Equine Products UK - Patrick Prendergast - Trainer on the up
Equine Products' Transvite Power & Paste is regularly used by trainer Patrick Prendergast. Here, Patrick shares a few words of wisdom with us.
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THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN EUROPEAN TRAINER - ISSUE 46
HBLB tendon & ligament research - equine injury prevention and management
Professor Celia M Marr looks into the work carried out by the HBLB over the past 50 years aimed at the prevention and management of tendon and ligament injuries, most recently looking at research into stem cells.
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Best in show - is the popularity of youngstock shows growing across Europe?
France have led the way in promoting one of their most successful breeds, the AQPS. With the National Hunt market becoming ever more competitive and commercial, isn't it time other countries also tried something new?
Do horses sense fear?
We asked Justine Harrison to explain why consideration must be given to the psychological factors, as well as the physical, that may affect the racehorse's performance.
Yogi Breisner - taking racehorses back to school
Emma Berry speaks to Yogi Breisner about his work within the racing world and why he has helped many racehorses get that one step ahead in the jumping game.
Influenza - are we protecting our horses effectively?
The economic losses and welfare impact of flu are minimised by vaccination in Europe and America but the virus remains an ever-present threat.
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Brian Kavanagh - a man with his finger on the pulse of racing
The CEO of Horse Racing Ireland also happens to be chairman of the European & Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) and the vice chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). He's a busy man but gave an insight into his hectic world to Lissa Oliver.
TRM Trainer of the Quarter - Edward Lynam
Edward Lynam made the history books at Royal Ascot this year, becoming the first trainer to ever win both the principle Group One sprint races with different horses. In total, Lynam sent four horses to the Royal meeting and returned to his County Meath base with a second consecutive win in the King’s Stand Stakes with Sole Power – a feat which hadn’t been achieved since the 1930s – and a victory with Slade Power in the Golden Jubilee Stakes.
David Crosse - View from the saddle
For some across Europe it may be hard to believe, but we’re still in the midst of the Triple Crown season in England. Deep down I’d love to be two stone lighter for the summer so I could ride in some of these races. But I’m watching from the sidelines and getting drawn in by the marketing that is taking over our major flat races.
For some across Europe it may be hard to believe, but we’re still in the midst of the Triple Crown season in England. Deep down I’d love to be two stone lighter for the summer so I could ride in some of these races. But I’m watching from the sidelines and getting drawn in by the marketing that is taking over our major flat races. Every race seems to be part of a series nowadays but I don’t get it. The one thing I do get is our Triple Crown. It’s the greatest and toughest test exclusively for three-year-olds in European racing. The Guineas at one mile, the Derby at a mile and a half, and the St Leger at a mile and six furlongs – the last horse to win this triumvirate since World War II was Nijinsky in 1971, ridden by the great Lester Piggott and trained by Dr Vincent O’Brien.
Of the three races, the Epsom Derby is probably the ultimate test of the Classic generation due to the unique track. I've been lucky enough to ride over the course in a jump jockeys’ flat race a couple of times and it's only when you walk and ride the course that you appreciate what it takes for a horse to win it. To me, it’s definitely the ultimate test of a racehorse.
I'm not saying the Triple Crown is the be all and end all but in the same breath it cannot be made irrelevant. Racing must do all in its power to keep it as important as it is. For example, Sea the Stars could have won the Triple Crown in his Classic year but his trainer John Oxx decided not to run in the final leg as it was considered too long. Maybe it was felt that the lack of speed connected with winning a St Leger would affect the horse’s reputation as a sire?
Has the St Leger become an afterthought because it’s run in September? Over in America their Triple Crown is billed as the ultimate test of a racehorse. It is made up of three races over five weeks run in the same time span as between the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby - the Kentucky Derby, run over a mile and a quarter, the Preakness Stakes, run over the shorter distance of a mile and a three-sixteenths, and the last leg, the Belmont Stakes, run over a mile and a half. There has been no Triple Crown winner since 1978. This year California Chrome won the first two legs of their Triple Crown. Before the Belmont, the horse was a national news story almost daily leading up to the race.
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THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN EUROPEAN TRAINER - ISSUE 46
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Author: David Crosse
Brian Meehan - The Master of Manton
The 2,500-acre Manton House Estate in Manton, Wiltshire, could easily dwarf – physically and historically – any trainer bold enough to take it on.
Bedmax - dust free bedding
Supporting racing’s commitment to equine welfare
When BEDMAX shavings launched in 2000 they were in direct response to a demand from trainers for clean, dust free bedding that eliminated dust and spores in the stable.
As in many areas of development of how to care for horses and get the best out of them, racing has led the way. This includes understanding the importance of good bedding in safeguarding the health and welfare of race horses which spend long periods in their stables.
Bedding is more complicated and important than anyone could have imagined. And, in researching the other issues that affect horses in stables, BEDMAX have also learned the importance of bedding in safeguarding hoof integrity, protecting joints, supporting the horse’s weight, moisture management and hygiene.
Bedding may be a small detail in the complex jigsaw of successful training, but it’s a detail that can make the difference between winning and losing.
Science and innovative thinking are changing our understanding of horses and how to care for them all the time. BEDMAX is still leading the way in the bedding sector and they are now passing on what they have learned to horse owners in the wider equestrian world. They have developed an education programme specifically to highlight the understanding of how bedding affects equine welfare and how to improve it.
Their education training program, materials and support is available to all sectors of the racing industry from colleges to individual training establishments.
To arrange a training session please contact Barbara Huddart at BEDMAX on 01668213467
Quattro Products - rubber surfaces
Equine welfare & safety are paramount in all of the commercial world.
Quattro Products Ltd have been supplying & fitting a wide variety of rubber surfaces for stables, horsewalkers, wash boxes, outside yards, horseboxes, racecourses, vets & equine pools for over 25 years. Works have been carried out throughout Europe & the Middle East.
Specializing in sealed systems to prevent the build up of bacteria & odour, Quattro products also provide the safety and comfort required. Fully bonded & sealed mat systems have been fitted in many top racing yards & stud farms.
They also supply & fit the fully seamless ‘FLEXSCREED’ rubber system for stable yards, walkways, parade rings etc. The fully sealed, impervious, ‘FLEXSCREED’ system provides a permanently sealed, hygienic stable floor. This lessens the amount of bedding required, significantly saves on ‘mucking out’ time and eradicates bacteria that can be trapped below loose lay systems.
Quattro also supply heavy duty interlocking rubber for horsewalkers, ramps & walkways.
As a main importer & supplier of all rubber protection they can advise on all areas, equine pools & sea walkers, vets knockdown & recovery boxes, anti cast, stocks protection, saddling boxes, parade & pre parade etc.
Many items can be seen on the website www.quattro.org.uk & by clicking on the flickr link on the home page; it will take you to an extensive picture gallery.
Greek racing - on the up?
The first racecourse located in Athens was established by William Reese, an Englishman coming from Smyrna, Turkey, following the Asia Minor catastrophe. This was a time when Greek expatriates, forced into displacement, moved to Greece – specifically, to a large extent, to Athens.
Pastern Fractures - Split Pasterns, the injury that gets worse before it gets better
Fractures are relatively common injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses. This relates to the high athletic demands of racing and training, and the cumulative stresses imposed on the musculoskeletal system by the repetitive nature of race training.
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THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN - EUROPEAN TRAINER MAGAZINE ISSUE 45
Diagnostic imaging in yearlings - Predicting future soundness
The quest to own or train the perfect racehorse can have many starting points. For many people the search for the Holy Grail begins at the yearling sales, where horsemen from around the globe inspect and agonize over young horseflesh, dreaming and hoping of attaining that future champion.
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THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN - (North American Trainer - issue 31 - February 2014) (European Trainer - issue 45 - Spring 2014)
Relative Values - Edward and Eoin Harty
When he was 17 years old and in the breeding program at Irish National Stud in County Kildare, Eoin (pronounced “Owen”) Harty, a fifth-generation horseman, couldn’t wait for the arrival of racing magazines from America.
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THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN - (North American Trainer - issue 31 - February 2014) (European Trainer - issue 45 - Spring 2014)
Equine Products UK - Trainer on the Up - Alan McCabe
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THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN - (European Trainer - issue 45 - Spring 2014)