Takashi Kodama - The Curragh based trainer is taking a global perspective - how the racing business has been affected during the Coronavirus shutdown

By Lissa Oliver

The respected Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, often speaks about the dangers of a single story. A single story, or viewpoint, leads to misconceptions and many lost opportunities, preventing us from seeing the many and varied stories within a place, or a person—the multifaceted bigger picture. Ireland’s Curragh-based trainer Takashi Kodama can never be accused of such an error. His is a life of multiple stories; and perhaps this has gifted him with the ability to identify and value the multiple stories of the international thoroughbred industry.

As we talk, Kodama has five fillies waiting to be shipped from South America, to the USA and Ireland. The border had been closed due to the pandemic but was to have reopened in mid-May, so Kodama had everything organised for their export, only to receive last-minute news that the border closure had been extended. He had to spend the day urgently contacting local agents and rightly admits, “It has been my biggest nightmare with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Kodama is no ordinary trainer. Yes, he has his own yard in Kildare and a small string of six horses in training. He faces the same struggles as any small trainer. Yes, he has known major success as a trainer, Pop Rock winning at the prestigious Galway Festival and Elusive Time landing the 2017 Irish Cambridgeshire, a premier handicap, during Irish Champions Weekend at his home track. That saw Kodama honoured with the Special Achievement Award at the 2017 Curragh Racing Awards. 

But unlike many trainers, Kodama has embraced the idea of diversifying and, as a result, has his finger on the pulse of every racing nation as he searches for good value and winners, even if that means sending the horses in his care to other trainers. Even more than a trainer, he is a racing manager.

This brings additional work and issues, as the South American borders testify. “Afternoon here in Ireland is business hours in South America and the USA,” he points out, “and I have six horses in my yard who demand my attention in the morning.”

His passion for horses started a long time ago. “I first started working with horses a few days after my graduation from high school. I went to Hidaka, the main breeding area of Japan, to a pre-training and stud farm. It was supposed to be temporary, but in the typical way of these things I stayed five years!”

Breeding and pre-training are very much interlinked in Japan, so the young Kodama received a good foundation. “I worked at a facility where they did everything. I learnt to ride there, at the age of 18, and my interest went down the training side of the industry. A lot of things seem to happen by chance throughout life, and I met some people who suggested I should go to America. I worked at Santa Anita in California for three years, and then I came over to Ireland, in 1997.

“I got a trainer’s licence in 2002,” he says of his first start in Ireland, “but after three years I realised it was too difficult for a small stable to make a living in Ireland, so I gave up. It is still very difficult for small trainers to survive here.”

Acutely observant of cultures, politics and economies, Kodama is not a man to shy away from obstacles and, crucially, he makes a point of understanding the causes and implications to help him overcome barriers. He had gained from the experience, but it was time to explore different opportunities. “I sent my wife and two daughters to Japan, and I got jobs as a Japanese representative for Goffs and Connolly’s Red Mills. I worked with them for five years, and this brought me fresh opportunities to meet more people day by day.”

During that time Kodama began working for Japanese trainers and owners to assist their international operation. “I attended all the international sales and was familiar with Goffs and Tattersalls, Arqana, Keeneland, Gold Coast, Magic Millions, even Argentinian sales.” His training background also served him well. “I was also able to assist with their international runners in Dubai, Hong Kong, etc. and provided support to get the top international jockeys to ride in Japan, such as Mick Kinane, Ryan Moore, Fran Berry and Craig Williams. From these experiences I got to know more great international racing professionals and was travelling around the world for sales, racing and visiting stud farms.” 

Those five years, Kodama says, were the biggest factor in shaping his life. Four times a year throughout that period, he bought a round-the-world ticket. “I started in Ireland, flew to the USA— visiting Kentucky, California and Florida—then on to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, to Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, then back to Europe, to Germany, France, Italy and the UK, and then home to Ireland. I travelled with an economy ticket all the time, but my airline status was Emerald Member!

“I met so many nice, experienced horsemen all around the world: breeders, trainers, sales people, vets, jockeys, farriers. I found that every part of the horse industry in every country in the world has a different history, culture and the way they trust in the knowledge gained from generations going back more than 100 years.

“I have learned so many things and gained an understanding of the fact that there are so many different ways, different schools of thought, different tools, cultures and history everywhere around the world, but we are all the same in our love and passion being passed down through every generation. That is what is holding the horse industry together, beside the financial supports.”

Crucially, Kodama has also acquired a great understanding and depth of knowledge of the financial systems of racing around the world. “I examine the cost of breeding, cost of training, average horse values, market valuations, prize money, etc., and then I find the balance of all costs and prize money and sales money; and from those calculations I can calculate the cost of performance of the horse in each country.”

He also has an in-depth knowledge of the racing programmes for each region of the world, which he values. “I realised how important it was to have a knowledge and sense of judgement of the ability level of international horses and of the racing and breeding level in each country. I can compare the ability of horses in various countries and know their value, for buying and selling, in order to try to find the best value performance horses for my owners.”

Kodama cites European horses as definitely the most expensive in the world. “For the same money, you might buy only a maiden winner in Ireland but could get a Listed winner in some other European country or the USA; and you might be able to get a Group winner in South America. The important thing is to compare these horses’ abilities.” He laughs, a typically cheerful man who belies the pressure he is so often under. “Horses bought with the same budget, if you let them run in the same race together, who will win—the Irish maiden winner or the South American Gp1 winner? That is a difficult question to answer and may be impossible to find, but it is also a very important aspect of my job.”

It’s easy to think of him as a walking encyclopaedia, but he does have a lot of help. “I would not be able to do what I’m doing now without the help of the great horse people around the world I have been fortunate to meet. International jockeys who ride worldwide give me their opinion of each country’s racing and the quality of horses, and that also helps my knowledge.”

Communication is key and is one of the talkative Kodama’s chief talents.

“At one time, text and other mobile communications were not as popular as now. Although it might be much easier to communicate with people around the world right now, actually I feel that many, many of the people I have met directly face to face and have shared a drink with, eaten with, or just sat and had a chat or discussion with—or even sometimes arguing and fighting with them! ...but it’s those personal meetings that are my fortune in life and will be for a long time to come.”

Of course, as much as he relishes learning from others, his true passion is working with horses, and the lure of a return to training was never far from his heart. “In 2010, by chance, I was given the opportunity to train the Japanese Group winner Pop Rock, together with a few other Japanese horses in Ireland. So I renewed my licence and re-opened my yard once more.”

Pop Rock may have broken a few hearts when a narrow second in the Melbourne Cup to his compatriot Delta Blues, but he realised a dream once in the care of Kodama. “Legend Mick Kinane had retired a few years before I renewed my licence, but he very kindly helped me to try and get my first winner as a trainer. I had been with Mick as a translator in Hong Kong and Japan, and every night when we had a nightcap at the hotel bar he told me so much great things about racing and horses. He started riding out Pop Rock for me—at the beginning once a week—but getting closer to the race, he was finally riding out most of the week. We got Fran Berry as Pop Rock’s jockey for his first time out in Europe, at the Galway Festival.” The rest, as they say, is history. “Pop Rock won as my first winner at Galway and as my dream come true!”

Sadly, Pop Rock was injured during running next time out in the Gp1 Irish St Leger and retired after the race. But as Kodama reflects, “My time with Pop Rock and with Mick and Fran gave me another super experience as a trainer. After this great time I was so pleased to be able to support Fran for his first season riding in Japan. And when Pop Rock retired, a friend who I had met during those five years of travel found a great place for him as a stallion.

“I cannot say my training career has been good,” he admits, “but I’ve still got Elusive Time, who won three times for me, including the Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh on Champions Weekend, which was my biggest success as a trainer. Elusive Time was also my first winner at the Curragh, when Joseph O’Brien rode. Now Joseph trains two colts by Galileo for my owners, and also a South American Group winner is going to him with the aim of running her in the Dubai winter carnival.”

Elusive Time with Kodama, Ross Coakley and The Elusive Time syndicate after winning The Tote Irish Cambridgeshire.

Kodama has some very good Japanese owners he met during his time with Goffs, and they have provided him with the opportunity to turn his small stable into an international racing operation. “As a trainer, I have had a runner at Royal Ascot, at the Arc meeting; and I have stayed in Dubai for the winter carnival with five horses, even though I was a really small trainer with not much experience and only 8-10 horses in my yard.

“I got horses for these international races from South America, Scandinavia, Italy—everywhere—with help from people I met while travelling. I also had help from every racing authority, through having met on my travels. I really wished I could step up onto the international racing stage as a trainer for these great Japanese owners who had given me fantastic opportunities, but unfortunately I realised I was not good enough as a trainer. I just felt so sad and sad and sad... because I could not give back anything good to these great owners who supported me so much.

“And I kept thinking, thinking, thinking… How can I give something good to these owners? What can I do for them? …

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Starch v fibre intake. Balancing different carbohydrate sources against changing requirements of fitness, injury and recovery

By Catherine Rudenko

Carbohydrates are by far the largest component of any horse’s diet, typically two thirds by weight, yet we often focus more on other nutrients, such as protein—which in comparison forms only a small portion of the total diet at around 8-13%. Carbohydrates, specifically the balance between differing carbohydrate sources, influences three key areas relating to performance.

The choice of carbohydrate influences the type of energy available, providing varying proportions of ‘fast release’ or ‘slow release’ energy. The type of carbohydrate chosen also impacts behaviour, increasing or decreasing risk of excitability and certain stereotypical behaviours. Last, but by no means least, the choice of carbohydrate and the way in which it is fed impacts digestive health and the ability of the digestive system to convert food to ‘fuel’ for the body.

Getting the balance right between the different types of carbohydrates is important for getting the right results when having to adjust the intensity of training, when resting a horse and when working back up through the stages of fitness. 

What are carbohydrates? 

There are different ways of classifying or grouping carbohydrates, depending on whether you take things from the plant’s point of view or that of the digestive anatomy of the horse. Working with the horse in mind, carbohydrates are best classified by the section of the digestive system that they are processed in—either the small intestine or large intestine. The site of digestion determines the type of energy provided, often referred to as fast releasing for the small intestine and ‘slow releasing’ for the large intestine. The group of carbohydrates, known as hydrolysable carbohydrates, are the group behind the description of fast releasing, whilst the group known as fermentable carbohydrates are those forming the ‘slow releasing’ category. Within the fermentable group, there are three sub groups of rapid, medium and slow. 

What are carbohydrates made of? 

There are many types of carbohydrates in the horse’s diet, ranging from simple sugars to more complex structures. They are defined by their degree of polymerisation, which refers to the way in which sugar units are joined together. How a carbohydrate is formed and the type of link present are important as they determine if digestion is possible in the small intestine or whether fermentation in the large intestine is required. This influences the type of energy available. 

For horses in training, the type of carbohydrate of particular interest is the polysaccharide group which includes starch, cellulose, hemicellulose and fructans amongst others. Starch is found in significant quantities in hard feeds, whilst cellulose and hemicellulose, amongst other fermentable carbohydrates are abundant in forages. Pasture is a source of fructans, which can change rapidly depending on growing conditions and daylight hours. 

Structure

Single sugars, also called simple sugars, comprise one unit only. They are categorised as monosaccharides—the most commonly known being glucose. For horses in training this is a highly valuable sugar as it is the main ‘fuel’ for muscles. Glucose forms the basis of many of the more complex structures of interest to horses in training.

When two sugars join together, they are known as a disaccharide—the best known being lactose which is found in mare’s milk. Oligosaccharides refer to more complex structures where more units are joined together—a common example being fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) which many horses in training are specifically fed as a prebiotic to support digestive function. 

Type of Carbohydrate

Polysaccharides, our group of particular interest, are significantly more complex chains that are branched and are not so easily digested as the simple sugars. The branched nature of polysaccharides, such as starch and cellulose, are the result of links between chains of sugars. The type of link present determines whether or not it will be possible for the horse to digest this form of carbohydrate in the small intestine or not.

Starch

Starch is the primary carbohydrate of interest in our hard feeds. It is a hydrolysable carbohydrate, which can be digested in the small intestine, releasing glucose into the bloodstream. For horses in training this is the most important fast release energy source. Starch is found in all plants, with the highest quantities seen in cereals such as oats, barley and maize.

Composition of cereals commonly used in racing feeds

Starch is made up of two types of sugar chains: amylose and amylopectin, which are formed from glucose units. Amylose itself is easily digested, however amylopectin has a different type of bond connecting each branch, which the enzymes of the small intestine cannot break down. Feed processing, which changes the structure of starch and breaks apart the previously indigestible bonds, is therefore a key factor in ensuring that when starch is fed that the maximum amount of glucose is derived. 

Amylose and Amylopectin 

Feed processing comes in many forms, from simply crushing or rolling the grain to cooking techniques including micronizing, steam flaking, pelleting or extruding. The amount of processing required for what is deemed efficient digestion differs by grain type. Oats have a natural advantage within the cereal group as they can be fed whole, although processing can still improve digestion. Barley, wheat and maize cannot be fed whole or simply rolled. They require cooking to ensure that starch becomes available, and the impact of cooking processes is much greater for these grains. 

The availability of starch is assessed through the amount of glucose released into the blood after feeding. The study below shows the effect of steam cooking maize (corn) compared to two processes that simply change the physical appearance, cracking or grinding. Steam-flaked maize is more available as shown by the greater glucose response. 

Starch is a fast release energy source, being digested in the small intestine, and the term can easily be misunderstood. It does not mean that the horse will suddenly run at top speed nor appear to be fuelled by ‘rocket fuel’. The word ‘fast’ relates to the relatively short time it takes for digestion to occur and glucose to be available. …

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On the bridle - scientific research uncovers performance advantages of different types of bridles - reducing bridle pressure

By Dr. Russell Mackechnie-Guire

Using a modified bridle design has a significant impact on whole horse locomotion–front and hindlimb–not just the head. 

Recent scientific advances have seen an increase in performance-based research, particularly in the sport horse world where a podium finish can depend on the smallest of margins. The findings from the sport horse research can be translated to the racing thoroughbred where the shortest distance can put you first past the post. All items of training tack and equipment have found themselves under scientific scrutiny, with some unexpected results which could have significant effects on racehorse performance. 

Perhaps one of the most surprising discoveries was the effect that bridle fit and design has on the locomotor apparatus of the horse (biomechanics). The bridle is a neglected item of tack which has, until now, received little scientific attention.

Ahead of the game

As well as improving locomotion these findings could have a significant benefit when it comes to resolving common issues affecting race performance, such as oral lesions in the commissures (corners) of the lips, tongue lolling and hanging, as well as steering or control issues.  

A sensor mat was used under many different bridles and nosebands to measure and record pressure on the horse’s head in motion.]

Research indicates that these behaviours are likely to occur as a result of the horse seeking relief from bridle pressure and instability. Tongue ties or Australian nosebands are two examples of gadgets traditionally used to remedy these issues, but they have their own welfare and pressure-inducing concerns. A more effective solution would be to remove the primary cause of discomfort which leads to the negative or undesirable behaviour by using a modified pressure-relieving bridle design.

Pressure head

Research using a calibrated pressure sensor mat, which was positioned beneath all parts of the bridle, revealed interesting findings and disproved some long-held assumptions. 

It had long been thought that horses experience bridle pressure directly on their poll. In contrast, the research team found no significant areas of pressure over the poll. Instead, areas of high peak pressure were located at the base of the ears in the region where the browband attaches to the headpiece. Anatomically this corresponds to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The TMJ is an essential part of the physiological apparatus, associated with the swallow reflex and the hyoid apparatus (see anatomy panel). The location of pressure (base of the ear and TMJ) was consistent in all commonly-used headpieces and occurred at the same moment in the stride, regardless of the make or design. 

Important locomotor muscles are all linked to the mouth and tongue via the hyoid.

The research team also used gait analysis where markers are placed on the horse’s anatomical locations (joints), allowing locomotion to be measured. …

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Coronavirus shutdown - the effects on training regimes, racing staff wellbeing and how the racing industry adapts to change

By Alysen Miller

“Business as Usual”: How the Racing Community Learned to Thrive in a Pandemic, and What We Can Teach the Rest of the World

As the coronavirus blazed its pestilential path across the world, altering virtually every aspect of life as we know it, in a quiet corner of northern France it was business as usual. Every morning, accompanied by the sound of birdsong from the surrounding Chantilly Forest and unperturbed by the cacophony of confusion emanating from the corridors of power, 50 kilometres away in Paris, Nicolas Clément put his string through their paces on the gallops of Les Aigles and Les Lions. “The truth is we had to keep the horses ticking over,” he explains. “We did a bit less, obviously, when there was no visibility [about when racing would resume]. I had more time in the afternoon to look at my horses and stuff. But I didn’t change much, to be honest. Because your routine is your work.”

Nicolas Clément

It’s an attitude that is replicated from Newmarket to Norway. In fact, wherever racehorses are trained, European trainers have stoically gone about their business, even as the magnitude of the moment seemed to take on ever-more alarming new contours. Even as London’s Excel Centre was being converted into a field hospital and graves were being dug in trenches in New York City, racehorses still had to be exercised.

Doncaster’s COVID-19 screening process.

It’s a sentiment that is echoed, in virtually identical terms, by Oslo-based Are Hyldmo. “The daily routine hasn’t really changed that much at all,” he says. “Of course, we have had to be a bit more strict about who comes to the stables. I will allow owners to come but not in big groups. We have policies about washing your hands. We’ve used more hand soap in the last few weeks,” he deadpans, with typical Scandinavian understatement.

“I’m not one of the worriers,” chirps fellow Scandinavian Jessica Long from her yard in Malmö. “It’s not just going to go away, so we’ve got to cope with it. The world can’t stop.” The Nordic neighbours couldn’t be more different in terms of their respective responses to the virus: Norway has been praised for its swift and decisive COVID-19 response, announcing a nationwide lockdown on 12th of March that saw the closure of schools and businesses and a ban on sporting events. Sweden, meanwhile, is something of an outlier in its apparently more casual approach to managing the outbreak. Yet the experiences of the two trainers are remarkably similar. “For us it’s been pretty much business as usual,” confirms Long, repeating the trainers’ mantra.

Dr Antonis Kousoulis

All this is not to downplay the seriousness of the pandemic which, at time of writing, has infected nearly 5 million people and resulted in 324,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organisation. For many, the pathogen itself is only the tip of the iceberg. Millions of adults have reported feeling panicked, afraid and unprepared as a result of the pandemic, according to research from the Mental Health Foundation, a UK-based charity; while almost a quarter of adults living under lockdown have experienced loneliness. “The impact… on mental health can be very hard to manage,” warns Dr Antonis Kousoulis, director at the Mental Health Foundation, in the report. “We fear that we may be living with the mental health impacts of the coronavirus situation for many years to come.”

Yet the racing community has singularly maintained its sense of stoicism—even humour—even in our darkest hours. Now, as the first virulent wave breaks and rolls back and countries across the continent begin to take their first tentative steps out of lockdown, it is worth examining how, as a cohort, the racing community was able to survive and even thrive during one of the most extraordinary periods of human history, and what lessons we might be able to impart to the rest of the world.

“Racing people are incredibly resilient, that’s for sure,” says psychologist Michael Caulfield. “They’ve coped and adapted with extraordinary resilience, and they’ve done it their way. And everyone has found their own rhythm.”

One of the UK’s leading performance psychologists, Caulfield, works with a number of prominent football, cricket and rugby teams, as well as providing support to individual athletes and coaches. Even compared to other sportspeople, he says, the racing world has seemed to weather the storm far better than most. (In a previous life, Caulfield worked as a stable lad and, later, as chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association; so he knows whereof he speaks.) The reason for this resilience, he suggests, is that racing people are inherently a species of risk-takers: “The racing world has always lived with risk. And I think with this situation now, we’re having to teach the world to learn to live with risk again because risk is a part of everyday life. With horses, it’s a part of every hour of your life; financially, in terms of the risk of injury, in terms of the uncertainty. So racing people are better equipped to deal with it than most.” Caulfield acknowledges that some of the restrictions imposed by lockdown, such as not being able to go to the pub with your mates, have perhaps been easier on people who didn’t have a social life to begin with: “How many people from equestrianism do you meet during the week for a night out? You don’t.” …

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BEDMAX celebrate their 20th year in business - Managing Director, Tim Smalley recounts their progress

It is 20 years this Spring since the first yellow bags of BEDMAX shavings began appearing in UK racing yards, but the Northumberland-based family company has put its anniversary celebrations on hold. Like everyone else involved in the racing industry, Managing Director Tim Smalley has been fully occupied adapting operations to steer the BEDMAX team safely through these uncharted waters, and keeping production at record levels to support customers through the most disruptive crisis since the second World War.

“This is clearly a very serious problem we’re all facing, and it will obviously have serious consequences for many of us whose lives and livings revolve around horses. But I‘ve always thought that people who work with horses, and especially with racehorses, are better prepared than most to deal with setbacks and disasters. It’s been wonderful to see racing get back in the saddle again, and we’re looking forward to a return to something closer to normality as soon as possible.” 

Every race starts in the stable... Photo: Sarah Farnsworth, by kind permission of Amanda Perrett, Coombelands Racing Stables.

Growing up surrounded by ponies, hunters and eventers on the family farm in north Northumberland, Tim opted out of horses in his teens and into agricultural engineering, and it wasn’t until he returned from a spell jackarooing in Australia in the early 80s that he started to put the two together in his first racing-based business.

Desert Orchid was one of the first customers for BEDMAX in 2000.

“Mustering cattle in the Kimberleys reignited the horse bug in me, and when I came home I started hunting again and did some point-to-pointing. At the same time my aunt was breeding some successful steeplechasers here in the stables where I now live, including Canny Danny, who won the Sun Alliance at Cheltenham in ’83, and Strands of Gold who won the Hennessy in ’88. I was looking for a way to make a living somehow on the edges of farming, and through my aunt I learned that trainers were looking for an alternative forage to hay. There was some significant research evidence emerging at the time about the damage airborne dust and spores could do to a horse’s respiratory system in the stable, and hay was seen as the main culprit. 

“So my older brother Chris offered me the use of some of his hayfields at Greymare Farm, I restored two old small round-bale balers, and in 1987 we started making dust free haylage. We sealed the bales in yellow bags and called it HAYMAX, and racing customers seemed very happy with it.”

As haylage increasingly became the forage of choice in UK racing yards, it became apparent that traditional straw bedding was – and still is – as likely as hay to contain high levels of inorganic dust and microbial particles small enough to be inhaled deep into the respiratory system of a nasal obligate breather.

“By 1998, there were lots of suppliers making haylage for horses, but trainers were finding it difficult to source a dust free replacement for straw. Many were trying what I would call waste product shavings from the wood processing industries, but those also had a very high dust content, so I started to look at how we could produce a better bedding, and two years later we launched BEDMAX.”

In those two years, Tim tracked down as much of the research into equine respiratory health as he could and consulted trainers and leading equine veterinary experts, and he realised that dust was not the only health threat that horses face in the stable.

“Respiratory damage caused by airborne dust is the most significant health problem that good bedding can help prevent, but it also needs to help maintain good hoof health, it can play a big part in keeping the stable hygienic and suppressing ammonia, and it needs to provide a supportive base for horses to lie down and get the rest they need.

“I’ve always said it isn’t rocket science, but we put a lot of thought into making a top quality all-round healthy equine bedding. We were the first to cut larger shavings because they’re more resilient and supportive both for the hoof and for horses lying down. We dry them at sterilising temperatures but to a controlled 12% moisture content so they don’t dry out hooves and cause cracking. We make them from traceable, renewable timber we source here in the UK, and I prefer to use pine because it offers a unique level of natural antibacterial resistance. And we have always been aware that if we’re asking customers to pay a bit more for purpose-made bedding, it needs to be very good value for money.”

The other benefits Tim Smalley wanted all customers to be sure they got from BEDMAX were consistent quality, dependable supply, and knowledgeable support and service. As sales grew, the company built a second factory in the Midlands and then a third  in Hampshire to keep up with demand, duplicating the unique production process Tim and his brother had built themselves at Greymare Farm, and they have invested steadily  in new technology and more sophisticated dust screening and vacuum extraction to keep BEDMAX shavings at the top of the bedding performance rankings.

BEDMAX has led the British Equestrian Trade Association’s national survey results for the best-selling brand of bedding in the overall UK equestrian market since 2011, but racing still accounts for a large proportion of sales and Tim Smalley still values the approval of racing trainers and vets as the highest benchmark of success.

“Racing trainers were the first to recognise the need for a bedding that reduced dust levels to the lowest possible minimum. Obviously, this is particularly crucial in racing where even small compromises in respiratory health can make a big difference to performance, and racehorses do spend a lot of time in their stables. It gives me a headache even trying to think of all the factors a trainer has to take into account to get the best out of a horse, but I know that every detail is important, and I hope BEDMAX has helped remove or reduce at least one potential health risk.”

From the outset, it has been racing that has driven this family company’s success at home in the UK and then as a global exporter, first to trainers in Hong Kong, Europe and the Middle East, and more recently to Japan and mainland China. In January, one of the world’s leading studs ordered a shipment of Northumbrian BEDMAX to be delivered to Australia for their stallions standing for the season down under.

“We’ve travelled a long way from Greymare Farm since those first bags went off in our lorry to Malton and Middleham,” says Tim Smalley, “and it’s a pity our 20th anniversary has been overtaken by the coronavirus. But we’re in this for the long run, and we’re even more deeply committed to supporting our racing  customers and their horses through this setback and on to the next 20 years.”

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Minimising serious fractures of the racehorse fetlock - risk reducing of catastrophic fractures associated with the fetlock joint

By VA Colgate, PHL Ramzan & CM Marr

Minimising serious fractures of the racehorse fetlock

In March 2020, a symposium was held in Newmarket, UK, aiming to devise measures which could be used internationally to reduce the risk of catastrophic fracture associated with the fetlock joint. The meeting was supported by the Gerald Leigh Charitable Trust, the Beaufort Cottage Charitable Trust and the Jockey Club with additional contributions from a number of industry stakeholders. On the first day a panel of international experts made up of academic professors, Chris Whitton (Melbourne, Australia), Sue Stover (Davis, California), Chris Kawcak (Colorado), Tim Parkin (Glasgow) and Peter Muir (Wisconsin); experienced racehorse clinicians, Ryan Carpenter (Santa Anita) and Peter Ramzan (Newmarket); imaging experts, Sarah Powell (Newmarket) and Mathieu Spriet (Davis, California); and vets with experience in racing regulatory bodies, Scott Palmer (New York) and Chris Riggs (Hong Kong) joined forces to discuss risk assessment protocols, particularly those based on imaging features which might indicate increased risk of imminent fracture. This was followed by a wider discussion with a diverse invited audience of veterinary and industry stakeholders on how our current knowledge of fracture pathophysiology and risk factors for injury could be used to target risk assessment protocols. A report of the workshop outcomes was recently published in Equine Veterinary Journal.

The importance of risk reduction

With the ethics of the racing industry now in the public spotlight, there is recognition that together veterinary and horseracing professionals must strive to realise an improvement in equine injury rates. Intervention through risk profiling programmes, primarily based on training and racing metrics, has a proven track record; and the success of a racing risk management program in New York gives evidence that intervention can and will be successful. 

The fetlock of the thoroughbred racehorse is subjected to very great loads during fast work and racing, and over the course of a training career this can result in cumulative changes in the bone underlying the articular cartilage (‘subchondral’ bone) that causes lameness and may in some circumstances lead to fracture. Fracture propagation involving the bones of the fetlock (cannon, pastern or proximal sesamoid bones) during fast work or racing can have catastrophic consequences, and while serious musculoskeletal injuries are a rare event when measured against race starts, there are obviously welfare and public interest imperatives to reduce the risk to racehorses even further. The dilemma that faces researchers and clinicians is that ‘fatigue’ injuries of the subchondral bone at some sites within the fetlock can be tolerated by many racehorses in training while others develop pathology that tips over into serious fracture. Differentiating horses at imminent risk of raceday fracture from those that are ‘safe’ to run has not proven particularly easy based on clinical grounds to date, and advances in diagnostic imaging offer great promise.

Profiling to inform risk assessment

Risk profiling examines the nature and levels of threat faced by an individual and seeks to define the likelihood of adverse events occurring. Catastrophic fracture is usually the end result of repetitive loading, but currently there are no techniques that can accurately determine that a bone is becoming fatigued until some degree of structural failure has actually occurred. However, diagnostic imaging has clear potential to provide information about pathological changes which indicate the early stages of structural damage. 

Previous research has identified a plethora of epidemiological factors associated with increased risk of serious catastrophic musculoskeletal injury on the racetrack. These can be distilled into race, horse and management-related risk factors that could be combined in statistical models to enable identification of individual horses that may be at increased risk of injury. 

In North America, the Equine Injury Database compiles fatal and non-fatal injury information for thoroughbred racing in North America. Since 2009, equine fatalities are down 23%; and important risk factors for injury have been identified, and this work has driven ongoing improvement.

The problem with all statistics-based models created so far for prediction of racehorse injury is that they have limited predictive ability due to the low prevalence of racetrack catastrophic events. If an event is very rare, and a predictive tool is not entirely accurate, many horses will be incorrectly flagged up as at increased risk. At the Newmarket Fetlock workshop, Prof Tim Parkin shared his work on a model which was based on data from over 2 million race starts and almost 4 million workout starts. Despite the large amount of data used to formulate the model, Tim Parkin suggested that if we had to choose between two horses starting in a race, this model would only correctly identify the horse about to sustain a fracture 65% of the time. Furthermore, the low prevalence of catastrophic injury means it will always be difficult to predict, regardless of which diagnostic procedure is employed. 

Where do the solutions lie?

A radiograph showing a racing thoroughbred’s fetlock joint. The arrow points to a linear radiolucency in the parasagittal groove of the lower cannon bone—a finding that is frequently detectable before progression to serious injury.

One possible strategy to overcome the inherent challenge of predicting a rare event involves serial testing. Essentially with this approach, a sequence of tests is carried out to refine sub-populations of interest and thus improve the predictive ability of the specific tests applied. An additional consideration in the design of any such practical profiling system would have to be the ability to speedily come to a decision. For example, starting with a model based on racing and training metrics such as number of starts and length of lay-off periods, as well as information about the risk associated with any particular track or racing jurisdiction, entries could be screened to separate those that are not considered to be at increased risk of injury from a smaller sub-group of horses that warrant further evaluation and will progress to Phase 2. The second phase of screening would be something relatively simple. Although not yet available, there is hope that blood tests for bone biomarkers or genetic profiles could be used to further distil horses into a second sub-group. This second sub-group might then be subjected to more detailed veterinary examination, and from that a third sub-group, involving a very small and manageable number of horses flagged as potentially at increased risk, would undergo advanced imaging. The results of such diagnostic imaging would then allow vets to make evidence-based decisions on whether or not there is sufficient concern to prompt withdrawal of an individual from a specific race from a health and welfare perspective. Of course there are other considerations which limit the feasibility of such a system, including availability of diagnostic equipment and whether or not imaging can be quickly and safely performed without use of sedation or other drugs, which are prohibited near to a race start. 

Diagnostic techniques for fetlock injury risk profiling

Currently there is no clear consensus on the interpretation of images from all diagnostic imaging modalities, and important areas of uncertainty exist. Although a range of imaging modalities are available, each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and advances in technology currently outstrip our accumulation of published evidence on which to base interpretation of the images obtained.  

Interpretation is easy when the imaging modality shows an unequivocal fracture such as a short fissure in a cannon bone. Here the decision is simple: the horse has a fracture and must stop exercising. Many cases, however, demonstrate less clearly defined changes that may be associated with bone fatigue injury. 

Currently radiography remains the most important imaging modality in fetlock bone risk assessment. With wide availability and the knowledge gained by more advanced imaging techniques refining the most appropriate projections to use; radiography represents a relatively untapped resource that through education of primary care vets could immediately have a profound impact on injury mitigation. The most suitable projection with which to detect prodromal condylar fracture pathology in the equine distal limb is the flexed dorsopalmar (forelimb) or plantarodorsal (hindlimb) projection. On this projection, focal radiolucency in the parasagittal groove, whether well or poorly defined, with or without increased radio-opacity in the surrounding bone, should be considered representative of fracture pathology unless evidence from other diagnostic imaging modalities demonstrates otherwise. 

Computed Tomography (CT) excels at identification of structural changes and is better than radiography at showing very small fissures in the bone. However, additional research is needed to determine specific criteria for interpretation of the significance of small lesions in the parasagittal groove with respect to imminent risk of serious injury. There are good indications that fissure lesion size and proximal sesamoid bone volumetric measurements have the potential to be useful criteria for prediction of condylar and proximal sesamoid bone fractures respectively. With technological advancement, it is likely that CT will be more widely used in quantitative risk analysis in the future. 

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has the ability to detect alterations in the fluid content of bones, which allows assessment of acute, active changes. Indeed standing, low-field MRI has been shown to be capable of detecting bone abnormalities not readily identifiable on radiography and has been successfully used for injury mitigation in racehorse practice for some time. However, when used for evaluation of cartilage and subchondral bone lesions, there is a relatively high likelihood of false positive results.  

PET is the most recent advance in diagnostic imaging. It is being developed in California and, when combined with CT, provides information on bone activity and structure. In these three images of the same fetlock, from different aspects, the orange spots indicate increased activity in the proximal sesamoid bone, which is a potential precursor to more serious injury.

Image courtesy of Dr M. Spriet, University of California, Davis.

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TopSpec - Trainer of the Quarter - Denis Hogan

By Breandán Ó hUallacháin

The TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by Denis Hogan. Hogan will receive £1,000 worth of TopSpec feed, supplements and additives as well as a consultation with one of their senior nutritionists.

Denis Hogan was unsure what to expect when Sceptical, a £2,800 unraced purchase at the Horse-In-Training Sale at Doncaster in August 2019, joined him at his state of the art facilities last year. When asked how he approached the initial training of the gelding, Hogan said: “If we got a horse with form, we’d have something to go on, a line of ability, a rating probably, a distance that he races over, whereas when they’re unraced, we’re going off breeding and what they’re bred to do. Like most horses that have never raced, you build them up gradually. He then got a piece of work, and after a fast piece of work or two, we knew he was decent.” He concedes, however, that he wasn’t anxious when initially training the son of Exceed And Excel, knowing from Godolphin he had trouble breathing: “We knew he had issues, we knew his wind wasn’t perfect, but we’ve dealt with them (horses with wind problems) before.”

Though the gelding debuted on the all-weather at Dundalk on 30th October 2019, he had a wind operation after that run, with Hogan admitting “we got away with the first run.” The likeable handler states that the horse isn’t very difficult to train, describing him as “a joy to do anything with. On that score he’s 100% as good as you could ask for with temperament and attitude. His temperament, is absolutely brilliant, he’s so relaxed, calm. Nothing would phase him whatsoever, you could put him anywhere in any size of crowd, even travelling he never gets worked up. You could put him anywhere in a race – up front, out the back, in the middle.” Sceptical’s training routine has essentially remained the same since his arrival. It is quite simple; it doesn’t involve anything special, according to the Tipperary native, who is lucky to have access to a 5-furlong deep sand gallop and another gallop similar to Dundalk for his top charge. “We don’t over gallop him really, he’d be cantering away, and turn him out as much as we can; he might have a gallop at The Curragh or somewhere before a big race, but that would be it really.” Though Sceptical has run on both the all-weather and turf, his training doesn’t change much, irrespective of the surface he’s being prepared for: “No, not massively – much the same, only that the surface is different. I suppose he doesn’t need to be over the top fit for the all-weather, it’s an easy surface and horses skip off it – they tend to take the race quite well, not as hard as soft ground.”

While proudly conceding that he has many race options with a horse of this quality, the Cloughjordan man is cautious about asking too much of his stable star: “We have to be careful we pick the right races now and not over-race him. With a horse like this we have a couple of options, a few different plans. The Group 1 races are literally all overseas now, and right into the autumn, there are winter festivals in every corner of the world nowadays. I’d imagine he’d be kept busy.”

In citing the international success of his fellow county man, Tom Hogan, with the late Gordon Lord Byron, Denis Hogan may be considering some long haul flights for this laid-back individual: “Australia – there’s some big prize money down there, and he could be a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup, or the Prix de l’Abbaye, and Saudi has the big racing festival out there in February – there’s tonnes of options out there.”

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Hay quality - sampling - testing protocols - importance of hay quality - for racehorse trainers

By Alan Creighton, Head of Environment and Nutrition Department, The Irish Equine Centre

Late last year, the Environmental and Nutrition Department at the Irish Equine Centre completed a study of hay which was being fed by many of the leading racehorse trainers in Ireland and the UK. The results have answered a lot of the theories we have held over the years in relation to hay quality. The results of this study also have been used to aid hay producers and trainers in making the right choices when it comes to making and feeding hay. The study also highlights the reasons why testing hay is very important.

Good forage is key but the balance needs to be right too.

At this time of year, we are inevitably asked questions in relation to the quality of hay versus haylage. When is the best time to test this year’s forage? How is it stored properly? The obvious difference is that you can get a good idea about hay quality prior to purchase, whereas with haylage you often have to wait until you open that plastic to know your faith. When we look at the top-level trainers in Ireland, the UK and France, the breakdown of who feeds hay versus who feeds haylage is approximately 75% hay versus 25% haylage. The decision to feed a particular forage is often based on availability, cost and storage facilities. Some trainers prefer to feed haylage because they believe this product is a better source of digestible energy and protein. The nutritional content of large batches of haylage can be very variable and without analysing each batch of forage, it is impossible to know exactly what the nutrient profile is. The Irish Equine Centre analyses thousands of samples of hay and haylage every year for both hygiene (mould and bacteria levels) and nutritional content. The reality is that we get both hay and haylage with extremely good nutritional and hygiene values; we also get hay and haylage with very poor nutritional and hygiene values. It is really important for trainers to realise that constantly changing forage types is extremely detrimental to horse health and is often responsible for gastric problems and colic. Ideally you should produce or purchase enough of the same batch of good quality forage for the whole season. It is our experience from testing forage that getting haylage with consistent nutritional values can be very difficult. This is mainly due to the variants in moisture content. Hay that is well made and stored well does tend to be much more consistent and therefore better for overall horse health.

Haylage has a much higher moisture content than hay which therefore means that more haylage is required to be fed as compared to hay to meet the daily recommended guidelines for dry matter intake. Haylage can contain higher crude protein, fat and digestible energy. If a trainer feeds that amount of haylage as suggested in guidelines, the animals tend to get too heavy. When feeding haylage, the spoilage process can begin quickly if the bale is exposed to air; this may be due to damaged 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 Irish Equine Centre recommends that opened bales of haylage are used inside of four days in the winter and three 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. 

The digestive system of the horse is designed to graze constantly. Digestive disorders such as stomach ulcers increase when we move too far away from constant grazing. Horses are designed to have a regular intake of forage. Since the horse's stomach continually secretes acid, gastric ulcers can result when the horse is not eating regularly. Saliva in the mouth contains bicarbonate which buffers (neutralises) acidity in the gut. More chewing produces more saliva, and the chew time with hay is a lot longer than with haylage. The horse therefore produces a lot more saliva when fed hay as compared to haylage. Horses also tend to eat haylage quicker which often leads to longer periods with no forage in the stomach.

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 now shown that those fungal problems are compounded and elevated since farmers have moved away from the traditional small bale and moved to large round or rectangular bales. 

Racehorses are athletes, and they need a fully functioning respiratory system to maximise performance. IAD, COPD, RAO (all forms of equine asthma) and EIPH (bleeding) are respiratory conditions that 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 is the main culprit. Fungi that penetrate the airways can cause unwanted inflammation and can be infectious, toxic, allergenic or all three 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 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 often can be the precursor to secondary bacterial and viral diseases.

An Irish Equine Centre study in 2006 showed that Aspergillus contamination levels in hay produced in Europe for racehorses that year was approximately 50% as compared to 37% in haylage and 13% in the North American hay used in Europe at that time. This was a very worrying statistic as forage can often make up to 60% of the racehorse’s diet. The cost of North American hay in Europe was significantly higher than barn-dried European hay. The temperate climate in Ireland, the UK and northwestern France can make it difficult to make and store hygienic hay as compared to North America. Scientific information available for farmers to aid in the production of hygienic hay is now limited as government research facilities have concentrated on silage and haylage production for cows. It has long been the contention of the Environment and Nutrition Department that apart from the difficulties with making good hay, it is actually how we store hay in our damp climates that predisposes the hay to fungal contamination. We have always felt that hay which is uncovered in storage will act like a sponge and absorb moisture from the air during our damp winters. When the temperature is mild, this moisture encourages fungal growth on the outside of bales.

In order to help hay producers and consequently help trainers, the Irish Equine Centre felt we needed to establish the following: 

1. The links between the effects the different hay preservation methods and storage methods have on the moisture levels of the hay and the resulting fungal and mycotoxin presence. 

2. To determine the prevalence of pathogenic fungi and mycotoxins (secondary metabolites) in hay produced by five of the biggest producers of hay for racehorses in Ireland and the UK over a two-year period. 

3. Determine the most suitable time during storage for trainers to test their hay. Prior to this study, the IEC recommended the month of September.

The study looked at hay produced and stored over a two-year period. Five hundred twenty-five samples were taken post-harvest, post-storage and at three intervals during storage in hay barns. The moisture levels were taken at each sampling interval. All the samples were tested for pathogenic fungi and a panel of six mycotoxins. …

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News from the EMHF - the pandemic’s effects on Europe’s smaller racing nations and their trainers

By Dr. Paull Khan

There is no racing nation that has escaped the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact on the major racing powers, in Europe and beyond, has been well chronicled. Racing industries in France, Great Britain and Ireland have all taken a significant financial hit with the period of forced inactivity. But what has been the experience of the smaller countries, with lesser financial resources with which to buffer themselves? Here we look at the situation in six countries—Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Slovakia—to try to get a sense of what the coronavirus crisis has meant for their racing generally and their trainers in particular. And what we see is a highly variable picture; while for some the impact—at least to date—has been mild, and there is confidence around the long-term prospects for the sport. For others, it has threatened the very existence of horseracing in the country.

The six countries between them boast just 228 trainers: 135 professionals and 93 amateurs. In several cases, the number of horses in the entire country falls short of those in a single large yard in Britain, France or Ireland. They average fewer than 10 horses in training each.

The importance of international competition is noteworthy. Of our six countries, only Greece operates pretty much as ‘an island’, with Greek-trained horses making few forays abroad, and no foreign-trained raiders entering its races. The rest are not self-sufficient. They rely on (i) races in neighbouring countries in which their horses can take part and/or (ii) horses from neighbouring countries bolstering the numbers in their own races to provide competitive sport. This is why COVID-related restrictions on international travel have been a key concern.  

BELGIUM

Belgium’s three racetracks—at Mons, Ostend and Waregem—normally stage some 170 races per year. The cessation of racing started on March 5th and, at time of writing, a resumption behind closed doors was hoped for at the end of June. It will not be possible to reschedule all the races, and a reduction in opportunities of some 40% is expected.

Belgian trainers already rely, to a large extent, on supplementing race opportunities at home with those abroad—predominantly making raids across their southern border to France—to which over 80% of foreign raiders are directed. France’s closure to foreign runners therefore represented a significant blow. 

Some owners transferred their horses to France when French racing resumed ahead of that in Belgium, but the damage was limited to seven horses. 

Marcel De Bruyne, racing director at the Belgian Galop Federation, looks forward with optimism for a recovery next year: “I think and surely hope that 2021 will look like 2019, but our industry depends, to the tune of some 85% of revenues, on French premiums, (via the PMU). When they return to operating as in 2019, we will probably too”.  

GREECE

Konstantinos Loukopoulos

Racing at Greece’s only racecourse, Markopoulo near Athens, was halted on March 14th and at time of writing it was hoped the cessation would be limited to three months. This crisis has come at a time when the Greek racing industry was pulling itself out of a slump which threatened its closure. A dozen years ago, the number of horses in training servicing racing was buoyant, at 1500. But by 2015 the tally had slumped to a scarcely-viable 250. This figure is critical to Greek racing since it has yet to attract foreign runners and relies entirely on local horses to populate its race fields. By 2019, through concerted efforts, numbers had recovered to 420, and prospects looked good. Konstantinos Loukopoulos is racing manager at Horse Races S.A., the company which holds 20-year pari-mutuel betting rights and the right to organise races in the country. He explains: “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis hit us at the moment of our growth, as more than 170 new horses had come to Greece after our relaunch in 2019; and our newly introduced ratings-based handicapping system had started to work out well”.

“Our original schedule for 2020 was for 360 races (53% more than 2019). However, due to the period of closure, we will lose many races. In order to partly recover the loss, we will provide the option for up to 10 races per fixture, at least for the first month. Our goal is to give as many opportunities as possible to horses to get a run”.

Greece has mirrored the approach of many larger racing nations when determining where the axe of prize money cuts should fall. Those at the bottom end of the scale will escape, while the top races will see cuts of 13%-20%.

“Our races are open to all runners from abroad and we welcome any owner/trainer who wants to come and run in Greece. For our 2000 Guineas, Derby and Oaks there is a provision that the horses must be in Markopoulo 40 days prior to the race. For trainers that want to come for a specific period of time, we have in place incentives; and we can make, also, ad hoc facilitations, covering for example stabling costs.”

How does Loukopoulos view prospects for racing in his country? “We all are in uncharted waters and guessing is risky”, he answers. “I would say that one of the biggest issues that faces all racing industries—and especially the small ones—is the uncertainty that comes with COVID-19. Having said that, our major concern is the impact on the economy and the forecast for a recession of ~10%. Therefore, we may face a pause to the positive trend we created last year. On the other hand, I have to mention that Greek racing is now in better shape than in previous years”.

This is a view shared by Harry Charalambous, chair of the Greek Professional Trainers Association for Racehorses: “It’s been very hard for Greek racing. In 2019 we were shut for five months” (while disputes over administrative power were playing out), “and now we’re three and a half months closed with COVID. But things were going really well early this year, with 10 races and 80-100 runners per meeting, and I think we will get over it pretty quick”.

NETHERLANDS

The Dutch gallop racing sector is, on most measures, the smallest of our six countries. In common with several other European countries, it has but the one remaining racecourse, but what sets it apart is the fact that only 35 gallop races are staged at Duindigt in a normal year. The importance to trainers and owners of race opportunities abroad is as keenly felt in Holland as anywhere. 

The situation for its eight professional and 20 amateur trainers could have been described as somewhat precarious even before the ravages of COVID-19. Sad, therefore, that the degree of disruption caused by the virus has been greater here than in most countries. Racing was stopped on March 15th and, as of early June, there is still no clear indication of a resumption date, with local and national governments taking different views as to the risks involved.

Racing at Holland’s sole gallop track at Duindigt.

Camiel Mellegers, racing secretary of the Dutch racing authority Stichting Nederlandse Draf- en Rensport (SNDR), predicts half of this year’s planned races will be run in the remainder of the season (for, as a consequence, half of the prize money). “This is as far as we can tell at the moment. Rescheduling will be a discussion to be had after we have re-started racing and as a result that might change in a positive way”. …

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The differences between a healthy/unhealthy biome - gastrointestinal disease - disturbances of the gut bacteria

By Carol Hughes

Gastrointestinal diseases and upsets are common in thoroughbred racehorses, causing discomfort, loss of performance and even mortality. Every common gastrointestinal disease can be linked back to disturbances (dysbiosis) of the gut bacteria. Currently, new gene technology is driving research at an intense rate, providing new insights into the equine microbial community (1) and providing both trainer and the vet with a powerful and accurate analytical tool to improve health and manage disease.  

The gastrointestinal tract of the horse is colonized by trillions of microorganisms, which includes 1,000-1,500 different species, making up around 95% of the biome; the other 5% are made up of archaea, protozoa, fungi and viruses. Though most studies concentrate on identifying species of bacteria and linking to health and disease. Other members of the biome have equally important roles to play. In the racehorse, a major player is the Enterobacteria phage PhiX174, which is a bacterial virus that protects the horse against E-coli (2).

The microbial community has co-evolved with the host, performing essential and vital activities such as the extraction of energy and nutrients from foodstuff, synthesis of vitamins, interaction with the immune system and cross talk with the brain, which is thought to affect temperament and behaviour. Taxonomic and functional compositions of the gut microbiome are rapidly becoming viable indicators of horse health and disease.

Each member of the microbial community has a different but synergistic role, which is beneficial to the health of the horse; e.g., the fungi break down the indigestible parts of forage plants, such as the polysaccharides, whilst the ciliate protozoa contribute to the process by producing a wide range of enzymes that the horse is unable to make, impacting and benefitting the immune system. Microbial fermentation of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin reduces the structural and non-structural plant wall material into carbohydrates, proteins (amino acids) and lipids, and produces volatile and short chain fatty acids (2a), which are the primary source of energy for the horse. The bacteria contribute the most to the degradation of ingested food, producing the final components of the fermentation process, which are acetic, propionic and butyric acid, methane and carbon dioxide.  

The gastrointestinal tract of the horse is sensitive to change, stress, environment and medication, which cause imbalances or dysbiosis (3). Establishing or profiling a healthy baseline in the horse is difficult as variations exist between individuals, breeds, diets and locations; the thoroughbred racehorse is a very different animal to the Shetland pony or an Irish Draught. Fitness training alters the microbiome further; for these reasons it is important to study the thoroughbred as a population separate from other breeds and to analyse, where possible, racehorses training in a similar environment and location.

With this in mind, since 2017 there has been an ongoing project to study and profile the microbial populations of over 1,000 racehorses based in Newmarket, throughout the racing season; and the data produced has been used to develop profiles of the differences between a healthy/unhealthy biome. The project utilizes the cutting-edge Illumina MiSeq technology, which is the most accurate and up-to-date, preferred by genomic researchers around the world. 

The Biome In Health

Elite racehorses have higher levels of a super-phylum bacteria 

Questions asked….

Elite racehorses are trained to achieve peak fitness, but is it possible that they can gain an extra edge from the input of the hind gut bacteria?  

How different is the microbiome of a Group 1 horse, and is it possible to identify the bacteria responsible for the extra edge? 

Answers found….

Human scientists have known for some time that the microbiome of an elite human athlete is different (4), with faster metabolic pathways (amino acids and carbohydrates) and higher levels of faecal metabolites (microbial-produced short-chain fatty acids) acetate, propionate and butyrate associated with enhanced muscle fitness. The human and elite equine athlete do share similar microbial profiles, having higher percentages of the bacteria that manufacture short-chain fatty acids and higher levels of the super-phylum verrucomicrobia; these increase as the season/training progresses. 

Image of the analysis of the microbiome of a Group 1 horse, compared to a non- group horse.

What is known about this super-phylum? 

It has two main members: Methylacidiphilaceae and Akkermansia

1. Verrucomicrobia Methylacidiphilaceae thrive and proliferate on the ammonia produced from the degradation of starch and protein (5), whereas starch produces very high levels of ammonia. The bacteria make enzymes (ammonia monooxygenase) (6), which convert ammonia into nitric oxide (7). The nitric oxide has three major benefits to a racehorse:
   
   

   1. Helps repair and renew the gut wall (8)

   2. Enhances performance and increases exercise tolerance (9)

   3. Improves vascular function and metabolism (10)
      
      
      

2. Verrucomicrobia Akkermansia is a mucus-eating specialist, living and thriving within the gut wall, digesting mucin from the mucosal lining (10a) with a unique ability to metabolise galactose and melibiose (11) for energy. Akkermansia in the human biome significantly increases the numbers of metabolic pathways. Horses with gastric ulcers have very low levels, perhaps indicating its function in both performance and disease.      

Comparing percentages of the super-phylum amongst other breeds/locations/environments gave good insight into how important and relevant verrucomicrobia is to the racehorse. 

Verrucomicrobia varied significantly from group to group; the lowest levels were found in the sedentary and/or companion animal group which was comprised of 250 horses (gently hacked or unridden companions). The Carneddau are an ancient herd of wild horses that graze freely in the mountains of Snowdonia, and the Pottokas are from Spain. The CCI-L group was made up of 10 horses eventing at International One Day Event Level.

The Non-Group horses were based in Newmarket and analysed at the height of the flat season in July, whilst the Group 1 horses started the season (Feb) with levels of 10%; these levels increased as the season continued until finally levelling out at 23% in July through to September when the testing finished. 

Fig 3: The microbiome of Group 1 horses indicating higher diversity and stability.

Fig 4: Image of thoroughbreds in training diagnosed with EGGD.

Why the horses diagnosed with Equine Glandular Gastric Disease had lower levels of verrucomicrobia is unknown at this time, horses with EGGD had a completely different profile to the healthy Group 1 horses. See Fig 3 and 4. …

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Radiofrequency therapy - used for reducing pain - managing inflammation - aiding tissue repair - reducing muscle spasm

By Helen Walsh, BSc, MCSP, HCPC

It’s the phone call guaranteed to chill any trainer’s blood in the days after a win: ‘A prohibited substance has been detected; your horse has been disqualified’. 

It’s a devastating blow. The reward for all the blood, sweat and tears leading up to a race win is snatched away to be replaced by questions, namely ‘how’ and ‘when’?

Any Currency ‘winning’ the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, 2016.

This nightmare scenario happened to trainer Martin Keighley back in 2016 at the Cheltenham Festival with Any Currency in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. After a brilliant win and much celebration, a test revealed traces of triamcinolone acetonide (TCA), a synthetic cortisone. It’s one that can legally be used in training for appropriate conditions, which it had been, but must not be present on race day. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) refuses to give advice regarding detection times for intra-articular injections as there isn’t enough data to determine an exact time; and there are lots of variants that could lengthen the duration it can be detected in the body.

Any Currency had been given the injection 42 days before competing. This is a substantial amount of time, and no one would have thought it would still be present in the horse’s system. Keighley was cleared of any wrongdoing, but the win—his first Festival victory—wasn’t reinstated. 

This experience made Keighley even more cautious about using medication; he swore that this situation would not happen again. He already had animal physiotherapists working on his yard, providing regular performance maintenance and rehabilitation for the horses. As much as possible, medication was being avoided. 

It was in September 2019 when one of his veterinary animal physiotherapists, Hannah Ashton, had arranged a lecture on electro-physical agents in tissue repair with the world-renowned Professor Tim Watson. During this lecture, research was presented on radiofrequency (RF). Far from it being just another electrotherapy fad, Prof Watson presented published lab work and clinical data using radiofrequency 448kHz as a direct current on the human body. 

Trainer Martin Keighley with Lord Condi.

Hannah discussed this with Martin Keighley and the yard’s vet; having always been a great advocate of equine welfare, Keighley was keen to see if this could help in the treatment of injured horses but also prevent injury in the first place. They began a trial with the technology for three weeks and were amazed by the results; the tech became part of the horse’s ongoing maintenance and for rehabilitation when indicated following injury. Looking back at their data, they have seen a dramatic reduction in medication and reduced vet call outs; the horse’s wellbeing has improved with this addition to an already exceptional care package.

He isn’t the only one embracing this technology, having been widely used by Premier League football clubs for several years and been spotted in the videos posted via social media by cyclist Chris Froome of Team Ineos, and in national press with pro tennis player Rafael Nadal. It is delivered in their recovery, pre-training and before competition as well as when any injury occurs. 

At this year’s Cheltenham Festival there were several successful horses who have received this treatment as part of their training and care plan in the lead-up to race day. Physiotherapist Polly Hutson mentioned her use of the technology in an interview with Radio 5 Live during day three of the Festival, right before two of the horses she treated finished second and first in the following races.

Hannah Ashton (Cotswold Horse & Hound Physiotherapy) treating one of Martin Keighley's 2020 season hopefuls.

So, what is radiofrequency in therapy?

It is an electromagnetic current operating at 448kHz that passes out of an active electrode and is in contact with the body; this current travels through the body to wherever the ‘return’ plate is located. The therapist can decrease the power so that nothing is felt, or increase it and the body will feel a warm sensation. It's relaxing when applied and is effective for reducing pain, managing inflammation, aiding tissue repair and reducing muscle spasm, to name a few.

Why is 448kHz important? 

The technology has been researched at a cellular level by a bioelectrical magnetic team at University Hospital Ramon y Cajal in Madrid for over 21 years. They have published studies that show it's completely safe on the body at a cellular level. They have also published work on proliferation of stem cells and in greater detail, proliferation of cartilage cells. Their work has also explored differentiation of stem cells into their final cell type and on the specificity of radiofrequency signal on cancer cell death. This team refined the RF to 448kHz. 

How does it work? 

It’s a long answer but in simple terms, applying a current of this type directly to the body can have different effects. …

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Thoroughbred Tales - focussing on the unsung heroes in the racing world - during the coronavirus shutdown - how racing fans kept connected

By Sally Ann Grassick

The recent lockdown period has been tough for people in every walk of life all around the globe; however in racing and breeding, it has largely been a case of “business as usual” as far as daily routines are concerned. Foals still have had to be born, mares have still needed to be covered and racehorses have still needed to be cared for and exercised; even if none of us have had any idea when they would actually see a racecourse again. 

In a bid to keep racing fans connected with what was going on behind the closed doors of training yards around Europe, ‘Thoroughbred Tales’ had some excellent guest hosts during the lockdown period from both the racing and breeding industry, including Elwick Stud, Salcey Forest Stud and Sophie Buckley of Culworth Grounds, Irish jockey Gary Halpin and our first ever equine host in the John Berry trained social media star Roy Rocket. Trainers from three different European countries also hosted during the period to show firstly how the daily care and training of the horses was continuing regardless during the initial lockdown but also, following on from that, how they were adapting as racing gradually resumed around Europe behind closed doors.  …

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