to secondary bacterial and viral disease. 

The cost of bedding for racehorses has been steadily rising over the last number of years. Wood shavings have become very expensive to buy but are now also very expensive to dispose of. Straw is still more cost effective to buy and much more cost effective to dispose of. 

I will often get asked the question “what is the best bedding for horses?” - my answer is consistently “good straw”. When I get asked the question “what is the worst bedding for horses?” my answer is consistently “bad straw”.  The cost saving in purchasing and disposing of straw has made it attractive to trainers in a time when all other costs are rising. Finding good straw this year will be very difficult. 

In many countries in Europe, we have a government policy called SIM, the Straw Incorporation Measure which is a payment for chopping straw and incorporating it into the soil. SIM has been designed to encourage tillage farmers to increase soil organic carbon levels by chopping and incorporating straw from cereal crops and oilseed rape. 

Unfortunately, an unintended consequence of that policy is the reduction in availability of straw for bedding purposes. This is particularly problematic this year because now we have a shortage of straw and the straw which is available for bedding has much higher levels of harmful moulds due to the poor harvest conditions. 

When feeding haylage, the spoilage process can begin quickly if the bale is exposed to air, this may be due to damage of the wrapping or not using the bale quick enough once opened. Fungal spores will develop and this should be carefully assessed before feeding. This is a major problem we encounter on a regular basis. Often trainers are feeding big bales of haylage to a small number of horses which means the bales are exposed to air for a prolonged period of time. 

Pathogenic fungi will develop very quickly and often lead to both respiratory and gastric problems. For that reason, the IEC will recommend to use haylage once opened inside of 4 days in the winter and 3 days in the summer. This recommendation will often determine the choice between hay and haylage as you would therefore need to be feeding a larger number of horses to feed large bale haylage. 

Hay production requires 7-10 days of continuous good weather unless you are barn drying. In Ireland and the UK we got a two week spell of suitable weather in the last week of May until the end of the first week of June. Many meadows were not ready, and the ones that needed patience from the farmer not to bale too early as hay at that time of the year is very difficult to dry properly due to the lushness of the grass. 

Having said all that, the best hay of this season was made in that period. That was the only spell until a two week spell in September. Historically, the best hay in western Europe is made from the middle of June to the end of July. That was not possible this season. The hay made in that early spell is very good in terms of quality but very poor in terms of volume. The hay made in the second spell in September was very high in volume but very poor in terms of quality. The nutrition levels of this September hay is also poor and the fungal levels are very high.

At the Irish Equine centre we analyse thousands of samples of hay, haylage, chaffs, straw and oats every year for both hygiene (mould and bacteria levels) and nutritional content. The reality is that in a normal year with good spells of weather we still get both hay and haylage with extremely good nutritional and hygiene values and we get hay and haylage with very poor nutritional and hygiene values. 

This year the percentage of poor is outweighing the percentage of good. Normally we would advise that trainers should produce or purchase enough of the same batch of quality forage for the whole season. That may not be possible this year. It is our experience from testing forage that getting haylage with consistent nutritional values can be very difficult even in a good year. This is mainly due to the variants in moisture content which will certainly be the case this season. Hay which is well made and stored well does tend to be much more consistent and therefore better for overall horse health. 

Both hay and haylage are prone to fungal contamination in different ways. With haylage the fungal contamination occurs as a result of inadequate fermentation or when air pockets or punctures occur in the plastic. 

Fungal problems in hay occur because of high moisture levels during the baling process and because of inadequate storage during winter months. We have shown in the past that those fungal problems are compounded and elevated since farmers have moved away from the traditional small bale and moved to large round and rectangular bales. Farmers who traditionally barn dry small square bales, who ensure that hay is dried below 14% moisture and then covered (a layer of clean bales of straw) in storage remains the most hygienic hay for racehorses.

During storage the moisture level on the outside of uncovered bales significantly increases over damp winter months, leading to a significant increase in fungal growth. Round bales suffer the worst during storage. Hay in large bales needs to have a very low moisture level when baling, which just wasn’t possible in most cases this year when field drying. 

When this type of bale has a high moisture level in the centre of the bale it results in significant increases of pathogenic fungi contamination during storage. We have shown through studies that keeping the moisture level of hay below 14% moisture will significantly reduce Aspergillus contamination. It was very difficult to achieve this moisture reduction this summer and often farmers had no choice but to treat the hay with buffered propionic acid which is an effective preservation method which reduces fungal growth during the early stages of storage but its effect diminishes over time.

Good quality tested hay is still the most beneficial to horses when all factors are taken into account. Once purchased hay should be stored properly by the supplier to ensure that it remains consistent. The hay supplier should ideally guarantee the trainer a supply of hay which is consistent for the whole season rather than swapping and changing batches constantly. 

All hay should be covered from the end of September once the moisture content has stabilised to protect it from damp air during winter months. Trainers with inadequate storage may have no choice than to feed haylage. If this is the case, buy the right size of bales for the amount of horses you are feeding. 

Steaming of hay in the correct manner can be a very useful process to reduce the fungal load in contaminated hay. Some producers of hay harvested very early this year to take advantage of that good weather spell. First crop hay when harvested early can be difficult to save and can have a very high protein content. That high protein is good if you test it to quantify the actual protein content and you then balance your feeds accordingly.

If high protein hay or haylage is used and feeds are not adjusted accordingly it can overload the digestive system with nitrogen. Excess of protein will also lead to an over production of urea, leading to an excess of ammonia emissions in the stable which can also cause respiratory irritation.

So, what is the advice from the IEC? Trainers will need to test their hay and haylage at multiple stages during their season as the dangerous fungi will develop over time. The volume of suitable forage and bedding will be low, so trainers should act quickly to secure the best that’s available. 

The nutrition department at the IEC provides full nutritional and hygiene testing for hay, haylage, straw and oats. It is vital that you test forage pre-purchase when trying to buy a season's supply. Hay, haylage or bedding contaminated with pathogenic fungi will cause respiratory disease which will affect racehorse performance. 

For that reason, the cost of testing forage is a small price to pay rather than losing significant portions of the season due to poor performance as a result of respiratory disease. How you store and feed hay, haylage, and oats will have a huge impact on the level of exposure your animals will have to harmful moulds. Stable hygiene and ventilation will be even more critically important when the risk of contaminated inputs is so high.

To conclude, trainers should always acquire the best possible forage and bedding available and test it prior to purchase. You can and should inspect and test any batch of hay or bedding properly prior to delivery. You can take a representative sample for the testing lab which can then be the deciding factor for your purchase. When taking a sample, take a fistful from 6-8 different bales in the stack to ensure you get a representative sample. 

We monitor the stable environments of over 200 racing yards in Ireland, the UK, France and in the Middle East. That monitoring includes hygiene sampling of feed, forage, bedding, water, stable surfaces, walker surfaces and air quality in barns. The benefits of that monitoring for the trainer is that you highlight issues which can cause respiratory disease, proactively prevent disease problems and finally have a mechanism which quantifies the effectiveness of stable disinfection routines. 

The most consistent trainers in terms of performance have good hygiene practices. If anybody would like to discuss the above issues or need help with assessing the quality of forage and bedding in use, please contact myself or any of my team at nutrition@irishequinecentre.ie and we would be glad to help.

“It’s a struggle…” The mental wellbeing of trainers and how to support them.

Article by Rupert Arnold

Training racehorses is a stressful occupation. There’s nothing wrong with that - until there is.  In today’s world, mental health is front of stage in conversations about occupational health. Though horse racing might often appear to lag behind more progressive parts of society, attention is increasingly being focused on its participants’ capacity to withstand the stresses of a busy, challenging life where performance is in the public eye.

In Britain and Ireland, jockeys have been the first sector to benefit from support structures instigated by their trade associations and governing bodies. They have been encouraged to speak publicly about the causes of depression, anxiety and substance dependence, and in this way have begun to erode the stigma that stifles potentially healing conversations. A pathway has been opened for trainers to follow.

Three racing nations have spearheaded the research on trainers’ mental health. The first studies were conducted in Australia in 2008 by Speed and Anderson on behalf of Racing Victoria. It’s findings that “two-thirds of trainers never or rarely had one day off per week”, and  “Trainers also face increased pressure from owners (e.g. pressure to win competitive races), shoulder the burden of responsibility for keeping horses healthy and sound, as well as financial difficulties” will strike a chord with trainers across all racing jurisdictions and sets the precedent for other research. 

In July 2018, again in Australia, research on “Sleep and psychological wellbeing of racehorse industry workers” surveyed Australian trainers and found “Trainers reported significantly higher depression and anxiety scores compared with other racing industry workers, racehorse owners, and the general population. They had less sleeping hours and higher daytime dysfunction due to fatigue.”

Simone Seer’s University of Liverpool MBA dissertation of September 2018 “Occupational Stressors for Racehorse Trainers in Great Britain and their Impact on Health and Wellbeing” (supported by Racing Welfare) used qualitative research via unstructured interviews from which themes were analysed to identify patterns and differences between trainers’ experiences. 

“Examples included business and finance worries, bureaucracy, the rules of racing, the fixture list, a lack of resources and busy work schedules, managing stressful episodes with racehorse owners and staff and in balancing emotions. The most dominant stressors were those that were felt to be out of a participant’s control and particularly related to racehorses: keeping horses healthy, free from injury, disease and illness, and the pressure to perform in relation to both the participant and their horses…participants were found to be engaged in intensive emotional labour combined with long work hours and busy schedules resulting in a ‘time famine’. All participants had experienced abusive messages by voicemail, email or social media.

“Participants reported mental ill health symptoms brought on by emotional toll, sleep deprivation, insomnia and isolation resulting in outcomes such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, low confidence and recurrent headaches.”

In 2021, following the watershed of the Covid-19 pandemic, research on Irish racehorse trainers by King et al published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science examined the “prevalence and risk factors” associated with racehorse trainer mental health. Among their headline findings were some familiar features:

“A prevalence of symptoms associated with common mental disorders was identified. Specifically, depression (41%), adverse alcohol use (38%), psychological distress (26%), and generalised anxiety (18%).

“Career dissatisfaction, financial difficulties, and lower levels of social support increased the likelihood of meeting the criteria for depression, psychological distress and generalised anxiety.”

As Ryan McElligott, Chief Executive of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, says: “Training is a tough business. Even the top trainers lose more often than they win. It’s extra competitive so fear keeps training fees down while costs are increasing…it’s a struggle.”

Away from the published science-based research, we must rely on anecdotes to get a picture of the experience of trainers in other European countries. 

Perhaps surprisingly, no studies are available on the situation in France. Gavin Hernon, who represents the Association des Entraineur de Galop (AEDG) at the European Trainers Federation (ETF), suggests this may be because France Galop sees itself primarily as a regulator so wouldn’t include trainers’ health and well-being in its remit. 

Gavin reports that trainers in France share the same pressures as colleagues in other countries. He says, “A major factor is the high financial cost of doing business. Well-funded prize money may cast a rosy glow across the sport, but this leads to trainers relying on their percentage to make a profit. It also gives them an incentive to own more horses than is the case in other countries. The combination becomes toxic if the horses are not winning, creating a culture of performance anxiety.” 

According to Gavin, a common response to the occupational pressure is for trainers to shut themselves away and bottle up their true feelings. This belief is endorsed by Tom Luhnenschloss, the ETF representative in Norway. “Trainers are living in a bubble”, he explains. “Trainers have a certain mentality. Their life is very repetitive, they put their heads down and carry on, without sharing their problems. There are a lot of hidden issues.”

In the smallest racing nations, the subject of trainers’ mental health may not be enough of a priority for specific attention. Karin Lutmanova in the Czech Republic points out “The problem definitely exists, but I do not think anybody has capacity to care about it. Our racing has so many other crucial and elementary problems such as funding, closure of the main thoroughbred stud, and a decrease of racehorses and racing days.” 

 So there is a consensus that racehorse trainers are susceptible to particular forms of mental health conditions. The obvious follow-up question is, what can be done to support trainers facing these conditions? 

At first glance, there seems to be a gap in racing’s provision for trainers. On governing body and charity websites it isn’t difficult to track down welfare/wellbeing support for jockeys and stable staff, less so for trainers.  As Tom Lunhenschloss observed, “There is no one to catch you when you fall.” However, further investigation reveals that initiatives are underway.

From a European perspective, Britain and Ireland are adopting slightly different approaches.

Having contributed extensively to the research in Britain, the National Trainers Federation was keen to collaborate with Racing Welfare, the Jockey Club charity that aims to support the workforce of British racing and backed the research. Simone Sear’s paper concluded that “a bespoke, confidential service should be designed in order to support this workforce to gain insight and build resilience… and will need to provide support across a range of issues such as mental health, physical health, sports psychology, business management, HR and legal advice, financial assistance and time management.” 

An informal arrangement between Racing Welfare and the NTF began in 2020 with referrals being made via both parties to Michael Caulfield, a sports psychologist with deep connections to horseracing through a previous role heading the Professional Jockeys Association. Racing Welfare also set up the Leaders Line, a centralised structure for supporting people in management positions. Neither of these initiatives achieved a breakthrough in terms of reach and recognition. 

Drawing on Racing Foundation-funded research by Dan Martin at the Liverpool John Moores University, the NTF, through its charity Racehorse Trainers Benevolent Fund (RTBF), began working on a different approach inspired by Dan’s recommendation:   

“Create a trainer-specific referral system, exclusive to trainers and separate from Racing Welfare, for mental health support. Given the multiple roles of the racehorse trainer, the support should provide organisational psychology, sports psychology, counselling, and clinical support. Former trainers should be considered to receive training to provide some of this support.”

The twist is that instead of building something and expecting the people to come, the RTBF model was about outreach – creating a network of knowledgeable and empathetic people to be visible in the trainer community, starting the conversations that trainers, by their own admission, were unlikely to reach out for on their own. 

  Michael Caulfield and David Arbuthnot, whose career as a trainer spanned 38 years and who later undertook counselling qualifications through the NTF Charitable Trust, were recruited to go out and about, chatting to trainers in the Lambourn training centre and surrounding area and at race meetings and bloodstock sales. 

Harry Dunlop, a former trainer and recently recruited trustee of the RTBF, explains, “It’s well known that however serious the problem, taking that first step to ask for support with a mental health issue is hard to take. People are afraid to show what they perceive as weakness. By getting Caulfield and Arbuthnot into the places where trainers circulate in their daily working lives, we hope to break down barriers and give trainers a chance to share their problems. That might be all it takes to lighten the load. Or it might lead to scheduling a one-to-one at another time.”    

Set up as a six-month pilot from July 2023, this initiative has already expanded to Yorkshire in the North and Newmarket, with trainers Jo Foster and Chris Wall respectively providing the support. Initial response from trainers was amused scepticism but this proved to be a superficial reaction. Very quickly, on a private and confidential basis, trainers have begun opening up to members of the support team. One-to-one sessions were scheduled. Trainers who admitted to putting off seeking help, contacted one of the team for a conversation. Thankfully, there has not been a rush of acute cases of serious mental health pathology. But there is clear evidence that “Trainers just want someone to talk to” as Michael Caulfield describes it. It’s worth noting that Caulfield warns against medicalising all the mental health conditions experienced by trainers. “There is a world of difference between a clinical mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and being overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility and/or despair brought on by sheer exhaustion. Most of the time people need an outlet to vent their worries, and more sleep.” 

 The need for someone familiar to lend a friendly ear is confirmed by Ryan McElligott. “Trainers are a traditional cohort; they have rather conservative values. They don't like to admit they are in trouble; they worry that it's a sign of weakness. It's a close-knit community so generally the first call for help would be to people close to them.” McElligott says the Irish trainers are fortunate to have two sources of support – the Industry Assistance Programme, which gives access to counselling and therapy; and the availability of Jennifer Pugh, the Senior Medical Officer for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. He describes her as “a prominent presence” at race meetings, and clearly trainers feel able to communicate with her.  

Pugh contributed to the “prevalence and risk factor” paper mentioned above. She points out that with a background as an amateur rider, coming from a training family, and having worked as a racecourse doctor, she was already a recognisable person before taking on her present official role. The need for access to trusted figures appears to be a common factor in effective mechanisms of support. 

The Industry Assistance Programme sits under the umbrella of Horse Racing Ireland’s EQUUIP service, described as ‘The People Behind the People’ in the Irish Horse Racing & Breeding Industry.  One of its three offers is “health and wellbeing services for everyone who wants it.” As the British experience shows, encouraging trainers to make use of the formalised support system is not straightforward. Though predating EQUUIP’s creation, the Irish research indicated that “only a fifth of trainers had sought support for their personal and emotional problems.” 

For this reason, Pugh endorses the social support approach. She says there is a plan to recruit wellbeing “champions” for people to approach out in the community. And having learned much more about trainers’ mental health through the strong communications established to manage racing’s response to the Covid pandemic, a programme of support is being worked on so that trainers’ needs are given the same importance as for jockeys and stable staff. 

For a major racing nation comparatively rich in resources, some recognition of the psychological challenges facing trainers might be expected in France. After all, on its website France Galop lists “Ensuring the health of its professionals” in its responsibilities. It goes on to refer only to jockeys and stable staff. Other than redirecting fines levied on trainers under the disciplinary system towards support for retired trainers, France Galop makes no provision for the welfare of trainers. Furthermore, unlike Britain and Ireland, France Galop does not employ an official medical adviser, preferring to provide a list of authorised doctors. That said, this is a new policy area for everyone; France Galop is generally a first mover when it comes to policy initiatives so it can’t be long before a collaboration with the AEDG emerges.

This article has focussed on what we know about trainers’ mental health and ways to help them deal with the impact. What it does not address is the strategic question, how could the sport, the trainer’s business model and – as importantly – trainers’ professional development be structured differently to minimise the risks to trainers’ mental health and therefore reduce the need for intervention when things fall apart?

The role of the lymphatic system in energy metabolism

Article by Peter Bollen, head nutritionist Cavalor

In recent years, focus has turned towards the emerging science of the lymphatic system. It is as important as the circulatory system (which includes the heart and the blood vessels), and is fundamental to the functioning of the body and central to the immune system, energy metabolism, detoxification and energy availability in the horse’s body.

A horse with a well-functioning lymphatic system can metabolise energy and clear metabolic waste more efficiently, leading to enhanced performance and faster recovery. 

So how can we tap into the benefits of an effective lymphatic system? Well, the first step is in understanding what it is. We might know that nutrients and oxygen are carried in the bloodstream towards our tissues, but what about how they are actually delivered to the cells?

This is where the lymphatic system comes in. Broadly speaking, it runs in parallel to the circulatory system and creates the point of delivery to the cells and tissues. The circulatory system carries the blood via arteries and vessels, which get smaller as they reach the muscle tissue as capillaries - where the wall is only one cell thick.  

This enables smaller molecules such as nutrients and oxygen to be pushed out of the capillaries and into the fluid around the cells - or lymph - while retaining larger cells like erythrocytes (red blood cells). 

The lymphatic system is an extensive network of vessels and nodes that transports lymphatic fluid around the body and it has two main functions:

1. Energy metabolism - transporting nutrients and oxygen to the cells

All the cells and tissues of a horse’s body are surrounded by a watery gel-like substance called interstitial fluid. This provides a medium for dissolved oxygen and nutrients to travel across to the cells. Lymph capillaries, carrying these substances, run through the interstitial fluid. The walls of these capillaries are also only one cell thick and have overlapping junctions, which make them highly permeable and allow easy transfer of materials.

In practical terms, this means the horse’s muscles and tissues get all the energy they require to carry out all their metabolic processes. As well as being responsible for giving cells the oxygen and nutrients they need, the interstitial fluid transports salts, hormones, neurotransmitters, coenzymes, amino acids, sugars and fatty acids around the body via the lymphatic system.

“A horse with a well-functioning lymphatic system can benefit from increased energy and enhanced performance, but without feeling too fresh or fizzy”

2. Detoxification: processing waste products

During the season, horses are placed under physiological demands and their body has a lot to process. In hard exercise and in races, their body will produce a lot of waste products. Their thin-walled lymph vessels also allow interstitial fluid into them to remove the waste products of cell metabolism (such as cell debris, bacteria, dead blood cells, pathogens, toxins, lactic acid and protein molecules) from each cell. This process is just as important as carrying necessary materials to the tissues to provide energy. 

These metabolic waste products are carried in the lymph away from the cells for detoxification. This is the term used for the continuous processes in the horse’s body to remove those waste products or metabolites that are naturally produced.

Detoxification takes place mainly in the liver, kidneys and intestines, so it is really important to ensure that those organs in the horse are healthy and functioning well. By supporting the liver and kidneys, you can help this breakdown process and allow the horse to better metabolise compounds that would otherwise be toxic if they remained in the body.

Gut health is also very important to the lymphatic system and detoxification, given that more than half of the lymphatic vessels of the horse are located within the gastrointestinal tract. 

Peristalsis (the natural contraction and relaxation of the gut wall) drives the return of lymph to the rest of the body. Movement in the gut is stimulated by food consumption (mainly long fibres) and is crucial to lymphatic system function as there is very limited muscular contraction in the horse’s lymphatic vessels themselves. This means it relies on passive forces from movement of other systems in the horse’s body as opposed to active muscle contractions.

Ensuring sufficient feed for a horse around the clock is crucial, not only for maintaining gut health, but to maintain a healthy immune system and detoxification process as well.

Lymphatic system and immune function

In addition to lymph and lymph vessels, the horse has around 8000 lymph nodes. These bundles of lymphoid tissue and proteins act as a filter for foreign substances that travel through the lymphatic fluid and contain lymphocytes (white blood cells) that help the body fight infection and disease. This means that the lymphatic system is also key to the functioning of the immune system.

As the lymph tissue approaches each lymph node, it slows down and collects in that area. Horses have so many lymph nodes that they are extremely susceptible to lymph node blockage. Lymph nodes can actually be felt or sometimes seen at various points around the horse’s body, particularly around the head and neck or when they are swollen.

Keep on moving

Movement is so important for horses, precisely because of the fact that there are no direct muscular contractions within the walls of the lymph vessels to promote the flow of lymph. The functioning of their lymphatic system relies on the force of movement of other structures in the body, such as the movement of the skin to apply pressure to the underlying tissues and stimulate the transport of lymph through the vessels.

In the modern day, racehorses can be stabled for longer periods of time. It is very common to see leg swelling, which has a very simple explanation in terms of the immune system. This principle of continuous movement being necessary applies especially to the legs, where this elastic movement of the skin is assisted by a pump mechanism in the hoof and fetlock joint. It is thought that this is the case due to there being no muscles in the lower limbs of the horse to aid the movement of lymph from this area.

Horses therefore need to move extensively and perhaps almost constantly (up to 16 hours per day) to keep the lymph circulating around the body, and standing still for too long significantly impairs the functioning of the lymphatic system.

Practical tips for a healthy lymphatic system

1. Turn horses out as much as possible  

Horses that are standing still for long periods of time are at risk of an impaired lymphatic system, which can impact the immune system, recovery time and ultimately performance. Turnout makes a happier horse and a healthier horse.

2. Cool down for at least 15 minutes after exercise

The period of time immediately after training is important for removal of metabolic waste products and keeping a horse moving after a hard training session stimulates the lymphatic system to continue to remove waste products from cells, which includes the removal of lactic acid. By cooling down properly after every session, you can significantly improve recovery times.

3. Consider feeding supplements that can directly benefit the lymphatic system

Functional herbal ingredients in innovative supplements can support lymphatic system function. Cleavers (Galium aparine) is known to bring benefits to the lymphatic system. Couch grass (Elymus repens), Nettle (Urtica dioica), and Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) are all known to have purifying effects which can support metabolism and detoxification.

Even Lionel Messi, Usain Bolt or Iga Swiatek have picked up issues through their sporting careers, despite having elite support teams behind them. Unfortunately injuries do just happen, but with foresight, preparation and providing the best nutritional support to their horses, trainers will give themselves the greatest chance of avoiding yet another bad news phone call to an owner.

What we learnt at the first carbon-neutral horseracing industry conference

Article by Rhianydd Lee-Jones

Delegates from across the racing industry attended the first carbon-neutral Horseracing Industry Conference at York Racecourse on Tuesday, October 24.

Over 250 delegates from across the industry registered for the event: from racecourse representatives to racehorse trainers, funders to charities and racing schools to suppliers. The cross-section of British racing and the wider sporting landscape attendees engaged with keynote talks from specialists and experts from within and outside of the sport.

When developing the agenda for this year’s conference, the Racing Foundation and University of Liverpool Management School did so with the belief that in order to discuss the future of the sport, it was imperative to engage younger audiences and make their voices heard. Each agenda item featured a ‘next generation panellist’ who represented the next generation of racing's fan base and workforce. Complimentary delegate tickets were offered to under 25-year-olds to encourage engagement and debate with the challenges and opportunities discussed at the conference.

Environmental sustainability was embedded into the conference this year not only through its inclusion on the agenda, but by its sustainable practices. The conference used reusable signage, encouraged delegates to travel by train, collected carbon data and used a digital-only brochure. Lanyards made from recycled bottles replaced traditional plastic name badges. A lunch using produce from Yorkshire was served as the Racing Foundation and University of Liverpool Management School addressed all aspects of environmental impact in delivering the event. The carbon used will be offset using an approved scheme.

Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Commercial Committee David Jones kicked off the conference with the keynote address, offering a commercial view of the forthcoming industry strategy and stressing the importance of significant innovation through collaboration.

The Racing Product agenda item commenced with Racing League founder Jeremy Wray discussing the importance of trying new ideas within the sport of racing and calling for more data and more technology to capture the next generation of racing fans. He said that while we haven’t managed to engage millennials or Gen Z with the sport yet, there is hope and time to win them back. Wray cited ITV’s new six-part primetime docuseries, that focuses on jump racing, as crucial to address racing’s “massive existential crisis.”

Vikram Banerjee is Director of Business Operations at the England and Wales Cricket Board. Instrumental in the delivery of cricket’s modernised format ‘The Hundred’, Vikram talked about breaking down perceptions of cricket as elitist and how the ECB broadened cricket’s appeal and engaged families with young children.

‘Equine Breeding: Past, Present and Future’ was the first session after lunch. Vice-Chair and Veterinary Chair of the International Thoroughbred Breeders’ Federation Dr Des Leadon delivered an educational keynote talk on the history of thoroughbred breeding and the integrity of the breed. In keeping with the conference structure of considering the wider sporting landscape, breeding specialists James Crabtree and Fred Barrelet then explored equine breeding techniques in the non-thoroughbred, reflecting on outcomes in other equestrian disciplines.

Ruth Dancer is the Director of White Griffin who delivered the racing industry’s sustainability assessment results and recommendations in 2022. She delivered a keynote talk at this year’s conference. After giving an update and insight into best practice across various industry sectors, Dancer posed the question ‘Where are you in your journey?’ Subsequently encouraging delegates to educate themselves, get started, and talk about what they’re doing and celebrate every single sustainability win.

Football followed Dancer’s talk.  Ben Fisher, Environmental Sustainability Officer of the English Football League, talked about the power of sport to engage communities in the area of environmental sustainability, its connection to social aim, and the opportunity to use sustainability to leverage fan buy-in.

The final item of the day was the industry leadership panel. Its aim was to offer all delegates the opportunity to quiz racing’s decision makers in an open forum. Keynote address David Jones was joined by Claire Sheppard (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Chief Executive), Charlie Liverton (Chief Executive of the Racehorse Owners Association), Dale Gibson (interim CEO of the Professional Jockeys Association), Jemma Marshall (President of the National Association of Stable staff), Neil Hayward (Chair the Industry People Boar) and David Armstrong (Racecourse Association Chief Executive) joined Rishi Persad onstage to answer questions from the audience. The discussion included data, training and retaining the industry’s workforce and community engagement for racecourses. This session, alongside other select keynote talks, is available to watch online at https://www.racingfoundation.co.uk/conference-2023

Tokyo Calling – Documenting Iresine’s journey from rural France to the Japan Cup

Article by Katherine Ford

This is the fairytale of a Japanese adventure for a team of family and friends who could never have anticipated being treated like emperors in Tokyo as privileged guests of the JRA. 

Iresine, a six-year-old gelding who cost just €6000 as a yearling before climbing the ranks to a pair of Group 1 successes in France, brought the dream to life for hands-on trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvin, France’s leading lady jockey Marie Velon and a group of low-key owners and supporters eager for the experience of a lifetime.

Rags to riches stories are nothing new to Jean-Pierre Gauvin, famed in France as the handler of Saonois, the “Cheval du Boulanger”, who was bought for a song and won the 2012 Prix du Jockey-Club for local baker Pascal Treyve, and renowned for his success with the unfashionably-bred mare Siljan’s Saga, multiple Group 1 placed and 4th at 100/1 in the 2016 Arc. 
Winner of the Prix Royal-Oak in 2022 and Prix Ganay in 2023, his latest star, Iresine, has been high on the wish list of the Japan Racing Association for the Japan Cup for many months and this autumn, Gauvin decided the time was right. 

“Ever since last year, the JRA French representative Soichiro Matsumae, has been encouraging us to run in the Japan Cup! He has done a good job! As a six-year-old gelding he has the right profile to travel to Asia and the date of the Japan Cup is ideal before he goes on his winter break.”

Family Connections

“Above all the aim is to enjoy the adventure. My son and daughter are co-owners of the horse and they are both coming, as well as my grandson who is just 18 months old, my wife, my brother who is a co-owner too, plus another brother who lives in the USA. If it hadn’t been for Iresine, we would never have undertaken such a trip as a family.”

60 year-old Gauvin is a horseman through and through. Born and raised in the Centre-East region of France by parents who “like many farmers in the region, had a couple of trotting broodmares. At age 15 I went to the apprentice school to learn the trotting trade but at only 33kg, I was advised to try the flat!” Except for a brief stint in Marseille, he has spent his entire career, from apprentice to trainer, at the stable he still occupies in the rural hamlet of Saint-Cyr les Vignes.

With limited facilities but plenty of turnout paddocks and a hands-on approach, Jean-Pierre Gauvin is not afraid to test alternative routes, and was not deterred by conditions in Tokyo. 

“The ground will be fast and the competition will be very tough, but if we only raced when everything was in our favour and we were sure to win we’d never go anywhere. The JRA agreed to all our requests, including the possibility of taking a companion horse, so there was no reason not to go!”

JRA Generosity

“For Iresine’s participation, the JRA offer the same bonus as for the winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and other bonus races, of which the Ganay is not one. He will receive $200,000 just for participating, plus there is prize money down to tenth place. So from a financial perspective, it represents a considerable sum even if we finish tenth. It’s an adventure but the organisation has been perfect. Now the final concern is the travel, which after a change of plan from Air France, will be from Frankfurt to Tokyo. I’m looking forward to Eric calling me to tell me that all has gone well.”

Eric Vandra, Gauvin’s travelling head lad, is about to undertake his second far-flung journey with a horse as he was present when Saonois ran (10th) in Hong Kong 11 years earlier. A former jockey who left racing twice only to return each time, he is determined to ensure that all goes smoothly with Iresine. 

“We’re going on an adventure. But there are already details which reassure me. On the plane Iresine will be accompanied by Edouard Lyon who is a trainer but does some work for the STH transport company. I used to be an apprentice for his father and looked after Edouard when he was a kid. All these years later, we meet again on a plane to Japan, and it’s him who will be looking after me! 

Iresine will come off the horsebox and be stabled for a few hours in Frankfurt airport, then the flight to Tokyo takes about 14 hours. He’s a horse who can be nervous when he travels, and it seems he inherits his stressed nature from his dam. I didn’t know her in training but we have got to know Iresine’s breeders and they have told us about her character.”

Vandra has prepared 250kg of equipment to travel with Iresine and stablemate Marcan, “I’ve tried to think of every eventuality. Having been to Hong Kong, I know more or less what we’ll need, and of course the most important thing is the passport!”

All the foodstuff has already been taken care of, as Jean-Pierre Gauvin explains, “The JRA requested a full inventory of all our feed, plus any complementary products, because nothing can come off the plane with Iresine. The JRA supply everything, and this will be either the equivalent product from Japan, or imported items if necessary.”

Vandra continues, “The JRA have explained what it will be like over there. We have to leave our riding clothes in the quarantine area, there are showers on site and we have to wash and change before leaving the stable complex. The protocol is very strict. I’ve seen some photos, it all looks very new.” 

Indeed, the equine import procedure for the Japan Cup has been simplified with the opening in 2022 of a new quarantine stable in the infield of Tokyo racecourse, eliminating the need for horses to respect a quarantine period at a separate site upon arrival in Japan before moving on to Tokyo days later. 

Nerves fraying early in the week

Iresine travelled “perfectly” to Japan but after clearing quarantine gave trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvin a major scare. At a press conference for “international visiting horses” three days before the race, the eyes of around 100 media and other onlookers were all focused upon connections of sole visitor, Iresine. 

“On Monday, Iresine suffered from tying up syndrome after his work.”, the trainer explained with refreshing transparency. “He got nervous when going through the tunnel to access the track, but then he cantered fine. Back at the stable, all seemed to be OK initially but then he started to tie up as we took him to wash down. I was very worried but the vet took a blood test and we treated him, essentially to rehydrate him. On Tuesday he had to undergo his stalls test so we had no choice but to take him through the tunnel again, but we led him through in hand and mounted him on the other side, and he reassured us with his exercise. All went smoothly again on Wednesday and today (Thursday) he was completely back to himself, asking to go faster. His coat is shiny again and he looks happy to be here.”

The same can be said for his trainer, who was out on the track each day aboard lead horse Marcan. “I would have come here just for the opportunity to ride out at this amazing racecourse!” he joked to an interested reporter. 

In addition to the assembled media, Team Iresine had taken time out from sightseeing to attend the training session and press conference. “I’ve never seen so many media in all my life. Wow!” exclaimed wide-eyed co-owner Bertrand Millière. “For small owners like us, we weren’t programmed to have a horse like this. At the sales, he didn’t have the profile to end up where he is today. But as is often the case with the Gauvin method, he has climbed the ladder step by step. Each time we just said “wow”, but he has never stopped progressing and now here we are in Japan, the centre of attention of a crowd of journalists. We are living in a dream and are making the most of it.” 

Another co-owner is Jean-Pierre’s brother, trotting trainer Jean-Paul Gauvin, “I’m on a different planet, even further than the moon! I wanted to have horses in training with Jean-Pierre to share experiences, but I was thinking of small provincial race tracks at home, we never imagined ending up here. The two disciplines, trotting and flat, are so different, but we do take ideas from each other and I think that Jean-Pierre has gained a lot of inspiration from the trotting world. We exchange a lot, notably about shoeing… It’s an opportunity for us to talk, because we both have all-consuming jobs. Training is more than a passion, it’s a way of life, and having horses with Jean-Pierre gives us an opportunity to see each other and share emotions. We’re making the most of it at 200%, visiting Tokyo, enjoying good food and discovering a whole new world.”

“Iresine is a champion. He has a huge heart and a great attitude. It wasn’t written on him at the sales.. or else we wouldn’t have been able to buy him so cheaply. But Jean-Pierre has a real horseman’s intuition. Don’t forget he also picked out Saonois and Siljan’s Saga. Saonois cost €8000, “Siljan” just €2500 and she finished fourth in the Arc. That’s proof that you can always dream with horses, and here we are!”

Bargain buy from novice breeders

Jean-Pierre Gauvin goes on to explain the purchase of Iresine, for €6000 at Arqana’s October yearling sale. “He caught my eye in the collecting area before entering the ring. He had four white stockings which is often considered to be a negative but Bertrand Millière’s children fell in love with his markings and we were able to buy him cheaply.” 

Breeders Marie-Louise Van Dedem and her husband Pierre Joyaux are also part of the support team in Tokyo and Dutch-born Marie-Louise remembers, “Iresine was the first generation to be born at our Haras de Grandouet in Normandy and he always had a lot of personality. The Haras de Montaigu presented him at the sale and Jean-Pierre Gauvin was the only one to show any interest in the horse. I didn’t know him at the time, but Aliette Forien (of Haras de Montaigu) said to me after the sale, “you did the right thing to let him go at that price, as he is a very good trainer.”” 

Like the rest of the team, Marie-Louise Van Dedem was far from imagining that one day she would be invited by the JRA as a connection of a Japan Cup runner. “I became a breeder by chance, and we bought the property on (resale website) Le Bon Coin and built it from scratch. My husband Pierre bought Iresine’s dam and he chooses the matings. I remember early on he explained to me about the Group race system and I didn’t understand a thing! But I’ve learnt quickly and do everything now. It’s all about observation and attention to detail.”

More drama as dream almost turns to nightmare

Attention to detail is a maître-mot for the JRA who cannot receive enough praise from Jean-Pierre Gauvin and his team, especially after a second unwelcome setback. “On Friday evening, as Iresine was being led out, he wasn’t sound. We couldn’t believe it, another problem after him tying up on Monday,” recounts Vandra. 

Jean-Pierre Gauvin received the bad news just moments before attending the Japan Cup gala event, “it was a difficult moment at the formal dinner as I would have preferred to be at the stable close to the horse, but I had a lot of confidence in the JRA veterinary team. The vet proposed solutions but also listened to our suggestions. We always agreed about the best treatment to adopt.” 

After fears of an infection were discounted, confidence grew that Iresine would make the starting line after all. “He had leather pads on all four feet. These can have a tendency to harden and one of them had become distorted, making a lump which was putting pressure on the sole. In agreement with the veterinarian, we applied a linseed poultice, and on Saturday morning, even without his shoe he trotted out sound. The blacksmith was superb, he is the son of the best farrier in Japan, and I even heard that he shoes Equinox. He reshod Iresine, taking care to avoid pressure on the sensitive part, and things soon worked out. But it was a worry as we were less than two days from the race.”

“For me, the victory is that we were able to run,” says Vandra, “it didn’t look good during the week. The JRA teams did everything they could to help us.”

A memorable occasion for a united team

Come raceday, in a state of relief, excitement and wonder, the team of co-owners, breeders and trainer were welcomed into a private box overlooking Tokyo’s gigantic track and stands filled with 85,000 fans. Jockey Marie Velon’s parents, who live close to the Gauvin stable, were also part of the supporting group throughout the week. “Marie turned up one morning at the stable after finishing her apprenticeship with Alain de Royer Dupré, and until recently worked for me whenever racing allowed. She has grown with Iresine and this is her adventure too,” says Gauvin before adding with emotion, “I am her racing dad. I was touched the day she came out with that…”

As is the way in Japan, horses enter the parade ring 35 minutes before the race, giving fans time to digest all the information available on the giant screens and admire their champions before placing a bet and taking position in the stands. Focus is on favourite Equinox, the Longines World’s Best Racehorse, but there is respect and admiration for the foreign visitor. 

“In the parade ring, the only noise I could hear was of cameras clicking all the way around for 15 minutes,” recalls Vandra. “The public are real fans; they must have taken hundreds of photos, and I’ve received some of them. They love their racing and are pleased to have an international horse in the race.”

In what will be remembered as an iconic edition of the Japan Cup, won in superlative style by the world champion Equinox, Iresine ran credibly to finish ninth. 

“He ran honourably. It’s difficult to say whether the complications affected his performance, but Marie was happy with how he ran and he recorded his best time over the distance of 2400m.”

For his efforts, connections take home to France the $200,000 participation bonus plus €107,000 for ninth place. But far more important than the prize money, Iresine’s Japan Cup was an unforgettable team adventure.

“We would have liked to stay longer… We all had an incredible experience, both professionally and personally… We were the only international horse so maybe they made an extra effort for us, but the support from the JRA was second to none. Day by day, within our group, we reassured each other about the likelihood of being able to race, which wasn’t guaranteed at times, and despite the worries we were able to relax and enjoy the week together.”

After Iresine landed back in France safe and sound several days after the Japan Cup and began his annual winter break in the Puy de Dome, the final word goes to his trainer, “Merci Iresine!”, or should that be Arigatou Iresine? 

Updates from the EMHF and we learn about Europe's latest beach racecourse - Zahara de los Atunes

Article by Paull Khan

The European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation first started providing regular articles for European Trainer back in 2016. I thought, after eight years, it was time to have a look ‘under the bonnet’ of the federation, to see how it works.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING, MADRID, SPAIN OCTOBER 14th

The Executive Council of the EMHF comprises nine members, elected by our General Assembly from among its members. The ‘ExCo’ sets the policy tone of the federation, agrees its budget and what the membership fees should be, etc. ExCo members elect, from amongst their own number, the EMHF’s Chair and its three Vice-Chairs. 

Brian Kavanagh, now CEO of The Curragh Racecourse and formerly CEO of Horse Racing Ireland, has held the position of EMHF Chair since its inception, in 2010. Brian has indicated that he will stand down at the end of his current term, in mid-2025.

Your correspondent has served as the EMHF’s Secretary-General since 2012. There are no employees, although we do receive valuable help from Horse Racing Ireland, which provides resources for invoicing and handling the Federation’s finances.

Our Vice-Chairs are Rudiger Schmanns, Racing Director at Deutsche Galopp, representing EU countries, Julie Harrington, CEO at the British Horseracing Authority, representing non-EU European countries and Omar Skalli, serving for Mediterranean and Other countries. Rudiger and Omar are, like Brian, founding members of the ExCo.

The other members of the ExCo represent France (Henri Pouret), Poland (Jakub Kasprzak), Norway (Liv Kristiansen), Spain (Paulino Ojanguren Saez) and the Channel Islands, whose Jonathan Perree, in May, became the only person to be re-elected back on to the council, having also served between 2016 and 2019. Three countries – France, Great Britain and Ireland, enjoy automatic representation within ExCo. The other six ExCo places are filled by process of election.

ExCo deliberations span the full range of the responsibilities of our member Racing Authorities – governance, regulation, marketing, financial, legal, social, etc. Specific reports are received from the EMHF’s standing Political and Legislative Committee, together with the committees which sit within the EMHF umbrella – the European Pattern Committee (EPC) and European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC). The EMHF has also created two special interest associations, the European Beach Racing Association and the European Pony Racing Association.

Much of the Political and Legislative Committee’s work concerns keeping alert to forthcoming legislation, whether within the EU or elsewhere, which may have a bearing on racing. Very often, this centres on the potential unintended consequences of changes which are being suggested with the best intentions. For example, animal health and welfare laws which are drafted with farm animals in mind and are not suited to horses. It was in this context that the EMHF led a delegation to Brussels in the summer, to impress upon policy-makers a number of potential pitfalls in the European Commission’s review of Welfare in Transport.

The European Pattern Committee’s  work is not limited to deciding which races across Europe qualify as Group 1, 2, 3 or Listed. The EPC  is constantly alive to trends, identifying any areas where the quality of European racing may be under threat or in decline – staying races, perhaps - and agreeing race planning policy initiatives designed to address these by influencing, over time, the behaviour of owners, breeders or trainers.

Doping and medication control sit at the core of the EHSLC’s remit, whether in the detection of substances prohibited at all times, or in the regulation of those therapeutic substances which need to be controlled. Alongside this, increasingly being raised are matters relating to horse welfare more widely and on which a pan-European response and approach is sought. The Chief Veterinary Officers of the major European Racing Authorities sit on the EHSLC and therefore steps are being taken to expand its brief to cover such issues.

At our most recent ExCo Meeting, which took place on October 14th in Madrid, we received a presentation on the report recently published by Horse Racing Ireland, in conjunction with Deloitte, ‘Social and Economic Impact on Irish Breeding and Racing, 2023’. As its title implied, this study took a broader view than the previous HRI/Deloitte report had done – not simply looking at economic factors, but also identifying the considerable and varied social benefits that racing brings, especially to those living in rural areas. This message had resonated strongly in Irish political circles and it was felt that this approach could profitably be replicated by other countries.

At each meeting, the ExCo agrees the shape of the EMHF’s educational programme over the coming twelve months. Last year featured two very successful events: an inaugural EuroMed Stewards’ Conference, hosted by the British Horseracing Authority, and a seminar on Racecourse Surface Management hosted by France Galop. It was decided to repeat the former in Copenhagen in June, where we will be holding our 2024 General Assembly, and to hold a seminar on Starting and Judging Procedures, led by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. 

The ExCo also seeks to identify which of the pressing issues facing racing could most usefully be focused on at our General Assembly. It was agreed that this year there should be sessions devoted to climate change and sustainability in relation to our sector, as well as the growing threat of illegal betting.

After the business was over, ExCo members were treated to a day’s racing at Spain’s premier track. La Zarzuela impressed on many levels. The luxuriant grass of the turf track belied the drought that had afflicted the region in recent months. The architecture of the gleaming white grandstand is striking, with its arched windows and billowing roof. The demographic was family-orientated, with little peacockery on show. Trees are plentiful, and the footprint of the track is such that there is space for a decent-sized crowd to spread out in the varied outdoor areas provided. And the top floor of the grandstand is now home to a series of airy hospitality areas, with comfy seating and a vibe which is less like a typical racecourse box and more akin to a chilled roof-top bar. All in all, a more than agreeable racing experience.

EUROPE’S YOUNGEST BEACH RACECOURSE: ZAHARA DE LOS ATUNES

The ExCo also receives reports from its two special interest associations, the European Pony Racing Association and the European Beach Racing Association (EBRA). But the latter’s annual meeting was held a couple of weeks after the ExCo – hence this separate bulletin.

The clue is in the name – Zahara de los Atunes is a small town dominated by a large fish! On hiring a car at Malaga airport, en route to this year’s annual EBRA meeting, the woman sorting the paperwork exclaimed jealousy: ‘Oh, you’re going to Zahara. You MUST try the red tuna!’. 

‘Red tuna’ in this instance refers, somewhat confusingly, to the Atlantic Bluefin tuna – a prized goliath of the sea, averaging around 6.5 feet/2 metres in length and 550lbs / 250kgs in weight, whose lifespan, at 40 years, is greater than that of a racehorse. Born in the Mediterranean, they then venture out into the broad expanses of the Atlantic, before returning to breed. And, just as they sweep, as they must, through the narrow gap between ocean and sea - the Straits of Gibraltar – there, waiting for them, are the good fishermen of Zahara. They still employ the ancient and more eco-friendly ‘almadraba’ fishing technique, involving a complicated sequence of nets, strategically positioned, the gauge of which allows the younger fish to proceed, whilst trapping those of a certain size and maturity.

The influence and importance of the tuna to the town is all-pervasive. But, for one weekend of the year – the last weekend in October – the focus now moves from fish to thoroughbred. Because the vast strand which stretches both to the north and the south of the resort then becomes home to Europe’s newest official Beach Racecourse and to the staging of the Gran Premio de Zahara.

This is still a very young tradition, with nothing like the rich history of Zahara’s celebrated beach racing neighbour, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, which sits just 100 kms north up the Costa de la Luz, the other side of Cadiz. Sanlucar, which stages six days of racing and partying in the high summer, and which hosted the EBRA in 2019, is approaching its 180th anniversary, no less. 

That year – 2019 – Zahara dipped its toe into the sea of beach racing, holding some unofficial exhibition races. But then COVID struck and three years passed before the first official races, (for thoroughbreds and held under the auspices of the Spanish Jockey Club), were run at Zahara. So, 2023 was, to all intents and purposes, ‘Year 2’ in an initiative – sponsored in part by Andalucia Tourism - designed to extend the tourist season, from its previous closure in early-October, for a few more precious and profitable weeks.

Progress over just these two years has been remarkable and testimony to its creator and driving force Pio Gonzales. It already has the feel of an embedded community event. Some 4,500 spectators lined the temporary barriers to watch the races, which were both live-streamed and covered by local television. “Beach Racing has been central to our success in keeping Zahara open for business for longer”, explains Gaspar Castro Valencia, Chair of the Zahara Beach Races Association. “We have just 1,300 inhabitants, but this year there were still 12,200 people here for the Gran Premio de Zahara weekend when, previously, the hotels and restaurants would have been closed. It has been an economic engine for the region. The presence of the European Beach Racing Association further helped to position Zahara, and Andalucia more widely, as an international tourist destination.”

The three thoroughbred races were interspersed with exhibition races, including one pony race for children, featuring a staggered starting-point based on the rider’s age. Two of the main races were over 1500m /7.5f, and the Gran Premio itself over 2000m /10f. Zahara is therefore noteworthy, among the world’s racecourses, in boasting - with Newmarket’s Rowley Mile – a straight 2000m / 10 furlongs! Starter numbers were modest, but included participants bred in France, Great Britain, Ireland and USA. The Gran Premio had the distinction of including Legionario (GB), a Listed Race winner in France the previous year, trained by the Duke of Alburquerque and coming to the sands off the back of a run in a €135K race at Meydan. The intention was to use Zahara as a stepping stone to the International races in Morocco the following month but, sadly, Legionario failed to fire in the race and the plan was abandoned.

Zahara – recently awarded the accolade as one of the ‘Magical Villages of Spain’ - was certainly a hit with the EBRA delegates. Apart from the tuna and the fish restaurants that abound, the village is famed for its live music, and the festival weekend has cleverly brought the jazz and racing worlds together. The Jazzahara Music Festival took place in an atmospheric al fresco setting, surrounded by the towering ancient walls of the Palacio de Pilas, former residence of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia which doubled up as a defence against pirates and a place in which to store the nets of the almadraba. And if your view of tuna is (as was mine) sullied by the canned variety, the Zaharan version is a culinary revelation! The number of different, sumptuous ways in which the fish was presented in the hospitality tents during racing was something to experience. 

The additional equestrian attraction of a horse-ball tournament completed the entertainment. Horse-ball requires - of both the horses and their riders - extraordinary agility, and the Thoroughbred has proven wonderfully adept. Many of the horses on show were ex-racehorses, enjoying a second career.

The EBRA meeting received a presentation from Stefan Gast, creator of the vision of Pegasus Land - an ambitious new high-end, equine-focused development in Portugal. Part of that vision is to establish Beach Racing on the expansive and fashionable Comparta Beach, just south of Lisbon and the EBRA stands ready to give advice and share its members’ experiences and expertise.

It is to be hoped that Portugal will embrace the initiative. After all, in neighbouring Spain, Sanlucar and Zahara provide compelling evidence of beach racing’s enormous potential to enhance a coastal area’s touristic appeal and boost the local economy.

Look out for the dates of the 2024 European Beach Racing Fixture List, which will be displayed, when decided, at www.euromedracing.eu/beach-racing. Pop them in your diaries for a holiday or weekend away.

The importance of good hoof balance to improve performance

The equine foot is a unique structure and a remarkable feat of natural engineering that follows the laws of biomechanics in order to efficiently and effectively disperse concussional forces that occur during the locomotion of the horse.  Hoof balance has been a term used by veterinarians and farriers to describe the ideal conformation, size and shape of the hoof relative to the limb.  

Before horses were domesticated, they evolved and adapted to survive without any human intervention. With respect to their hoof maintenance, excess hoof growth was worn away due to the varied terrain in their habitat.  No trimming and shoeing were required as the hoof was kept at a healthy length.

With the domestication of the horse and our continued breeding to achieve satisfactory performance and temperament, the need to manage the horse’s hoof became essential in order to ensure soundness and performance.  The horse’s foot has evolved to ensure the health and soundness of the horse; therefore, every structure of the foot has an essential role and purpose. A strong working knowledge of the biology and biomechanics of the horse’s foot is essential for the veterinarian and farrier to implement appropriate farriery.  It was soon concluded that a well-balanced foot, which entails symmetry in shape and size, is essential to achieve a sound and healthy horse.  

Anatomy and function of the foot

The equine foot is extremely complex and consists of many parts that work simultaneously allowing the horse to be sound and cope with the various terrains and disciplines.    Considering the size and weight of the horse relative to the size of the hoof, it is remarkable what nature has engineered.  Being a small structure, the hooves can support so much weight and endure a great deal of force.  At walk, the horse places ½ of its body weight through its limbs and 2 ½ its weight when galloping.  The structure of the equine foot provides protection, weight bearing, traction, and concussional absorption.  Well-balanced feet efficiently and effectively use all of the structures of the foot to disperse the forces of locomotion. In order to keep those feet healthy for a sound horse, understanding the anatomy is paramount.   

The foot consists of the distal end of the second phalanx (short pastern), the distal phalanx (pedal bone, coffin bone) and the navicular bone.  The distal interphalangeal joint (coffin joint) is found between the pedal and short pastern bone and includes the navicular bone with the deep digital flexor tendon supporting this joint.  This coffin joint is the centre of articulation over which the entire limb rotates.  The navicular bone and bursa sits behind the coffin bone and is stabilised by multiple small ligaments. The navicular bone allows the deep digital flexor tendon to run smoothly and change direction in order to insert into the coffin bone.   The navicular bursa is a fluid-filled sac that sits between the navicular bone and the deep digital flexor tendon.

The hoof complex can be divided into the epidermal weight-bearing structures that include the sole, frog, heel, bulbs, bars, and hoof wall and the anti-concussive structures that include the digital cushion, lamina, deep digital flexor tendons, and ungual (lateral) cartilage.  The hoof wall encloses the dermal structures with its thickest part at the toe that decreases in thickness as it approaches the heel.  The hoof wall is composed of viscoelastic material that allows it to deform and return its shape in order to absorb concussional forces of movement.  There is enough deformation to diminish the force from the impact and load of the foot while preventing any damage to the internal structures of the foot and limb.  As load is placed on the foot, there is deformation that consists of:

• Expansion of the heels

• Sinking of the heels

• Inward movement of the dorsal wall

• Biaxial compression of the dorsal wall

• Depression of the coronary band

• Flattening of the sole

The hoof wall, bars and their association with the sole form the heel base with the purposes of providing traction, bearing the horse’s weight while allowing the stability and flexibility for the expansion of the hoof capsule that dissipates concussional forces on foot fall.  The sole is a highly keratinised structure like the hoof wall but made up of nearly 33% water so it is softer than the hoof wall and should be concave to allow the flattening of the sole on load application. The frog and heel bulbs serve a variety of special functions ranging from traction, protection, coordination, proprioception, shock absorption and the circulation of blood.  

When the foot lands on the ground, the elastic, blood-filled frog helps disperse some of the force away from the bones and joints, thus, acting as a shock absorber.  The venous plexus above the frog is involved in pumping blood from the foot back to the heart when the foot is loaded.  In addition, there is shielding of the deep digital flexor tendon and the sensitive digital cushion (soft tissue beneath the sole that separates the frog and the heel bulb from the underlying tendons and bones).  Like the heel bulbs, the frog has many sensory nerve endings allowing the horse to be aware of where his body and feet are and allows the horse to alter landing according to the condition of the ground (proprioception and coordination).  

The soft tissue structures comprise and form the palmar/plantar aspect of the foot.  The digital cushion lies between the lateral cartilages and above the frog and bars of the horse’s hoof.  This structure is composed of collagen, fibrocartilage, adipose tissue and elastic fibre bundles.  The digital cushion plays a role in shock absorption when the foot is loaded as well as a blood pumping mechanism.  Interestingly, it has been found that the digital cushion composition varies across and within breeds.  It is thought the variation of the composition of the digital cushion is partially dictated by a genetic predisposition.  In addition, the composition of the digital cushion changes with age.  As the horse ages the composition alters from elastic, fat and isolated collagen bundles to a stronger fibrocartilage.  Finally, the digital cushion and connective tissue within the foot have the ability to adapt to various external stimuli such as ground contact or body weight.   The lateral cartilage is a flexible sheet of fibrocartilage that suspends the pedal bone as well as acting as a spring to store and release energy. The lamina is a highly critical structure for hoof health.  The lamina lies between the hoof wall and the coffin bone.  There are two types of lamina known as the sensitive (dermal) lamina and insensitive (epidermal) lamina.  The insensitive lamina coming in from the hoof wall connects to the sensitive lamina layer that is attached to the coffin bone and these two types of lamina interdigitate with each other to form a bond.

Hoof and Musculoskeletal System

The hoof and the musculoskeletal system are closely linked and this is particularly observed in the posture of the horse when resting or moving.  Hoof shape and size and whether they are balanced directly affects the posture of the horse.  Ultimately, this posture will also affect the loads placed on the skeletal system, which affects bone remodelling. With an imbalance, bone pathologies of the limbs, spine and pelvis may occur such as osteoarthritis.  In addition, foot imbalances result in postural changes that lead to stress to the soft tissue structures that may lead to muscle injuries and/or tendon/ligament injuries.  

Conformation and hoof balance 

The terms balance and conformation are used frequently and used to describe the shape and size of the limb as a whole as well as the individual components of the limb and the spatial relations between them.  Balance is the term often used to describe the foot and can be viewed as a subset of conformation.  

Conformation should be considered when describing the static relations within the limb and excludes the foot.  Balance should be considered when describing the dynamic and static relationship between the horse’s foot and the ground and limb as well as within the hoof itself.  

These distinctions between conformation and balance are important to assess lameness and performance of the horse.  Additionally, this allows the veterinarian and farrier to find optimal balance for any given conformation.

The term hoof balance does lack an intrinsic definition.  The use of certain principles in order to define hoof balance, which in turn can be extended to have consistent evaluation of hoof balance as well as guide the trimming and shoeing regimens for each individual horse.  In addition, these principles can be used to improve hoof capsule distortion, modify hoof conformation and alter landing patterns of the foot.  These principles are:

• Evaluate hoof-pastern axis

• Evaluate centre of articulation

• The need for the heels to extend to the base of the frog

Assessing the horse’s foot balance by observing both static (geometric) balance and dynamic balance is vital.   Static balance is the balance of the foot as it sits on a level, clean, hard surface.  Dynamic balance is assessing the foot balance as the foot is in motion.  However, horses normally do not resemble the textbook examples of perfect conformation, which creates challenges for the farriers and veterinary surgeons.  The veterinarian should instigate further evaluation of the foot balance and any other ailments, in order to provide information that can be used by the farrier and veterinarian in formulating a strategy to help with the horse’s foot balance. With the farrier and veterinarian working cooperatively, the assessment of the hoof balance and shoeing of the foot should deliver a harmonious relationship between the horse’s limb, the hoof and the shoe.  

Dynamic Balance

The horse should be assessed in motion as one can observe the foot landing and placement.  A balanced foot when in motion should land symmetrically and flat when moving on a flat surface.  When viewed from the side, the heels and toe should land concurrently (flat foot landing) or even a slight heel first landing.  It is undesirable to have the toe landing first and often suggests pain localised to the heel region of the foot.  When observing the horse from the front and behind, both heel bulbs should land at the same time.  Sometimes, horses will land first slightly on the outside or lateral heel bulb of the foot but rarely will a horse land normally on the medial (inside) of the foot.  If the horse has no conformational abnormalities or pathologies the static balance will achieve the dynamic balance.  

Static Balance 

Hoof –pastern axis (HPA)

The hoof pastern axis (HPA) is a helpful guideline in assessing foot balance. With the horse standing square on a hard, level surface, a line drawn through the pastern and hoof should be parallel to the dorsal hoof wall and should be straight (unbroken).  The heel and toe angle should be within 5 degrees of each other. An underrun heel has been defined as the angle of the heel being 5 degrees less than the toe angle. The heel wall length should be roughly 1/3 of the dorsal wall.  In addition, the cannon (metacarpus/metatarsus) bone is perpendicular to the ground and when observed from the lateral side, the HPA should be a straight line.  When assessing the foot from the side, the dorsal hoof wall should be aligned with the pastern.  The optimal angle of the dorsal hoof wall is often cited as being 50-54°.  The length of the dorsal hoof wall is variable but guidelines have been suggested according to the weight of the horse. 

It is not uncommon that the hind feet are more upright compared to the fore feet at approximately 5 degrees.  A broken hoof-pastern axis is the most common hoof imbalance.  There are two presentations of a broken HPA known as a broken-back HPA and a broken-forward HPA.  These changes in HPA are often associated with two common hoof capsule distortions that include low or underrun heels and the upright or clubfoot, respectively.    

A broken-back hoof-pastern axis occurs when the angle of the dorsal hoof wall is lower than the angle of the dorsal pastern.  This presentation is commonly caused by low or underrun heel foot conformation accompanied with a long toe.  This foot imbalance is common and often thought to be normal with one study finding it present in 52% of the horse population.  With a low hoof angle, there is an extension of the coffin and pastern joints resulting in a delayed breakover and the heels bearing more of the horse's weight, which ultimately leads to excess stress in the deep digital flexor tendon as well as the structures around the navicular region including the bone itself.  

This leads to caudal foot pain so the horse lands toe first causing subsolar bruising.  In addition, this foot imbalance can contribute to chronic heel pain (bruising), quarter and heel cracks, coffin joint inflammation and caudal foot pain (navicular syndrome).   The cause of underrun heels is multifactorial with a possibility of a genetic predisposition where they may have or may acquire the same foot conformation as the parents.  There are also environmental factors such as excessive dryness or moisture that may lead to the imbalance.

A broken-forward hoof-pastern axis occurs at a high hoof angle with the angle of the dorsal hoof wall being higher than the dorsal pastern angle.  One can distinguish between a broken-forward HPA and a clubfoot with the use of radiographs.  With this foot imbalance, the heels grow long, which causes the bypassing of the soft tissue structures in the palmar/plantar area of the foot and leads to greater concussional forces on the bone.  This foot imbalance promotes the landing of the toe first and leads to coffin joint flexion as well as increases heel pressure.  The resulting pathologies that may occur are solar bruising, increased strain of the suspensory ligaments near the navicular bone and coffin joint inflammation.

Center of articulation

When the limb is viewed laterally, the centre of articulation is determined with a vertical line drawn from the centre of the lateral condyle of the short pastern to the ground.  This line should bisect the middle of the foot at the widest part of the foot and demonstrates the centre of articulation of the coffin joint.  The widest part of the foot (colloquially known as “Ducketts Bridge”) is the one point on the sole that remains constant despite the shape and size of the foot.  The distance and force on either side of the line drawn through the widest part of the foot should be equal, which provides biomechanical efficiency.    

Heels extending to the base of the frog

With respect to hoof balance, another component of the foot to assess is that the heels of the hoof capsule extend to the base of the frog.  The hoof capsule consists of the pedal bone occupying two-thirds of the space and one-third of the space is soft tissue structures. This area is involved in dissipating the concussional and loading forces and in order to ensure biomechanical efficiency both the bone and soft-tissue structures need to be enclosed in the hoof capsule in the same plane. 

To achieve this goal the hoof wall at the heels must extend to the base of the frog.  If the heels are allowed to migrate toward the centre of the foot or left too long then the function of the soft tissue structures have been transferred to the bones, which is undesirable.  If there is a limited amount to trim in the heels or a small amount of soft tissue mass is present in the palmar foot then some form of farriery is needed to extend the base of the frog (such as an extension of the branch of a shoe).    

Medio-lateral or latero-medial balance 

The medio-lateral balance is assessed by viewing the foot from the front and behind as well as from above with the foot raised.   To determine if the foot has medio-lateral balance, the hoof should be bisected or a line is drawn down the middle of the pastern down to the point of the toe.  

You should be able to visualise the same amount of hoof on both the left and right of that midline.  In addition, one should observe the same angle to the side of the hoof wall.  It is important to pick up the foot and look at the bottom.  Draw a line from the middle quarter (widest part of foot) on one side to the other then draw a line from the middle of the toe to the middle sulcus of the frog.  

This provides four quadrants with all quadrants being relatively the same in size (Proportions between 40/60 to 60/40 have been described as acceptable for the barefoot and are dependent on the hoof slope).  The frog width should be 50-60% of its length with a wide and shallow central sulcus.  The frog should be thick enough to be a part of the bearing surface of the foot.  The bars should be straight and not fold to the mid frog.  The sole should be concave and the intersection point of both lines should be the area of optimal biomechanical efficiency.  

The less concavity means the bone is nearer to the ground, thus, bearing greater concussional force.  Finally, assess the lateral and medial heel length.  Look down at the heel to determine the balance in the length of both heel bulbs.  Each heel bulb should be the same size and height.  If there are any irregularities with the heel bulbs then sheared heels may result, which is a painful condition.  Medio-lateral foot imbalance results in the uneven loading of the foot that leads to an accumulation of damage to the structures of the foot ultimately causing inflammation, pain, injury and lameness.   Soles vary in thickness but a uniform sole depth of 15mm is believed to be the minimum necessary for protection.  

Dorso-palmar/plantar (front to back – DP) balance

Refers to the overall hoof angle and the alignment of the hoof angle with the pastern angle when the cannon bone is perpendicular to the ground surface.  When assessing the foot from the side, the dorsal hoof wall should be aligned with the pastern.  The optimal angle of the dorsal hoof wall is often cited as being 50-54°.  The length of the dorsal hoof wall is variable but guidelines have been suggested according to the weight of the horse. 

The heel and toe angle should be within 5 degrees of each other. An underrun heel has been defined as the angle of the heel being 5 degrees less than the toe angle. The heel wall length should be roughly 1/3 of the dorsal wall.  

A line dropped from the first third of the coronet should bisect the base.  A vertical line that bisects the 3rd metacarpal bone should intersect the ground at the palmar aspect of the heels.

Radiographs

A useful way to assess trimming and foot balance is by having foot x-rays performed.  Radiography is the only thorough and conclusive method that allows one to determine if the foot is not balanced and the bony column (HPA) is aligned. 

Shoes should be removed and the foot cleaned before radiographs are executed.  The horse is often placed on foot blocks to elevate the feet off the ground so that the foot can be centred in the cassette and x-ray beam.  

Latero-medial view – The side view of the foot allows one to assess the dorsal and palmar aspects of the pedal bone as well as the navicular bone.  The horse should be standing squarely on a flat, level surface.  This projection is useful in determining the point of breakover and the hoof pastern axis should be parallel with the hoof wall.  The lateral view will demonstrate the length of the toe and the alignment of the dorsal surface of the pedal bone with the hoof wall, which should be parallel.  This view also allows one to determine the depth of the sole and inadequate solar depth is usually accompanied with excessive toe length (broken-back HPA). One may observe a clubfoot, broken forward.  

One can distinguish between a clubfoot and a broken-forward HPA with radiographs.  The broken-forward HPA the hoof angle of the heel is greater than the angle of the dorsal hoof wall.  The clubfoot also demonstrates these steep/high hoof angles but additionally the alignment of the coffin, short and long pastern bones are broken forward.

Dorsopalmar/plantar views - this “front to back” view is also performed with the horse standing squarely on 2 positioning blocks.  This projection allows the evaluation of medial to lateral balance and conformation of the foot with observation and measurement of the medial and lateral wall length and angle.  Horses with satisfactory conformation present with a parallel joint surface of the pedal bone to the ground.  The coffin joint should be even across its width.  In addition, the lateral and medial coronet and the lateral and medial walls are of equal thickness and the distance from the lateral and medial solar margins to the ground are similar. 

With foot imbalance, this author has observed that fore feet may have a higher lateral hoof wall, whereas, the hind feet may have a higher medial hoof wall.  It is worth noting that the pelvis, stifle and hocks are adapted to move laterally allowing a slight rotating action as it moves.  This action may cause uneven wear or poor trimming and shoeing may cause this limb movement to be out of line.  

Trimming

Often, trimming and shoeing are based on empirical experience that includes theoretical assumptions and aesthetic decisions.   The goals of trimming and shoeing are to facilitate breakover, ensure solar protection and provide heel support.  Trimming is the most important aspect of farriery because it creates the base to which a shoe is fitted.  Hoof conformation takes into account the function and shape of the foot in relation to the ground and lower limb both at rest and exercise.  Each individual foot should have a conformation that provides protection and strength while maximising biomechanical efficiency often viewed as foot balance. 

An important question that initially needs to be addressed is whether the horse requires shoes or not.  The answer does depend on what type of work the horse performs, what is the amount of workload, the conformation of the horse (especially the limbs and foot) and are there any previous or current injuries.  It must be stressed that the most important aspect, whether the horse is shod or not, is that the trim ensures an appropriately balanced foot for the horse. If there is poor trimming then this may lead to uneven and increased workload on the limb leading to an increased strain of the hoof and soft tissues (i.e. ligaments, tendons) that increase the risk of injury and developing acute and chronic lameness. 

The foot can be evaluated, trimmed and/or shod in a consistent, reproducible manner that considers:

Hoof-pastern axis (HPA)

The centre of articulation

Heels extending to the base of the frog

Appropriate trimming and shoeing to ensure the base of the foot is under the lateral cartilage; therefore, maximising the use of the digital cushion, can help in creating a highly effective haemodynamic mechanism.  Shoeing must be done that allows full functionality of the foot so that load and concessional forces are dissipated effectively.  

To implement appropriate farriery, initially observe the horse standing square on a hard service to confirm that the HPA is parallel.  If The HPA is broken forward or backward then these balances should be part of the trimming plan.  To determine the location of the centre of rotation, palpate the dorsal and palmar aspect of the short pastern just above the coronary band and a line dropped vertically from the centre of that line should correlate with the widest part of the foot. 

Shoeing

When the shoe is placed on the horse, the horse is no longer standing on its feet but on the shoe; therefore, shoeing is an extension of the trim.  The shoe must complement  the trim and must have the same biomechanical landmarks to ensure good foot balance.  It is this author’s view that the shoe should be the lightest and simplest possible.  The shoe must be placed central to the widest part of the foot and the distance from the breakover point to the widest part of the foot should be equal to the distance between the widest part of the foot and the heel. 

It has been shown that the use of shoes that lift the sole, frog and bars can reduce the efficient workings of the caudal foot and may lead to the prevalence of weak feet.  A study by Roepstorff demonstrated there was a reduced expansion and contraction of the shod foot but improved functionality of solar and frog support.   With this information, appropriate shoeing should allow increased functionality of the digital cushion, frog and bars of the foot, which improves the morphology and health of the hoof and reduces the risk of exceeding the hoof elasticity.  

Disease associated with hoof imbalance

Foot imbalance can lead to multiple ailments and pathologies in the horse.  It must be noted that the pathologies that may result are not necessarily exclusive for the foot but may expand to other components to the horse’s musculoskeletal system.  In addition, not one but multiple pathologies may result.  Diseases that may result from hoof imbalance are:

Conclusion

Foot balance is essential for your horse to lead a healthy and sound life and career. With a strong understanding of the horse anatomy and how foot imbalance can lead to lameness as well as other musculoskeletal ailments, one can work to assess and alter foot balance in order to ensure optimal performance and wellbeing of the horse.  It is essential that there is a team approach involving all stakeholders as well as the veterinarian and farrier in order to achieve foot balance. With focus on foot balance, one can make a good horse into a great horse.

Stem Cell Therapy - the improved diagnostics available to treat lameness

Article by Jackie Zions (interviewing Dr. Koenig)

Prevention is the ideal when it comes to lameness, but practically everyone who has owned horses has dealt with a lay-up due to an unforeseen injury at some point. The following article will provide tools to sharpen your eye for detecting lameness, review prevention tips and discuss the importance of early intervention. It will also begin with a glimpse into current research endeavouring to heal tendon injuries faster, which has obvious horse welfare benefits and supports horse owners eager to return to their training programs. Dr. Judith Koenig of Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) spends half of her time as a surgeon and teacher with a strong interest in equine sports medicine and rehabilitation, and the other half as a researcher at the OVC.

Lameness is a huge focus for Koenig, whose main interest is in tissue healing. “I think over the past 20 or 30 years we have become very, very good at diagnosing the cause of lameness,” says Koenig. “In the past, we had only radiographs and ultrasound as a diagnostic tool, but by now most referral centres also have MRI available; and that allows us to diagnose joint disease or tendon disease even more. We are much better now [at] finding causes that previously may have been missed with ultrasound.” 
Improvements in diagnostics have resulted in increased ability to target treatment plans. With all the different biologics on the market today, Koenig sees a shift in the management of joint disease with more people getting away from steroids as a treatment.

The following list is excerpted from Equine Guelph’s short course on lameness offered on TheHorsePortal.ca. It outlines the different diagnostics available:

When asked for the latest news on research she has been involved in, Koenig proclaims, “I'm most excited about the fact that horses are responding well to stem cell treatment—better than I have seen any response to any other drug we have tried so far!”

Koenig has investigated the use of many different modalities to see if they accelerate tissue healing and has studied which cellular pathways are affected. Two recent collaborative studies have produced very exciting findings, revealing future promise for treating equine osteoarthritis with stem cell therapy.  

In a safety study, Koenig and her team at the Ontario Veterinary College have shown equine pooled cryopreserved umbilical cord blood, (eCB) MSC, to be safe and effective in treatment of osteoarthritis.  

“These cells are the ones harvested from umbilical cord blood at the time of foaling and then that blood is taken to the lab and the stem cells are isolated out of it,” explains Koenig. The stem cells are then put through a variety of tests to make sure they are free of infectious diseases. Once given a clean bill of health, they are expanded and frozen. 
The stem cells harvested from multiple donors of equine umbilical cord blood [eCB, (kindly provided by eQcell), MSC] were compared to saline injections in research horses. “This type of cells is much more practical if you have a cell bank,” says Koenig. “You can treat more horses with it, and it’s off the shelf.” There were no systemic reactions in the safety study. Research has also shown no different reactions from sourcing from one donor or multiple donors.  

In the second study, 10 million stem cells per vial were frozen for use in healing OA from fetlock chips in horses that were previously conditioned to be fit. After the fetlock chip was created, exercise commenced for six more weeks, and then osteoarthritis was evaluated by MRI for a baseline. Half the horses were treated with the pooled MSC stem cells, and the control group received saline before another month of exercise. Then MRI and lameness exams were repeated, and arthroscopy was repeated to score the cartilage and remove the chip.

Lameness was decreased and cartilage scores were improved in the group that received stem cell therapy at the time of the second look with arthroscopy.

Many diagnostics were utilised during this study. MRIs, X-rays, ultrasounds and weekly lameness evaluations all revealed signs of osteoarthritis in fetlock joints improved in the group treated with (eCB) MSCs. After six weeks of treatment, the arthroscopic score was significantly lower (better cartilage) in the MSC group compared to the control group. 

“Using the MRI, we can also see a difference that the horses treated with stem cells had less progression of osteoarthritis, which I think is awesome,” says Koenig. “They were less lame when exercised after the stem cell therapy than the horses that received saline.”

This research group also just completed a clinical trial in client-owned horses diagnosed with fetlock injuries with mild to moderate osteoarthritis changes. The horses were given either 10 million or 20 million stem cells and rechecked three weeks and six weeks after the treatment. Upon re-evaluation, the grade of lameness improved in all the horses by at least one. Only two horses presented a mild transient reaction, which dissipated after 48 hours without any need for antibiotics. The horse’s joints looked normal, with any filling in the joint reduced.
There was no difference in the 18 horses, with nine given 10 million stem cells and the other nine 20 million stem cells; so in the next clinical trial, 10 million stem cells will be used.

The research team is very happy with the results of this first-of-its-kind trial, proving that umbilical cord blood stem cells stopped the progression of osteoarthritis and that the cartilage looked better in the horses that received treatment. The future of stem cell therapy is quite promising!
Rehabilitation
Research has shown adhering to a veterinary-prescribed rehabilitation protocol results in a far better outcome than paddock turn out alone. It is beneficial for tendon healing to have a certain amount of controlled stimulation. “These horses have a much better outcome than the horses that are treated with just being turned out in a paddock for half a year,” emphasises Koenig. “They do much better if they follow an exercise program. Of course, it is important not to overdo it.”

For example, Koenig cautions against skipping hand-walking if it has been advised.  It can be so integral to stimulating healing, as proven in recent clinical trials. “The people that followed the rehab instructions together with the stem cell treatment in our last study—those horses all returned to racing,” said Koenig.  

“It is super important to follow the rehab instructions when it comes to how long to rest and not to start back too early.”

Another concern when rehabilitating an injured horse would be administering any home remedies that you haven't discussed with your veterinarian. Examples included blistering an area that is actively healing or applying  shockwave to mask pain and then commence exercise.

Prevention and Training Tips
While stating there are many methods and opinions when it comes to training horses, Koenig offered a few common subjects backed by research. The first being the importance of daily turnout for young developing horses.  

Turnout and exercise
Many studies have looked at the quality of cartilage in young horses with ample access to turn out versus those without. It has been determined that young horses that lack exercise and are kept in a stall have very poor quality cartilage.
Horses that are started early with light exercise (like trotting short distances and a bit of hill work) and that have access to daily paddock turnout, had much better quality of cartilage. Koenig cited research from Dr. Pieter Brama and similar research groups.

Another study shows that muscle and tendon development depend greatly on low grade exercise in young horses.  Evaluations at 18 months of age found that the group that had paddock turnout and a little bit of exercise such as running up and down hills had better quality cartilage, tendon and muscle.  

Koenig provides a human comparison, with the example of people that recover quicker from injury when they have been active as teenagers and undergone some beneficial conditioning. The inference can be made that horses developing cardiovascular fitness at a young age stand to benefit their whole lives from the early muscle development.

Koenig says it takes six weeks to regain muscle strength after injury, but anywhere from four to six months for bone to develop strength. It needs to be repeatedly loaded, but one should not do anything too crazy! Gradual introduction of exercise is the rule of thumb.

Rest and Recovery
“Ideally they have two rest days a week, but one rest day a week as a minimum,” says Koenig. “I cannot stress enough the importance of periods of rest after strenuous work, and if you notice any type of filling in the joints after workout, you should definitely rest the horse for a couple of days and apply ice to any structures that are filled or tendons or muscles that are hard.” 

Not purporting to be a trainer, Koenig does state that two speed workouts a week would be a maximum to allow for proper recovery. You will also want to make sure they have enough access to salt/electrolytes and water after training.

During a post-Covid interview, Koenig imparted important advice for bringing horses back into work methodically when they have experienced significant time off.
“You need to allow at least a six-week training period for the athletes to be slowly brought back and build up muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness,” says Koenig.  “Both stamina and muscle mass need to be retrained.”

Watch video: “Lameness research - What precautions do you take to start training after time off?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNHba_nXi2k

The importance was stressed to check the horse’s legs for heat and swelling before and after every ride and to always pick out the feet. A good period of walking is required in the warmup and cool down; and riders need to pay attention to soundness in the walk before commencing their work out.

Footing and Cross Training
With a European background, Koenig is no stranger to the varying track surfaces used in their training programs. Statistics suggest fewer injuries with horses that are running on turf. 

Working on hard track surfaces has been known to increase the chance of injury, but delving into footing is beyond the scope of this article.

“Cross training is very important,” says Koenig. “It is critical for the mental and proper musculoskeletal development of the athlete to have for every three training days a day off, or even better provide cross-training like trail riding on these days." 

Cross-training can mitigate overtraining, giving the body and mind a mental break from intense training. It can increase motivation and also musculoskeletal strength. Varied loading from training on different terrain at different gaits means bone and muscle will be loaded differently, therefore reducing repetitive strain that can cause lameness.

Hoof care
Whether it is a horse coming back from injury, or a young horse beginning training, a proficient farrier is indispensable to ensure proper balance when trimming the feet. In fact, balancing the hoof right from the start is paramount because if they have some conformational abnormalities, like abnormal angles, they tend to load one side of their joint or bone more than the other. This predisposes them to potentially losing bone elasticity on the side they load more because the bone will lay down more calcium on that side, trying to make it stronger; but it actually makes the bone plate under the cartilage brittle.  

Koenig could not overstate the importance of excellent hoof care when it comes to joint health and advises strongly to invest in a good blacksmith. Many conformational issues can be averted by having a skilled farrier right from the time they are foals. Of course, it would be remiss not to mention that prevention truly begins with nutrition. “It starts with how the broodmare is fed to prevent development of orthopaedic disease,” says Koenig. Consulting with an equine nutritionist certainly plays a role in healthy bone development and keeping horses sound.