Yard and Stable Hygiene Services get on top of your biosecurity
Racing stables, and indeed most yards, now recognise the need to improve their hygiene and biosecurity levels, often having learnt the hard way at some point in their careers.
But how many think buying a disinfectant and adopting a lower dust regime is enough?
In order for any disinfecting treatments to work they must be applied properly, thoroughly and regularly on a cleaned surface to all areas of the yard including those so often overlooked: roof areas, beams, tops of grills, feed mangers, ablution blocks, tack rooms and the like.
Yard and Stable Hygiene Services was established by Tom Fillery, with ten years hands-on experience in the racing industry, to combat increasing problems and challenges that trainers are encountering due to climate and environmental changes. The thought of someone coming into the yard to clean and overhaul the facilities while trying to get on with training routines can be a worry, yet staffing levels and their duties are such that its near impossible to achieve it ‘in house.’
YSHS understand these timescales and the necessity to work around them with minimal disturbance for maximum improvement while providing a professional, friendly, cost-and-time effective bespoke service, using specialised equipment and only professionally tested and endorsed materials and coatings. Says Alan Creighton, Environmental Scientist at the Irish Equine Centre: “Stable hygiene is about being proactive rather than reactive. Barrier paints/coatings and disinfection are an essential part of the modern performance yard.”
Click here to learn more about Yard and Stable Hygiene Services
Learn about the NAF Respirator
RESPIRATOR BOOST
A clear way to performance with racehorses can often be hindered by man-made factors. We all want to reach the winners post first and we therefore need our horses at their peak, but with modern husbandry systems there are many ways in which performance can be compromised and result in many horses not making the trip. The respiratory system is particularly vulnerable to stresses, predominantly from dust or spores commonly found in stabling, forage and kick back from schools or gallops. It only takes a small amount of dust to irritate the delicate airways, causing a rapid and dramatic trailing off. However, with the correct management and high quality supplementation, we can help to support the respiratory system.
Five Star Respirator Boost provides invaluable nutritional support to the respiratory mucosal immune system and the delicate capillary blood vessels that surround the lungs. These minute capillaries are placed under immense strain during vigorous exercise and thus it is essential to offer them five star backing in order to achieve the best performance. Research shows that, by supplementing the diet with naturally sourced anti-oxidants, the horse’s lungs can be given valuable support and this in turn will help the horse to perform to the best of their ability.
Anti-oxidants are found in many feedstuffs but it is important that they are high quality in order to flush free radical toxins from the system for enhanced performance and recovery. Five Star Respirator Boost contains a concentrated solution of natural antioxidants, alongside herbs such as ginger, rosehip and blueberries, long standing ingredients chosen for their targeted support of healthy lung function. In addition Echinacea is also included for immune system support while essential oils help maintain clear airways.
Clear the respiratory system FAST with Five Star Respirator Boost and help your horse cope with the pressures of the modern equine lifestyle with this Five Star Formula.
Click here to learn more about NAF
All about Monarch Equestrian
Monarch Equestrian is the leading UK brand of stabling and horse exercisers used by professionals, worldwide. For decades we have been designing, patenting and producing high quality and affordable products for the racing industry at our family-run engineering HQ in the midlands.
The horse exerciser offers flexible training options for a busy race yard and many trainers use it to warm up or cool down their horses, as well as for rehabilitation and fitness. At all times superior safety design and build quality is of paramount importance.
We produce four different sizes of exercisers ranging from the 36’0 for 4-5 horses up to the 66’0 for ten horses. The additional advantage of having a larger diameter is that the increased size offers the opportunity to increase the speed, to include some trot and canter work, without adding additional pressure or strain to the horse’s body.
All sizes can be fitted with optional extras including a roof, auto reverse twin timers and thick rubber floor pavers, to reduce the risk of slipping and protect from possible concussion. Both the Consort and Sovereign have been designed specifically with additional safety being paramount.
Monarch are well renowned for creating prestigious stable yards, with a classic bygone elegance. However, the range seen in many UK racing yards is from our standard range, with a stocked service offering a fast turn around on delivery. The design and quality of this collection remains the same, but it enables superior stabling solutions at affordable prices and quick delivery.
Click here to learn more about Monarch Equestrian
Course 2 Course
Plus 10
European trainers with a two-year-old horse in training have the opportunity to increase their earnings during the 2015 Flat season by targeting Plus 10 bonus races.
Plus 10 is a £5.5 million bonus scheme which will see qualified two-year-olds (and three-year-old horses in 2016) race for cash bonuses of £10,000 or €12,500 across several hundred races in Britain and Ireland.
This season there will be more than 480 opportunities for qualified two-year-olds to claim a Plus 10 bonus.
Each time a £10,000 bonus is won by a qualified horse, the trainer, jockey and stable staff will be paid a 5% (£500) share on top of race prize money, with the balance shared between the owner and breeder. Three registration stages must be completed for a horse to be qualified.
Ruth Quinn, the British Horseracing Authority’s Director of Racing, said: “Plus 10 offers significant opportunities for a trainer to increase their own earnings and provide an owner with a return on their investment in a horse.
“In 2015 there will be an anticipated 314 Maiden races in Britain to feature a bonus, 37 of which will be Auction or Median Auction Maidens.
“For trainers with qualified fillies, the Plus 10 programme offers significant opportunities with more than 42% of the Plus 10 races in 2015 being restricted to fillies only.
“We urge trainers to visit the Plus 10 website to find out more about the many opportunities for a two-year-old to win multiple bonuses in 2015.”
Horse Racing Ireland’s Director of Racing, Jason Morris said: “With 40 Maiden races in the next three months and at least 100 opportunities throughout the year, there are many opportunities for early maturing two-year-olds to sweep up a €12,500 Plus 10 bonus in Ireland before claiming a Nursery or Winners race later in the season.”
To view the March-June Plus 10 race programme for Britain and Ireland, check a horse’s qualification status, or for further information, visit plus10bonus.com.
Note: Plus 10 bonuses will feature on the following races:Britain:
2YO – All Class 2-4 Maiden, Novice and Conditions and Class 5 Fillies’ Maiden races.
3YO – All Class 2-4 Maiden and Conditions and Class 5 Fillies’ Maiden races
Ireland:
2YO – 100 bonuses available on all two-year-old, non-black-type races (including Open Maiden, Auction Maiden, Median Auction Maiden, Nursery and Winners) rolled over until all 100 bonuses are won.
3YO – Unclaimed two-year-old bonuses applied to three-year-old only Maiden races from the beginning of the 2016 Flat season, until all remaining bonuses are won.
Hamilton Park
The £40,000 EBF Glasgow Listed Stakes on Friday (evening) 17th July at Hamilton Park (near Glasgow, Scotland) is the feature race within a £100,000 card. Since this historic race was switched to mid- July four years ago, it has quickly become a popular stepping stone for trainers with major autumn targets. Luca Cumani demonstrated this last year by winning The Glasgow with Postponed before going on to win Great Voltigeur. Now open to Fillies as well as Colts/ Geldings, this 3-Y-O Listed contest is over 11 Furlongs.
Baden-Baden
August 28, 2015
Baden-Baden, Germany – Palais Biron
We are delighted to invite and welcome you to our “Business and Ethics of Racing” meeting. Old and unsolved problems and important changes in the conditions of Thoroughbred racing are the basis for the meeting. On the agenda will be the future of racing and the position of the trainer, breeder and the owner. The meeting is expected to last four hours and will run simultaneously with a veterinary meeting set to address similar issues. We are pleased to have a group of renowned speakers along with an interesting scientific and social programme.
The meeting starts on Friday, August 28, at 10 am and the programme includes subjects such as managing the risks of prohibited substance from feeds and supplements, Biosecurity protocols for stud farms, joint and tendon stress in young Thoroughbreds, and many more important subjects in racing, owning and breeding.
You are also invited to attend the social programme of the veterinary conference which will include a Klaus Philipp exhibition at Brenner’s Park Hotel and a dinner at the famous Casino of Baden-Baden on Saturday evening.
The famous spa of Baden-Baden is located in the south west of Germany in the Black Forest mountains near the River Rhine, and close to the French border. By car, Baden-Baden is on the A5 motorway from Frankfurt to Basel. There is a direct train connection (1.5 h) from Frankfurt International Airport. The regional Baden Airport is only 20 min away, and connects Baden-Baden directly to Berlin, Hamburg, London and Rome, and, via Berlin, to other European capitals. The meeting place in Baden-Baden is the historic villa Palais Biron, lying just outside the city centre on Lichtentaler Strasse.
Hans D. Lauk
Fees and information
Early booking (until June 30) €160 ex 19% VAT
Normal (July 1st – August 20th) €180 ex 19% VAT
Late booking (after August 20th) €200 ex 19% VAT
Casino Dinner €60 (Must be booked separately)
Information for registration
Hippiatrika publishing, P. B. 100085, 76481 Baden-Baden, Germany
Phone: 0049 (0)176 23 41 14 22
Registration can be done online or by fax:
www.racing.care
Email: reg@phkforum.cc | Fax: 0049 (0)561 970 107 02
No refunds after 20th August 2015.
Ascot
Commonwealth Cup becomes Eighth Royal Ascot Group One race
Royal Ascot has been lit up by many big international names in recent years – Black Caviar becoming the fifth Australian-trained winner at the meeting in 2012 will be many people’s highlight but there have also been memorable winners from Hong Kong and the USA, as well as from all over Europe.
It was Wesley Ward who stole most of the limelight on the international front in 2014, with Hootenanny winning the Windsor Castle Stakes en route to victory at the Breeders’ Cup in late October. In addition, Wesley’s Sunset Glow found only Cursory Glance too good in the Albany Stakes.
Royal Ascot has seen over 50 runners from outside Europe in its two Global Sprint Challenge legs since the series began in 2005 and this year, the meeting will stage a third Group One sprint for the first time – the Commonwealth Cup, limited to three-year-olds and run over 1200 metres (6 furlongs).
It is hoped that this race, whilst providing a valuable early season sprint championship for European horses, will also appeal particularly to the American market but also perhaps, in time, to Australian two-year-olds, Golden Slipper types, who are able to participate with a 10lb Southern Hemisphere Allowance.
With the addition of the Commonwealth Cup and the promotion of the QIPCO British Champions Sprint in the autumn to Group One status, Ascot will stage 13 top level races in 2015.
It was tremendous to see Animal Kingdom from the USA run in the Queen Anne Stakes of 2013 and we hope that this race particularly, along with the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, will continue to develop in intercontinental terms like the established sprints and two-year old races.
It is still early days, but to have Hong Kong's Able Friend being talked of as a Queen Anne horse for this year and Japan's Spielberg being trained for the Prince of Wales's Stakes is tremendously encouraging.
Byerley Technologies launch Tendon Manager
Byerley Technologies has combined the knowledge of the horse industry with experts in data management systems to develop Tendon Manager, an automatic system that allows for the Early detection of potential lower leg injuries.
Tendon Manager is a world first in the management of equine lower leg health and delivers a simple user-friendly end solution to the equine sector. .
Key Early Detection benefits include: reassurance for trainers and owners; economic benefit for both trainer and owner and improved welfare. The system is fast, non-invasive, accurate and easy to interpret.
Byerley Technologies will be launching Tendon Manager this April at DBS, Doncaster Breeze up Sales, on 22nd and 23rd April.
Cover Profile - Andreas Wöhler
Top German trainer Andreas Wöhler first featured in these columns ten years ago, but his career has reached such new heights with his victories in two of the world´s most iconic races—Ascot´s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July 2013 with Novellist, and the Melbourne Cup in November 2014 with Protectionist—that he is certainly worth a second look now.
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
Alternative funding ideas for trainers
With Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) recently publishing figures for the first half of 2014, the number of active owners in Irish racing is a serious concern and reflects the general trend across Europe.
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
Ovvet: Gastric Control Gold
Gastric ulceration is a serious yet common condition that can affect any horse, at any age. The racehorse in training is particularly susceptible; studies show that 93% of this group suffer from stomach ulcers, yet the symptoms can be unspecific often with the horse showing no outward clinical signs. As a result they are frequently not recognised, therefore remain untreated. These symptoms are very similar to colic which remains the single largest cause of death in the equine industry. However, research shows that every horse, not just racehorses, will suffer with varying degrees of ulcers at most times of its life.
The treatment of this multi-faceted disease is fast emerging as one of the greatest challenges in contemporary equine medicine. Ovvet’s aim is to educate and inspire the equine industry to use a range of functional superfood products, which have been developed to help in achieving optimal intestinal activity and overall equine health.
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is erosion of the stomach lining, caused by constant exposure to gastric acid and spans a wide spectrum of severity, from inflammation of the epithelium (stomach lining) to perforation and bleeding. Diagnostic classification includes a point scoring system from 0 to 4, with 2 and above considered clinically significant.
A healthy gastro intestinal tract will positively affect a variety of functions in the horse and is key to its performance and wellbeing. Ovvet’s Gastric Control Gold is a clinically tested unique formula specifically designed for horses susceptible to colic or suffering from EGUS.
Highly developed natural ingredients, including Fermaid®Ease 187 (strain 1077), organic mushroom compound, Levucell SC (a natural live yeast to assist digestion) and omega 3 provide anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving treatment, stabalising the pH value of the colon and giving genuine assistance in repairing the ulcerated tissue. Gastric Control Gold is rich in vitamin D, antioxidant and boosts the immune system.
Fermaid®Ease 187 (strain 1077) is the end product from the fermentation of high-quality soya flour with a certain lactic acid bacterium, L. delbrueckii, which stimulates macrophage and lymphocyte activity. In clinical trials at Newmarket, horses treated with Fermaid®Ease 187 (strain 1077) were found to have significant improvements in their clinical symptoms, with pain considerably reduced and in most cases, the absence of colic. Following pre-treatment with Omeprozal (for grades 3 and 4), there were considerably fewer recurring ulcers.
For more information on Gastric Control Gold and other products from Ovvet contact tel: 01604 874693 email: colin@ovvet.eu or visit www.ovvet.eu
Hooves and ground surface - the impact of intentional shoeing interventions
The interaction of a horse’s foot and the ground surface is complex. Stance—that part of the stride when the foot is in contact with the ground—can be divided into three phases, which determine the loading environment of the limb: impact, mid stance and push off. Loading of the limb determines how it functions and also influences where injury may occur. Research funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board at the Royal Veterinary College has focussed on the foot and is allowing a greater understanding of the effect of changes in surface or shoeing on stance, on remodelling of the tissues and ultimately on the risk of injury.
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
Let there be light - how daylight affects performance and safety
Recipient of multiple awards, including the Saratoga Trainer’s Title and the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer, Bill Mott is no stranger to travelling with his horses. For example, Mott was trainer and chaperone of Cigar, winner of the inaugural Dubai World Cup in 1996. How do Mott and other elite trainers consider the impact of jet lag, light-dark cycles, and other factors associated with shipping across times zones on their horses’ performance?
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
Is the handicapping system a handicap to our industry?
A sad indictment of racing is that many punters hold the belief that half the horses in a race are ‘not trying’, and we have to wonder, what gave them that impression?
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
Chairman's message - Criquette Head
As 2014 draws to a close, I hope that some trainers will have time to take a rest and reflect on some of the great performances of the season. I offer my congratulations to winners of all races, big and small, throughout the past year.
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
Do racetrack incentives lead the way to a drug-free future?
The horseracing industry is battling for its life, and the key point of contention is medication—not just a push for uniform medication rules, but a movement to eliminate all race-day drugs. Two years after the Breeders' Cup banned anti-bleeding medication for its juvenile races, Gulfstream Park in Florida has announced its intention to offer Lasix-free races for 2015, and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is considering doing the same for its tracks. North America is the only region of the world that allows race-day medication.
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
Trainer on the Up - Super Swede, Jessica Long
Jessica Long has only been training for five or six years but her pedigree (she is the daughter of Swedish trainer Caroline Stromberg) speaks volumes, with recent victory at Jägerso, with home-bred Berling victorious in the Swedish Open Mile, followed by Volatile’s terrific 3rd place in the Dubai Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket this October. Both horses were her first British runners, Berling being entered in the Darley Stakes the same day.
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
TRM Trainer of the Quarter - Francisco 'Paquito' Rodriguez
At the close of the autumn season, a packed Hipodromo de la Zarzuela, watched Rodriguez trained Arkaitz triumph in a closely fought Gran Premio Villamejor; a race which saw Ziga make things very difficult for the 3 year old and almost overtake him. However, Triple Crown (Poule, Derby and Villamejor) glory belonged to Arkaitz and Rodriguez.
CLICK IMAGE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
Support performance from within with Vetrogard
The management of a racehorse in training often means long periods in the stable and little time in the field grazing. Combined with high levels of concentrate feed, this routine can result in periods without forage, for instance if the horse finishes his or her hay or haylage well before next feeding time. In addition, intense training regimes and regular travel can lead to high stress levels. All these changes can challenge the racehorse’s digestive system.
The imbalance of a stomach expecting a supply of food 24/7, but in reality receiving discrete meals throughout the day, leads to an excess of gastric acid which can cause discomfort. This in turn can negatively affect appetite, condition, droppings and behaviour – all of which can prevent your horse from performing to their optimum.
Animalife, the creators of Vetrofen and Vetroflex, have introduced Vetrogard Intense to their range of high performance supplements. The dual action, nutritional formulation has been designed to support gastric health and comfort. Studies have shown that horses fed Vetrogard have improved appetite, condition and faecal quality scores.
Vetrogard Intense helps support the gastric epithelium and acts to assist the body’s natural defences to any gastric acid splash in stabled, exercising horses.
Vetrogard Intense is free from banned substances and 100% natural. Vetrogard Intense is available in a 525g tub, priced at £99.99.
Call +44 (0)1564 794 586 to find your local Animalife Accredited Retailer or order online at www.animalife.co.uk (subject to delivery charges).
OMBISTEM-Vet stem cell treatment from Vetbiobank
Whether it be an Olympic track gold medallist or a Derby winner, all athletes, will inevitably suffer injuries to ligaments, joints and tendons. This goes with the territory. Every trainer, be it human or equine, hopes to restore his charge quickly to full competitive glory both legally and economically.
Regenerative medicine has been in force in human clinics and the vet’s practice for over a decade using products such as platelet rich plasma (PRP) or stem cells. However, over the last few years the use and type of stem cells has changed dramatically.
Historically, stem cells were obtained from the fat or bone marrow of the horse to be treated and then injected as a crude product into the injured site immediately or after a 2-3 week delay needed to produce sufficient cells. Detrimentally, cell potential decreased with the time lag during production and treatment was done usually when fibrosis was already manifest.
Vetbiobank’s treatment options are based on having a bank of ready-to-use neonatal stem cells obtained from the umbilical cord that can be administered well before fibrotic onset.
Vetbiobank’s, OMBISTEM-Vet system offers advantages over traditional stem cells products. The cells are fitter and more standardised and less subject to the vagaries of adult cells whose therapeutic potential decreases with age. Their gestational origin means those cells are less immunogenic, thus allowing treatment of both related and unrelated horses.
Stem cells implanted in a clinically manifest lesion will also migrate to other injured sites which means they preserve health by repairing other undetected lesions. (European trainer magazine June 2014).
This development has attracted widespread interest within the racing community. Furthermore, cord collection can be performed easily in any hygienic stable. Therefore, a stud farm can build with Vetbiobank, a cell bank to treat a lifetime of common horse injuries.
For a racing stable, without its own bank, it is still possible to access cord stem cells from Vetbiobank’s OMBISTEM-Vet product to treat injuries.
Vetbiobank’s expertise in neonatal stem cell banking and research enables them to offer a BESPOKE pan European cell therapy service to vets, trainers, breeders and horse owners.
Visit www.vetbiobank.com for more information.
Hay Bar
Planning and building a new yard can be quite an undertaking. The horses welfare is paramount yet the design and construction must be efficient and cost effective. Running costs for any yard can become a serious financial liability and, with forage prices set to rise, it is essential that we try to find ways of becoming more economical and less wasteful.
Hay Bar is a proven sound investment in many ways. Stabled horses benefit from feeding from the floor, as it helps to maintain their natural way of foraging. This, in turn, helps to ensure that mentally they are more relaxed and that there are less respiratory, dental and physio problems, all of which can prove to be costly and, to say the least, inconvenient.
Other unnecessary and unwanted expenses are waste forage and bedding: Hay Bar helps to ensure that forage does not become contaminated and ensures the horse gets the full benefit of what he is being fed.
Labour costs are rising all the time, so it is important that time is well spent. Filling hay nets is time consuming. The Hay Bar system is labour saving, safer, more hygienic, better for our horses and the solution to numerous problems.
Tel: + 44 (0)1723 882434 for more information or visit www.haybar.co.uk