The rolled toe shoe - Its dynamic effect on the front foot of the horse

By Peter N Baker

The 1980s saw a great leap forwards in farriery awareness and an increased understanding of balance and anatomy. Balance as it is thought of today was not considered in any depth in the 80s. The forces that are transmitted through, around and into the equine foot were only then beginning to be thought about. Little attempt had been made to write or talk about them.

Some years ago, an ongoing study was undertaken of the effect of the rolled toe upon the structure of the equine athlete's foot. Some quite interesting observations were noted and supported by Duckett (Newmarket 2nd International Farriery and Lameness seminar, 15 - 16 September 1990), although a somewhat different interpretation is placed upon their meaning.

Firstly, this study was undertaken in an attempt to find a sequel to the run forwards heel syndrome. At the time, this was a serious problem with high-performance horses.

The author changed his style of shoeing and converted 200 horses in his care to rolled toe front shoes. The response was dramatic. Within a month, the heels of 95 % of the horses’ feet stabilised, and the run forwards heel was no longer seen as a problem. Traditionally defined corns ceased to be present in 100% of the horses, acute angled bar buckles were no longer seen, and the lameness associated with this condition was no longer evident. Linear bruising of the solar junction of the bars completely disappeared and "Baileys dorsal depression" in 95% of the horses so affected went away. The horses were generally sounder, tracked up in a far straighter line, and they undoubtedly began to move more freely. Posterior third lameness became a thing of the past, except in those horses that suffered attributable physical injury, disease to their feet or those suspected of having surgical intervention in their pre-training lives.

The type of rolled toe used was the "Charlie Double" toe, as recommended and demonstrated by Colin Smith, FWCF. The roll is produced by rolling the toe of the shoe over the beck of the anvil. The toes of the first shoes used were rolled to the first toenail hole to the opposing first nail hole on the other side of the shoe. The shoes were made of wide section,

light steel and were fitted long and full at the heels. This type of shoe and toe immediately stabilised the animal’s run-forwards feet.

There were, however, four quite serious complications:

A black spot of necrotic matter formed under the shoe at the centre of the toe in the white zone.

A ridge of solar horn developed, which corresponded with the widest part of the foot. This ridge sometimes bridged the lateral clefts between the frog and the bars.

3. These observations are most probably related to the second complication, but the dorsal wall appeared to shunt backwards and two shallow grooves (Duckett's Dimples) appeared proximo/distally in the dorsal wall—one on either side of the common digital extensor tendon, starting just proximal to its insertion on the extensor process the distal phalanx.

These grooves did not seem to be formed as the horn grew downwards from the coronary band. One must conclude that they formed as a result of horn shunting.

The second and third complications are possibly linked by the fact that the dorsal wall shunts backwards. This dorsal wall shunting descends the wall only as far as the upper solar plate wall junction, as the wall below this point is held in place by the horny sole. Such action causes the distal 3/4 of an inch of the dorsal wall to turn upwards and exaggerate the

formation of the dip in the dorsal wall. The wall expands medially and laterally, and unless care is taken, this bilateral flaring will develop to a point of sole wall cavitation and wall laminae shearing. The minor posterior displacement of the sole causes the ridge and bridging effect previously indicated. It appears the horse's physiology is forming the bridge to stabilise and strengthen the solar plate in an attempt to counteract weakness.

4. Another problem is seen when using this type of shoe on horses with flattish feet, when in order to remove sufficient horn to allow the rolled toe to seat properly, the blood line can easily be breached.

As can be seen from the above, the removal of one set of problems by fitting a rolled toe shoe from first toe nail hole to first toe nail hole was immediately replaced by a second set of problems which were potentially just as injurious as the first.

Four months into the trial, the amount of toe roll used was reduced. The production method remained the same, but the amount rolled was reduced to half. Great care was taken to relieve the pressure on the sole directly behind the centre of the toe.

The complications ceased, and nothing detrimental was seen afterwards. The feet remained stable.

In 1990, a similar trial was carried out by a fellow farrier in my area, with equally dramatic results. Three of the horses in his care won two European Derbys, French and Epsom—the third horse only just got beaten into second place in the Irish Derby by Salsibil—probably the filly of that decade, a Triple Crown winner herself. …

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Whipping up a storm

Jakub Kasprzak (Polish Jockey Club) expresses his opinions - translation: Joanna Krawczyk (Polish Jockey Club)

This time it is Poland that has become an arena for the debate on the use of the whip in horse racing. It all started after the 2020 Derby, when Szczepan Mazur atop the winning colt Night Thunder (IRE) exceeded the limit of six whip strokes on the finishing straight (for which he was punished by the Stewards). The margins between the first three horses at the wire - ‘½ - head’. The owners of the horses that finished in second and third places [Inter Royal Lady (IRE) and Timemaster (FR)] felt cheated. They accused the victorious rider of unfair play and torturing the horse. They lodged a protest to disqualify the winner and to suspend the rider—for life—from race riding.

The Stewards dismissed the protest. However, the matter gained momentum and took on a life of its own. People actively involved in racing, as well as former riders, fans and supporters, all had something to say. Some people expressed their opinions very clearly, stigmatising the situation that took place and spreading information left and right about the ‘bad, bandit behaviour of the rider’, about the fact that ‘money is more important than the welfare of animals’, or about the ‘lack of reaction from the Racing Commission, organiser and racing authorities’. Whereas a thorough assessment of the rider's behaviour, as well as the statements about the use of the whip in horse racing or the evaluation of the work of Stewards, should be preceded by a theoretical analysis of the matter and existing regulations in Poland and other countries.

Below, based on widely available sources, is a presentation of what the permissibility of using the whip in racing is dictated by, as well as the method of regulating the use of the whip in Poland and other countries. Finally, some high-profile examples of whip abuse, leaving the final judgment to the readers.

We should start with what racing is. According to the Polish Act on Horse Racing, these are trials, which the task is to assess the breeding value and select the best individuals for further breeding. For this to happen, the riders have their own rights, duties and responsibilities in the race, including ‘the use of such tactics to show the maximum abilities of the ridden horses.’ Of course, everything is within the limits of common sense and in accordance with the established rules. On the other hand, ‘A rider who: 1) does not make every effort to win the race or take the best possible place, shall be subject to a financial penalty or the penalty of suspension of the riding license’.

And this is where the following questions come to mind:

- Did the rider who had a chance to take a better place, but did not want to receive a penalty from the judges, make the effort to take a better place?

- Does the rider become an ‘executioner’, ‘brutal’ and a ‘bandit’ by exceeding the current limit of strokes?

- From how many strokes do we determine that the rider is ‘a brute or an executioner’? 10, 20 or maybe 1?

- By exceeding the whip limit, did the rider achieve a better result—but not by fair play?

- What is the appropriate penalty—financial or suspension of a licence, or maybe trainers should enter such a rider ‘without a whip’?

- How does one evaluate the damage of the horse’s image and its welfare after ‘cutting a few quick ones’?

The whip in training literature

The award for the best football player is the Golden Ball, for the best speedway rider, the Golden Helmet; and for the best rider, the Golden Whip. There is no point in discussing the symbolic aspect of the whip. The problem is understanding that it is not an end in and of itself, but it is an aid in achieving the desired result in a race. It has been, is and will be inseparable from the rider's profession, because it is one of the many tools used during training and racing. As John Hislop put it in “The Theory and Practice of Flat Race Riding” (The British Racehorse, 1971): ‘The use of the whip in riding can be divided into four categories: punishment, education, encouragement and guidance.... Should the question of punishing a horse arise, the rider will be well advised to ensure that he can do so properly.... If a horse is to be punished at all, he should be hit hard, well behind the stifle and, preferably, left-handed. If he is merely looking around him, a smart tap on the shoulder, without taking the hand off the rein, should be sufficient to remind him that he is not there for sightseeing, and be unlikely to cause a dissolution of the partnership.

‘In the case of a well-trained, manageable horse, therefore, the use of the whip is confined to encouragement and guidance.

‘The damage done by improper use of the whip on the racecourse cannot be overestimated. In this way honest horses are turned into rogues, the spirit of a sensitive one may be broken, and races can be lost through horses being caused to go off the true line, or curl up. The first principle in the use of the whip in race riding is not to hit horses too hard. Occasionally, a thick-skinned, indolent horse needs a couple of good hard cracks to bestir him, but for the average horse a couple of taps, or even the mere sight of the whip swinging, is sufficient to make him do his best. If a horse is to keep on racing effectively, he should not be made to dislike it; particularly he should not learn to associate pain with the finishing stages of a race. If he is to be hit hard, it is far better to give him two or three good cracks some way from home, when he still has some running left in him, then to do so in the final stages when he is all out.’

So much for Mr. Hislop... And what about Col. Karol Rómmel in “Practical tips of horse training for hurdle races cross country” (Military Institute of Research and Education, 1938)?

‘If riding out the horse with the use of hands and legs does not help, and there are just a few meters left to the wire, where even a slight difference in length is decisive for victory, the rider must sometimes use the whip. Hitting a horse over the entire "straight" or without any sight of taking a place in the race is a shameful cruelty, which in addition has a completely undesirable result.

‘Almost every Thoroughbred gives its maximum effort in a race and basically, apart from having to be ridden out, does not require any encouragement to work. Only occasionally we find individuals so blunt that the help of spurs or even a whip is really indispensable. Therefore, one should treat the whip as an unpleasant last resort and use it, though not always, just before the wire itself, in the final fight for victory. The whip, held with the reins, by the right hand next to the knob, rests with its thin end on the horse's shoulder. Before using the whip, the rider moves the reins to the left hand to the rhythm of the gallop, but does not reduce their tension and does not interrupt the rhythmic “riding out” movement of the hand (in this case only one hand). At the same time, the right hand "twirls" the whip in the direction of the movement and turns the whip with its tip upwards. The rider now holds the whip end first, parallel to the horse's neck, approximately at eye level. The left hand continues the energetic riding-out movement. Immediately before the stroke, in order to catch the rhythm, several "twirls" of the whip should be made to the rhythm of the gallop in the direction of the tail, wherein the movements of both hands must be strictly coordinated, i.e. when the left hand is extended, the end of the whip is near the horse's right groin. After 2 or 3 "twirls", the rider hits the horse short and hard behind the girth or a bit further, but not in the groin, still to the rhythm of the gallop and always with a twirling whip movement.’

The above studies are from 1938 and 1971. Despite the differences regarding the use of the whip in the last metres of the race, both gentlemen agree that the whip should be treated as a last resort, and additionally, show first, then hit. They also both agree on the technique (method) of hitting: holding the reins in both hands, as well as the fact that sometimes there are ‘thick-skinned’ or ‘blunt’ individuals that need a much stronger impulse. Generally, one can draw the conclusion from their statements that apart from the necessity and need to use a whip sometimes, you should take care of the welfare of the animal you work with, because it will pay off in the future. And they came to such conclusions several decades ago!

What has changed since those years? Not much, actually. It is difficult to come up with something else, except that it should be diligently implemented and applied under the supervision of experienced instructors (trainers). Unfortunately, the lack of education causes problems. An example of this are the answers of future riders during exams, which check their theoretical knowledge of racing rules. When asked, ‘What will change when you win the 10th race in your career?’ (According to Polish rules, a rider who has not won 10 races cannot ride horses with a whip in flat races.) Ninety-nine percent of them reply, ‘I will get a whip’. …

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EMHF update - Could European Racing improve its techniques for courting students?

By Dr Paull Khan

Racing is not alone in its desire to encourage greater interest amongst the younger generations. For decades, we have bemoaned our ‘ageing demographic’ and, while there may be little evidence of anything more than an aged demographic (raising the suspicion that it was ever thus), we, like so many others, are constantly seeking the key to attracting youth to our sport in all capacities: punters, racegoers, careerists.

For advice on this, who better to turn to, we reasoned, than to students themselves? Enter the European Student Horseracing Federation (ESHF)—a fledgling organisation whose members are University Racing Societies. Founding Chairman Robert Dargan explains: ‘The ESHF was established in May 2020 when I was elected chairman of Trinity College Horse Racing Society. It was founded to help racing societies to promote their presence and activities in their respective Universities. As I was fearful they may not survive the effects of COVID—given the fact that their normal events—visiting breeding operations, training facilities and going to the races could no longer take place due to restrictions. I thought it was very important to keep the societies active, to help promote the sport of horse racing to students, who are the next generation of supporters, participants and owners. I also wanted to have a central place for student horse racing enthusiasts to share their passion with other like-minded students from other universities and countries. I felt such an organisation did not exist for these purposes.’

Together, we began the search for a Fellowship Observer—a competitive process open to ESHF members where the winner would win an expenses-paid trip to Warsaw, and where, COVID permitting, we will hold the EMHF’s General Assembly in October, alongside racing at Poland’s premier racetrack, Sluzewiec.

Students were invited to distil into 500 words their thoughts on what European racing administrators might best do to encourage youth participation.

Entries were received from racing and equestrian societies of Universities across Ireland and Britain, including Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University College Cork, University of Cambridge and University of Nottingham.

The top three entries - click on link to read:

Ciara Dineen - Winning Entry

Adrian Binder - Highly Commended

Kate Madden - Highly Commended

EMHF Fellowship Observer Competition winner Ciara Dineen.

Ciara Dineen, a first-year equine business student at Maynooth University, emerged as the winner. Ciara hails from a racing background—her father was both a jockey and trainer in his day, and she now dovetails her studies with working at John Joseph Murphy’s yard in Cork. Like several of the competition entrants, she feels that more could usefully be done to organise and foster the direct involvement of students in various aspects of the sport. From the organisation of student ownership syndicates to an enhancement of the ‘student raceday’ concept, which would see the addition of stable visits in the days leading up to the race, allowing the students ‘up close and personal’ access to one or two of the runners on the day—whom they can then cheer on, come the raceday, bonded by their newfound acquaintanceship.

The student ownership syndicate is not an entirely new idea. There are two variants: syndicates for alumni of schools or colleges and those for current members of college Racing Societies. Pierce Dargan, brother to Robert, and better known as CEO of Equine Medirecord, has been a trailblazer in this area. Pierce founded the Blackrock Racing Syndicate, made up of alumni of Blackrock College, a well-known school in Ireland, at the end of 2018. The syndicate got off to a dream start, with its first horse, Arthurian Fame, winning at the first time of asking. Exultant Blackrock members, decked out in the school’s blue and white colours, memorably hoisted trainer Joseph O'Brien aloft and into the winner’s enclosure.

The success didn't stop there, with the syndicate going on to win the Microsoft Cup at Leopardstown, where the power of the concept could really be seen. Over 200 alumni of Blackrock turned up to see the ‘the Fame’ win at the local track for the school, which is less than a 20-minute drive away. Even though most were not directly involved, Pierce describes how having the syndicate being part of an already existing identity really helped drive interest, not only to join the syndicate but also to grab the attention of the wider past and present pupils of the school and its extended community.

‘I think syndicators work very hard to establish a unique identity for their racing club or syndicate to help draw interest from potential members. This can be quite difficult, but when you are able to use the name and sports colours of the university or school, it really makes that draw for potential members much easier, as they are already part of that community. Also, educational institutions are always very anxious to engage and build strong ties with past students, and a syndicate or racing club is a perfect way to do that. I know personally it has helped me stay connected with friends to whom I had not spoken since leaving school; and it was the perfect reason to meet and share a great day out with them. And when the horses are doing well, it brings excitement not only to the members but the whole community, as shown by the number of people who came to watch Arthurian Fame run at Leopardstown. I also think it is the perfect way to build a path for young enthusiasts to become new owners in the sport.

‘Our generation want to be involved. We’re not content to be spectators any more.’ …

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The RED MILLS Care Range

Our most popular and nutritionally advanced RED MILLS Care Range has been enhanced with the addition of new ultra-low starch Horse Care ULTRA Cubes. Horse Care ULTRA Cubes have been formulated by our expert team of nutritionists to be cereal-grain free and exceptionally low in starch. This nutritionally advanced formulation has a starch content of just 4%; one of the lowest starch feeds on the market. Horse Care ULTRA Cubes contain the same tried, tested, and trusted RED MILLS Nutrition Care package which has been specifically formulated to provide the horse with optimum nutritional support.

Why the RED MILLS Nutrition Care Package? 

The modern-day horse faces many challenges – the physical and mental stresses of training, frequent travel and the tremendous demands of the breeding season. Key body systems including the digestive system, musculoskeletal system and immune systems are tested daily. Our expert nutrition team have developed the RED MILLS Care package for a scientifically advanced range of feeds, that have been specifically formulated to provide the horse with optimum nutritional support the Care packages includes:

Stomach Care

A variety of factors place the performance horse at risk of gastric ulceration, caused by gastric acid erosion of the epithelial lining of the stomach wall. The RED MILLS Care package has been specifically designed to help support and maintain normal stomach health. All RED MILLS Care products are low in starch and contain a slow releasing, natural gastric buffer to help to buffer excess acid thereby helping to maintain a healthy stomach pH. 

Hindgut Care

Maintaining a healthy and efficient hindgut in high performing competition and stud horses can be challenging. The RED MILLS Care package includes fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), and live yeast, all of which help to promote a healthy hindgut environment.  

FOS, a prebiotic, promotes the development of beneficial bacteria

MOS acts as a pathogen binder to help keep unwanted bacteria from populating the hindgut

Yeast aids fibre digestion and nutrient uptake

Muscle Care

Precise nutritional care is needed to support muscle development, growth and post-exercise recovery. The RED MILLS Care package is formulated to provide high quality protein, rich in essential amino acids. A comprehensive, unique antioxidant package combining Vitamin E, organic Selenium and Vitamin C is also included to effectively support cellular function and muscle recovery.   

Skeletal Care

The RED MILLS Care package has been formulated to help promote bone strength and correct limb development by providing quality protein, vitamins A, D and K, plus essential micronutrients such as elements calcium and phosphorus. Chelated copper and zinc are also included for improved availability. All the feeds in the RED MILLS Care range have also been designed to provide controlled levels of starch to help reduce excessive glycaemic response after feeding. 

Hoof Care

Horse hoof health is determined by several factors including genetics, environment, and

nutrition. The RED MILLS Care package contains elevated levels of biotin to help support improved hoof quality, plus quality protein, a source of sulphur-containing amino acids, chelated zinc and copper all of which play important roles in maintaining hoof health.  

www.redmills.com

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The benefits of using low starch performance cubes

Achieving optimal performance in the horse entails a variety of factors including management practices, training skills and techniques and nutritional influences. The performance horse has been associated in several studies with a higher prevalence of equine gastric ulcers, trying up and hindgut acidosis.

Nutrition plays a vital role in the management of these horses, providing energy sources, supporting muscle development, maintaining health and wellbeing and supporting recovery. A diet should be based around good quality forage, from this, the additional energy, protein, vitamin and mineral requirements can be met through fortified feeds suitable for the horses workload.

High cereal diets are often associated with performance horse feeds, the cereals are digested and utilised within the body as a main source of energy. However, this results in higher starch and sugar levels which can have detrimental impacts on health and performance if fed in large quantities with limited fibre.

Horses are natural grazers, eating little and often. The production of saliva contains a natural acidic buffer, and therefore the more fibre consumed, the more protection provided to the gut from low pH levels. Sometimes this is referred to as the “fibre mat” and often encouraged as a management practise to ensure the horse has consumed fibre before exercise and to avoid long periods without forage.

Bluegrass Race Horse Cubes were developed specifically to support horses during their racing season and training, providing highly digestible energy sources, supporting quick recovery and reducing the risk of equine gastric ulcers or trying up. The low starch content of only 15% helps to prevent the gastric pH dropping to a level that can lead to these health implications occurring. Additional support is provided through the inclusion of marine-derived calcium (MDC), that has been recently added to the Bluegrass Race Horse Cube. Recent research has shown MDC to have three benefits; support gut and gastric health by acting as an acidic buffer to gastric pH, and increase bone density*.

Fibre digestion occurs in the hindgut of the horse via a process called fermentation. This involves a population of micro-organisms known as microbiome that break down the fibre components for absorption and utilisation through the body tissues. The microbiome population requires a healthy balance of bacteria, protozoa and fungi that work together to benefit the host animal. However this population can be negatively impacted by various influences such as stress, changes in diet, parasitic infections or medications. Bluegrass Race Horse cubes contains pro-biotics, a collection of unique live yeast cultures that support the microbiome to encourage growth and enhance digestion of fibre and utilisation of nutrients.

Bluegrass Horse Feeds is a balanced partner of Kentucky Equine Research. All Bluegrass products are formulated with scientific background to ensure optimal nutrition is provided to their customers. Contact the Bluegrass Horse Feed nutritional helpline for advice, quotes or non-commitment digital consultation.

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GNF - Don’t wait for poor performance to hit

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a debilitating condition.

In order to achieve the calorific energy demands the horses’ diet has changed from a high forage grass-based diet to a starch (carbohydrate) energy dense diet made from grains.

This has led to a fundamental change in the horses’ digestive system, with a decrease in the stomach pH leading to a more acidic environment in the horses’ stomach. This is one of the key contributing factors leading to Equine gastric Ulcers.

EGUS is a debilitating condition which has been increasingly recognized in recent years as the reason for poor performance in racehorses. EGUS has been found to be widely prevalent, up to 93% of racehorses have been found to suffer from ulceration after endoscopic examination. The reasons for the high prevalence of gastric ulcers can be attributed to high concentrate/low forage diets, stall confinement and exercise induced stress.

Signs of EGUS include:

• Decreased performance

• Poor condition including dull coat

• Poor or ‘picky’ appetite

Proper nutritional support and environmental management are vital components in ensuring that horses maintain a healthy digestive system whilst in training.

With this in mind TRM have developed a unique dietary supplement, GNF which is suitable for feeding as a nutritional adjunct to maintain normal digestive tract function.

GNF differs from other feed supplements on the market in 2 significant ways:

GNF is clinically proven as a nutritional adjunct for horses with EGUS; race horses supplemented with GNF for six weeks showed significant (P<0.05) reduction in overall ulcer score.

GNF does not contain any prohibited substance, does not have a withdrawal period and is safe to use right up to race day when the horse is most at risk of developing ulcers due to intense training and stress.

GNF offers a 4-point target approach to the maintenance of normal digestive function.

Anti-Acids - Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide which stabilise and increase the pH of the gastric fluids.

Stomach coating - Seaweed Extract (Laminaria Hyperborea) which can protect the non-glandular portion of the stomach from acid splash.

Regrowth – Amino acids, Threonine to support mucin production and Glutamine to assist the repair and maintenance of epithelial cells.

Prebiotics - Fructo-Oligosaccharides which form a food substrate for the beneficial bacteria in the hind gut.

“At Greg Eurell Thoroughbred Racing we feed GNF as it ensures our horses are well from the inside out. Our horses are eating up happily, keeping condition better, and are overall much brighter and more relaxed when on the GNF. The GNF keeps the entire digestive system in top condition. We would highly recommend GNF to anyone with performance horses – it works!”

Greg Eurell

To find out more about how GNF can support your horses, or to order a GNF FREE TRIAL (Trial pack only available in the UK) please contact a member of the Farm & Stable Supplies team today on +44 (0) 1730 815 800 or visit www.farmstable.com

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What oil should I feed my horse?

When discussing oils, you will hear the term Omega-3 and Omega-6 a lot; these fatty acids are important inclusions in the horse’s diet. While Omega-3 fatty acids aid the anti-inflammatory response in the body and have positive health benefits, Omega-6 fatty acids aid the pro-inflammatory processes. Some human medical research suggests that excessive levels of Omega-6, relative to Omega-3, may increase the probability of a number of diseases. Therefore, it is advisable that while shopping for an oil suitable for your horse you look for one with at least twice as much Omega-3 as Omega-6.

There are many advantages to feeding oil to horses. The energy content of oils is greater than that of cereals.  Therefore, for those horses that are in hard work, have reduced appetite or need additional calories may benefit from an inclusion of oil in the diet.

Advantages to feeding an oil

Skin and Coat – feeding an oil is excellent for skin and coat condition, it is advisable for an oil to be fed to horses who suffer from conditions such as dry, flaky skin or a dull coat. Omega-3 supplementation is thought to be beneficial with some allergy related conditions such as sweet itch, while the oil helps to avoid the irritated skin from drying out.

Respiratory Health – research proved favourable for the inclusion of Omega-3 in the diet for horses who suffer from inflammatory airway disease. The additional benefit of adding an oil to the feed resulted in the feed being coated by the oil reducing the inhalation of excess dust.

Digestive Health and Gastric Ulcers – including an oil in a horses diet is not only of benefit to help digestive transit digestive transit, but it may also prove helpful for horses who suffer from gastric ulcers, where a total diet low in starch and high in oil is advised.

Tying Up – recommendations for feeding horses who suffer from Tying -Up/PPSM include a low starch high oil diet, the inclusion of an oil in the ration of these horses can help in the management of these conditions without having to reduce calorie intake for performance horses.

Joint Health – there are multiple studies in both human and animal promoting the inclusion of a balanced omega oil in the diet to help with joint inflammation.

Fertility – the inclusion of Omega-3 in the diet for both mares and stallions is of benefit for reproductive health.

Linseed oil is a great source of both Omega-3 and Omega-6 and in the correct ratio; the omega balance in linseed oil is 4:1, which is the same ratio as in fresh pasture grass. This natural balance of omega oils is different in preserved forages such as hay, where Omega-6 levels are higher. In stabled horses supplementing with linseed oil helps redress the omega 3:6 imbalance associated with reduced pasture turnout.

Foran Equine Kentucky Karron Oil is a high-quality linseed emulsion, emulsification improves the bioavailability of the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. This increase in bioavailability allows for better absorption and utilization within the body.

To find out more contact a member of our team:

T +353 (0) 1 6268058 / E info@foranequine.com

www.foranequine.com

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Yasmin Almenräder - a rising star in German racing

By David Conolly-Smith

The middle-sized town of Mülheim an der Ruhr (population 170,000) is, as the name implies, situated on the river Ruhr which gives its name to the whole area. It is north of Düsseldorf, the capital of the state of North-Rhine-Westphalia—Germany´s most populous “land”. It is located just south of the industrial centres of Essen and Duisburg.

It is also an important racing and training centre. There has been thoroughbred racing here since the 19th century, but the current racecourse, known as the Raffelberg, was built in 1910. Despite damage through fires and flooding, and even more by bombing during World War II, the track thrived and was one of the most important in western Germany for the last half of the past century. In particular, two local trainers scored spectacular successes. Uwe Ostmann trained here from 1985 to 2013, and his Diana stable, where the principal owner was Gestüt Auenquelle, owned by Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke, also boss of the sales company BBAG; and Peter Michael Endres, also president of the race club at Düsseldorf. Ostmann—still hale and hearty at the age of 80—was one of the top addresses in Germany for a quarter of a century, winning the German Derby with Luigi in 1988 and the Preis von Europa in 1995 with Gonbarda. Gonbarda was later sold to Godolphin and dam of Champion Stakes winner and top sire Farhh, as well as just about every important race in the German calendar. Later arriving on the scene was the colourful Werner Baltromei, who enjoyed a meteoric career before his tragic death from cancer at the age of 49 in 2012. Baltromei was the first German trainer to target the top French races, and from his Mülheim base he sent out such stars as Le Miracle (winner of the Prix du Cadran in 2007, and also third in the Ascot Gold Cup) as well as Lady Marian (winner of the Prix de l´Opera in 2008).

Those were great days for Mülheim both as a training centre and a racecourse, but there were also black clouds on the horizon. A golf course was built there, opening in 2000, and there was soon a great deal of friction between the golfers and the race club, which was gradually falling on hard times. It lost its two best races—the Gp1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks), which moved to Düsseldorf in 2004, and the Preis der Winterkönigin, Germany's top race for 2yo fillies, which is now run at Baden-Baden´s October meeting. For about a decade, Mülheim only staged three days of racing a year and these only at a very low level. The old race club finally gave up the ghost and declared insolvency in 2017.

A new race club was formed later that year; the new president was Gestüt Auenquelle´s Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke, and the new committee included prominent owners Hans Bierkämper (Stall Mandarin) and Werner Krüger (UNIA Racing), while Günter Gudert, previously at Hamburg and then Düsseldorf, took over as clerk of the course and racecourse manager. At the time Bierkämper was 77, Ellerbracke and Krüger were both 74 and Gudert 69; however, they had plenty of youthful idealism and ambitious ideas; and they were prepared to back up these ideas with the necessary funds. Huge investments were made in bringing the facilities at the racecourse and in the training centre up to the highest modern standards. Even in the relatively short period that the new team has been in charge, it is clear that this investment has paid off massively.

There has been a huge upswing in the fortunes of both the racecourse and the training centre. There were seven race days in both 2019 and 2020 (despite the ravages of COVID-19). Mülheim has restored their highly successful winter fixtures, in particular their Boxing Day fixture (December 26) was traditionally extremely popular, attracting Kempton-like crowds (not in 2020, alas) and is now reactivated. This is all the more welcome since the future of racing at Neuss, one of Germany's two all-weather tracks, looks highly doubtful, to say the least. They have also succeeded in bringing back black type racing to Mülheim, with the listed Diana-Trial in July and the listed Silbernes Band der Ruhr, Germany's longest flat race, in October.

Racecourse facilities are much improved, and the racing surface is now one of the best in Germany. The training centre has also surged into the kind of prominence it previously enjoyed more than 20 years ago. When the new race club took over, there were fewer than 100 horses in training at Mülheim; now there are well over 200, and still counting. It is now the second largest training centre in the country, after Cologne.

“In my opinion, the training facilities at Mülheim are now the best of any German racecourse,” says 46-year-old Yasmin Almenräder, who has herself contributed a great deal to this success story.

Yasmin with German Derby hopeful Nacido.

The youngest of three sisters, she was born in nearby Essen and grew up in a horsey, but not racing, family. Her father, a car dealer, was a passionate rider and a successful show jumper and three-day-eventer. There were always horses about the place, and Yasmin “could ride before she could walk,” as she puts it. Her mother worked in advertising but also rode dressage. They were all great animal lovers, and her father always impressed on his daughters the principle: “Animals always come first, and human beings second,” Sadly, her father died when she was 16, and the family moved later to Verden in northern Germany, a leading equestrian centre. A typical horse-mad teenager, she was soon riding out for local trainers. The same year, she qualified as an amateur jockey; her first winner came in 1992 on a horse named Figiell at the small country track of Großenkneten for permit-holder Heiko Kienemann. She had just turned 18, and she went on to ride some 50 winners, including a FEGENTRI race in Canada.

While the family was living in Wuppertal, Yasmin had started riding regular work for top Cologne trainer Bruno Schütz. “I had to leave home at 4 a.m. to take the train, and I did so several times a week, therefore often missing school. In the end, the school complained to my mother that I was spending too much time on horseback and too little time in class; so I had to concentrate more on schoolwork.” However it was at this time that she really fell in love with thoroughbred horses and also first considered the idea of making racing her profession. In 1995, at 21, she received her licence as a permit-holder, i.e., training exclusively horses owned by herself or her immediate family. In fact, it was mainly for her mother, and she succeeded in winning a few races, often ridden by herself.

Trainer Werner Baltromei.

From 1998 to 2000, she worked for Michael Trybuhl in Mülheim, in fact in the same stable where she now trains. In 2006, she qualified; that was a good year for German racing. Her course also included Markus Klug (four-time champion trainer in Germany) and Frenchman Jean-Pierre Carvalho, usually known as “Chippi”, who is now her nextdoor neighbour. At the time she was pregnant with her daughter Lisa-Sophie, now 12; the father, from whom she is long since separated, is an IT engineer designing websites for bookmakers. In 2009, she finally received her full licence as a public trainer. In the meantime, Werner Baltromei had succeeded Michael Trybuhl at the Mülheim yard, and she was his head lad until his sad death in 2012. His widow Christina took over the yard and installed ex-jockey William Mongil as trainer. That did not work out well, and he left a couple of years later. Yasmin Almenräder finally took over the stable in 2014, originally as Christina´s employee but since 2018, she has been her own boss and has formed a limited company, Trainingsbetrieb Almenräder Rennpferde GmbH to run things. “The company pays me a modest salary; in fact, my head lad gets paid more than me,” she says. Christina Baltromei is still involved and also rides out for Yasmin on a regular basis, and the atmosphere is very friendly, relaxed and harmonious.

Head lad and right-hand man Artur Chlipala.

Several members of the team are still there from the days of Werner Baltromei, notably Anke Woodburn (ex-wife of jockey Kevin), who is the stable secretary and runs the office and is “absolutely indispensable”; and head lad Polish-born Artur Chlipala. “He is my right hand man and knows everything there is to know about horses,” says Almenräder. She also praises the Trybuhl family, who was a great help in the early days; and Wilhelm Feldmann (always known, for obvious reasons, as “Kojak”), who is the racing manager for Gestüt Hachtsee (owners of Le Miracle and Lady Marian, and who helped her to get established).

Yasmin with 2nd jockey Anna van den Troost.

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Anne-Marie Poirier - continuing the legacy of her late husband Yann and developing the perception of 'pre-training' yards

By John Gilmore

Just twenty minutes from Angers in the Pays de Loire region of France, you come across Anne-Marie Poirier’s Haras Du Chêne pre-training yard at Soucelles. Situated just off a quiet country road, surrounded by forest, provides the ideal calm conditions for pre-training racehorses.

Anne-Marie Poirier has spent a lifetime involved with horses, since initially showjumping in her native Netherlands as a youngster. For the past 23 years she has been working at Haras du Chêne pre-training racing yard first started by Yann Poirier, whom she married in 2001. Tragically Yann Poirier died after an accident with a horse in 2015.

"I come from a horse-loving family", indicated Poirier. “My older brother gave me riding lessons nearly everyday. So thanks to his training I won many competitions - just under National level. Knowing the difficulties of making a living while working with horses in the Netherlands, I decided to concentrate on my studies in International Land and Water Management and went abroad for work to India and Sri Lanka. In between jobs, I decided then to learn French, for my future career."

Her move to France in 1998, barely speaking the language, was to change the whole complexion of her future. “It seems such a long time ago, when I first chose the Loire region to live - taking French lessons in Angers and obtaining a part time job at Yann Poirier's nearby Haras du Chêne pre-training yard,” reminisced Poirier. “Working with racehorses for the first time was a real eye opener and a totally new experience, compared to showjumpers. Yann brought me to a racetrack during the same year I arrived. I fell in love with him and thoroughbreds at the same time and have so many fond memories of him.”

She added,

"Well I thought I knew a lot about horses and how to ride, but that idea was gone after a few days! Riding short; took me months.

The rider has to find a proper balance with the horse, the gravity point. Yes it was a real puzzle in the beginning. Didn't have much experience with yearlings really. It’s all about doing the minimum to obtain the maximum. I mean a steady quiet hand and legs, keep them relaxed and breathe, training the muscles, heart, lungs, body and legs. Building up future athletes. I still learn every day!"

The whole setup is thanks to the foresight of Anne-Marie Poirier's late husband Yann Poirier, who was the first in France to start a yard for backing and pre-training racehorses in 1993/4.

"Yann previously worked 4 years in Ireland, including for The Irish National Stud, where he became close friends with Brendan Walsh, who assisted Yann for the first year back in France, to get the business started, and is now a successful black type trainer in the States,” pointed out Poirier. "Yann helped a lot of people to start their own business in France. He also tried very hard to get this booming industry officially recognised by the French racing authorities and create proper pre-training schools. This project is struggling, but still on-going.”

She added "I continue to open doors, even at Government level to get this sector properly protected and recognised. Not less than six ministries are involved, which makes the task not simple. It's important for employees in the business to earn a decent salary, be normally insured and for breeders to gain confidence that he or she is leaving the horse with professionals, which is highly important."

Poirier indicated that the Yard had not been too badly affected by Government restrictions during the Covid pandemic this year. "I have 60 boxes and currently have 30 to break, 30 to ride with 10 two years and upwards; including the ones in the paddock nearby the yard. Normally, I have about 200-250 yearlings per year. We haven’t been disturbed too much by the two waves of the coronavirus pandemic, though not many new horses were coming in during the first wave when racing stopped for a couple of months. Regulations introduced by the Government made it difficult to circulate for a while, and during June and July business was very slow for the stud.”

The annual Arqana August yearling sales were delayed by a month this year, but this appeared a blessing in disguise for the stud, as Poirier pointed out. “Since the Arqana September/October yearling sales my yard has had a massive influx of yearlings for pre-training, as confidence returned, with racing continuing even during the second wave - albeit behind closed doors.” .

Anne-Marie with some of the Haras du Chêne team.

A key factor at Haras Du Chêne is the professional capabilities of the 9 current employees, which has a very international look about it. A mixture of four French, one each from Argentina, England , Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain. Poirier is expecting another arrival from Uruguay shortly, when the necessary paperwork is completed.

“José is our new headman responsible for breaking in young horses, with over 20 year’s experience, he is doing a great job,” explained Poirier. “I have a staff of horsey people, so no amateurs. They are specialised in the education of horses, especially young ones and know I can leave the staff to do their job with confidence.”

She added, “Foals arrive sometimes for a week or two, just to handle them, prep them for the sales and get them well-mannered. We do long-reining, as my late husband learnt in Ireland, lunging outside or inside, which is very comfortable during winter times, as is the covered walker. The key is always to adapt to the horse, never force, but just education “à la carte”.

It’s all a matter of convincing the horse to be co-operative. One way or another you want to ride the horse; but you need to install a steering wheel, a proper seat and a handbrake. Encourage, like we do with children and always reward after the horse does something well." …

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Trainers and the importance of communicating with owners

By Lissa Oliver

We are all in agreement that in an ideal world training fees should increase, as too the remuneration for existing staff and the ability to increase the team. We also recognise the scenario of “you get what you pay for”, and there is no doubt that owners would be happy to pay slightly more for a better service. But the tipping point doesn’t only come down to prize money. Horses cannot be expected to pay their way, but their owner still expects a certain level of enjoyment and engagement.

How would you feel if you were in the position of the female owner who recently revealed, “I only have two horses in training—one with a very high-profile trainer. She was injured and has stood in her box for most of the year. She hasn’t run in over 300 days and I have received no communication from her trainer throughout that time, other than a bill each month. I was surprised to see she has been entered and declared for a race at the weekend, and still no communication from her trainer!”

The same lady, who doesn’t want her trainers named, reveals that she receives daily updates of her second horse, with a different but equally renowned trainer. “I receive videos of her at exercise, photos of her in the yard and of course updates about her progress and racing plans.” She has younger homebred horses waiting in the wings, and despite the prestige and proven results of the non-communicative trainer, he is unlikely to receive another horse from her.

Just as results can’t be relied upon to pay the bills, so a trainer can’t simply rely upon his or her own results to attract and retain owners. Good communication and fully engaging owners have never been more important skills than during pandemic-stricken 2020.

We may have been used to regular visits from owners and discussions in person, without any need for remote communication, but in 2020, that ended for everyone. Whether we want to adapt, or see any need to adapt, the option has been taken from us; remote communication has become a necessity.

For many trainers, keeping in active contact with absentee owners has always been a part of daily business. You don’t necessarily need time or technical skills to engage your owners. There may be staff or family members who are happy to assist with social media updates, and the curation of yard photos and videos can be a team effort.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube are increasingly popular platforms for instant updates, feeding easily into a website to keep the website current and dynamic. WhatsApp and other chat groups are useful for private group messages—one message goes to all in the group; and Facebook allows for private and group pages—a single point for sharing information that can be accessed by all those invited. None of the platforms require technical skills or high-tech equipment, so there really is no excuse for failing to keep owners involved.

Gina Rarick, based in Chantilly, has a dedicated private Facebook group page where entries, morning work videos, race replays and photos are posted; and she also has her own YouTube channel to which anyone can subscribe for free (www.youtube.com/user/GallopFrance). Regular uploads include horses-in-training, race day videos, explanations of training methods, and French racing rules and customs.

Ger Lyons

Even just maintaining a website can be a big step in the right direction. “We’re quite proud of our website,” says Newmarket trainer Charlie Fellowes. “Any syndicate we form has a WhatsApp group set up for all members so that we can instantly send a video of the horse on the gallops, which enhances the ownership experience.” A comprehensive gallery shows candid photos of the horses at home and at work, sent to owners regularly to keep them in touch and feeling a part of the process. YouTube links provide video footage, too. Fellowes also writes a lively and up-to-date blog, so it’s genuinely possible to follow the yard from anywhere in the world and always feel a sense of personal involvement.

Alex Hutter of Gordon Elliott Racing uses the The Racing Manager app to regularly send pictures and video to owners.

Trainers Jamie Osborne and Ger Lyons are others well-known for their daily Tweets and blogs, which Lyons says takes no more than 10 minutes each morning. Establishing five or 10 minutes per day for blogs or Tweets should be part of a trainer’s daily administrative business, keeping to a regular routine. The easy direct sharing of photos and videos is possible on all smartphones, and there are several apps on the market to assist trainers or syndicate managers with larger group sharing, which may include race entries and race replays—with pricing starting at around €30 per month or on a per-horse basis.

Alex Hutter, racing secretary for Gordon Elliott Racing, tells us, “We currently use The Racing Manager app and try to send our owners pictures and videos of their horses as often as we can. We try and set aside at least one afternoon per week to do this in the yard and each owner receives a video of their horse at the races in the paddock every time they run. It’s definitely beneficial to the business as you can never give the owners too much feedback. With the year that it has been, all of our owners have really appreciated the content that we have sent them.” …

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European Pattern Committee - regulating 'black type' races

By Dr. Paull Khan

THE EUROPEAN PATTERN COMMITTEE: CHAIR BRIAN KAVANAGH ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

In this issue, we begin a series of articles in which we look at some of the EMHF region’s committees. We start with the European Pattern Committee, which controls the classification of black type races in Europe, monitoring the quality of the fields and agreeing when races should be upgraded or downgraded. In future issues, we will look at two further committees, which deal, respectively, with dope testing and the health and welfare of jockeys. In each, we will pose questions, from trainers, to the relevant committee chair.

The European Pattern Committee (EPC) members are France, Germany, Great Britain and Ireland. The ‘Part 1 countries’ within the International Cataloguing Standards book, often known as the ‘Blue Book’, which lists the world’s black type races. The contents of the Blue Book can be viewed online at https://www.tjcis.com/otherServicesDisplay.asp?section=5.

Any other European country that stages a Group race published in Part I of the Blue Book may become an Associate Member of the EPC. Currently, these are Italy, Scandinavia (covering Denmark, Norway and Sweden) and Turkey.

The EPC’s chair is Brian Kavanagh, who is also chair of EMHF. Brian is CEO of Horse Racing Ireland. We asked board members of the European Trainers’ Federation for questions to put to Brian and here are the results.

Q: Why do we not have both black type and the horse’s best achieved rating in catalogues? This would clearly indicate the quality of the horse and the information would be a huge plus.

BK: This question comes up from time to time and is essentially one for the Sales Companies. The European Pattern Committee would have no difficulty with ratings being shown in a sales catalogue, however, it is not a straightforward issue. By their nature, ratings are a subjective, albeit expert, opinion and can change significantly, upwards or downwards, over a horse’s racing career and the distance over which they race. A horse’s peak rating cannot tell the full picture and, in some cases, could be confusing.

Q: The EPC should put pressure on the countries that pay prize money very late and take away their status. (One of my colleagues has not received funds from a race three years ago from Italy; this should not happen.)

BK: We have done this, and the EPC has put considerable pressure on Italy to get its house in order with the result that payment turnaround times have improved, although they need to be improved further. In general, owners and trainers will ‘vote with their feet’ and be reluctant to participate in races where there is a doubt over payment being received. As the better horses stay away from races, the rating of those races inevitably suffers.

Q: Should there be a 'minimum' value for inclusion in the pattern, just as there is in the US? Germany seems to run a ton of cheap Listed races!

BK: This is an interesting question and not one that the Committee has formally discussed. We assess the quality of races based on their three-year average ratings rather than their prize money levels and, up to now, have taken the view that it is up to each member country to determine its prize money levels.

Q: Closing dates for races are a big bugbear amongst trainers—the fact that some races close so early and some don't.

BK: Again, this is not something within the control of the EPC but is rather a decision for each individual country. We know that this is frustrating in relation to the Irish Classics, for example, and as a result, we in Ireland have been progressively moving the entry dates for our Classics to later in the year.

Q: I know that I, and many of my colleagues, often say that the Pattern lacks a ‘narrative’. It's meant to be a European Pattern but everything is very country-orientated. Is there a way to make the race series flow better?

BK: I think good progress has been made on this issue with the creation of Longines Irish Champions Weekend, the expanded Arc weekend programme and British Champions Day, which provide a clear end-of-season narrative with three major championship events in the three leading European countries. Gp1 races are very well coordinated at the European level and attract international fields. I have sensed a more ‘European’ approach to various issues amongst the Committee in recent years.

Q: Why aren’t Listed, Gp3 and Gp2 races prefixed with a country code, e.g., ‘GB L’ or ‘FR L’? This would make Gp1 races stand out more as being European 'championship' races.

BK: This is a new suggestion to me and I would not favour it, as it would imply a lesser domestic status in certain countries, whereas races are measured to the same criteria across Europe. As I said above, Gp1 races already stand out at the major championship events.

Q: Why can there not be a common set of rules for all of the European Pattern? That way, everyone would know where they stand when they run.

BK: This issue strays beyond the remit of the EPC. However, it is a sensible suggestion and I believe things are moving in the right direction. Ultimately, every country controls its own Rules of Racing, but there has been a lot of harmonisation in recent times in relation to major rules such as interference and prohibited substances while we are moving towards a greater consistency among the major European countries in relation to use of the whip. As regards to the areas in the EPC’s purview, we operate to a common weight-for-age scale and fillies’ allowance system.

Q: What about the introduction of a points-based system for Gp1 races? This would open up multiple opportunities for additional revenue for sponsorship and betting.

BK: This has been looked at previously but did not find favour as the factors which influence running behaviours are generally prize money levels, prestige and history of the race. Various Championship and Horse of the Year awards are made at the end of each year and attract positive media coverage and sponsorship. In the UK there is a British Champions Series, which is a points-based system. However, I believe that the prestige and increased value of winning a major Gp1 race will always be the primary ambition and motivation.

Q: How does the EPC deal with pressure from racecourses to have races upgraded?

BK: Naturally, racecourses will seek to have their races upgraded, and this is a good thing. However, the duty of the Pattern Committee is to ensure that any changes are for the greater good rather than just to the benefit of a racecourse or a sponsor. There are strict limitations on the number of races which can be promoted each year, which has meant that EPC member countries have to focus on those changes that will have the most beneficial impact.

Q: The staying division seems to have more downgrades than upgrades. Why is this?

BK: That may have been so up to recent years, but in recent years the EPC has specifically focussed on the staying race programme, including those for three-year-olds and fillies only. A number of races were upgraded—including the Goodwood Cup and the Prix du Royallieu, both of which moved to Gp1—while there has been a five-year moratorium on downgrades in the same division as it is a long-term project aimed to alter breeders’ and owners’ behaviours and will therefore take time.

Q: I would be interested to know more about how the jumps pattern works—from talking to different Clerks of the Course, it seems that it's up to the individual country’s authority to have a race graded. Surely, there should be similar principles in place as per their flat counterparts?

BK: The jumps pattern is a matter for individual countries, although Britain and Ireland operate with virtually identical ground rules and rating parameters.

Q: My question concerns the European Pattern Book. Could there be more of an online format for all trainers across Europe to access?

BK: Moving online is certainly worthy of consideration, though many trainers I speak to would prefer the hard copy as well.

Behcet Homurlu, outgoing vice-chair.

EMHF WELCOMES NEW VICE-CHAIR

Like so many the world over in this annus horribilis, the EMHF has been forced to abandon all face-to-face meetings. Plans to stage our General Assembly in Warsaw, originally in May, were kept alive for a while, with hopes that an October alternative date might prove possible. …

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Saddle + Half Pads - The effect on race saddle pressures and gallop kinematics

By Dr. Russell Mackechnie-Guire

Scientific research quantifies the impact different pads have on the horse’s performance

The use of pads under the saddle has been common for years, but now scientists are using dynamic testing technology to discover how well they really work

In everyday yard situations where multiple horses use the same saddle, putting one or more pads under has been seen as a way of providing cushioning and comfort for the horse, or even relieving pain. However, there has never been any research in racehorses to demonstrate whether this reduces saddle pressures or provides comfort. Furthermore, there is limited scientific evidence to suggest which type of pad is most effective.

A recent study suggests that, depending on the material and design, using a pad beneath the saddle might not always achieve the desired pressure-relieving effect. And using multiple ineffective pads under the saddle might not only be a waste of time and money, but it could potentially cause areas of high pressures, compromising the horse’s locomotor apparatus and affecting race performance.

Peak pressure of more than 35kPa were recorded in two of the three pads.

Peak pressure of >35 kPa can cause compression of the capillaries, leading to soft tissue and follicle damage (ischemia) which, in extreme or prolonged cases, results in white hairs, muscle atrophy, skin ulcerations and discomfort.

A recent published study evaluated saddle pressure distribution in sports horses using pads made from sheepskin, viscose gel and a medical-grade closed-cell foam. When using a gel pad, the peak and mean pressures increased in the front region of the saddle in trot and canter. This is possibly due to the gel’s lack of ability to dissipate shear forces compared to wool or foam.

Similar findings were seen in a pilot study of thoroughbreds galloping at half speed over ground. The same dynamic testing was used (see Technology & Anatomy panel) to compare the forces and peak pressures under polyfill pads, as well as viscose gel and medical-grade closed-cell foam. From the initial trials, the overall forces recorded were significantly higher than those seen in the sports horse study. This seems reasonable, given the difference in locomotion and speed (see Speed & Force panel).

Preliminary findings show the forces were 75% lower, and peak pressures were 65% lower under the medical-grade closed-cell foam pad than those recorded under the gel pad. Interestingly the polyfill pad, which deforms to the touch, reduced the forces and peak pressures by 25% and 44% respectively compared to the viscose gel pad.

The role of the pad is to act as a dampening layer between the horse and the saddle, reducing pressures and absorbing the dynamic forces which occur during locomotion.

Based on findings from the sports horse study, and initial findings from the racehorse study, it appears that the medical-grade closed-cell foam pad is superior in its effectiveness at acting as a pressure-reducing layer between the saddle and the horse.

Pressure to perform

A shaped saddle pad with a midline seam is less likely to draw down on the spine

Reducing saddle pressures improves gallop locomotion. Horses will still perform when asked, despite areas of high pressures induced by the saddle and pad; but they develop a compensatory locomotor strategy in an attempt to alleviate any discomfort.

To increase speed, a galloping horse will either increase stride frequency or increase stride length. Both mechanisms can be used, but the horse will have a natural preference. Published pressure studies have shown that stride length is increased when saddle pressures are reduced. Now, new research is underway quantifying whether a stride frequency approach, which has higher peak forces, could be a compensatory strategy in response to discomfort caused by pressure.

Forces are influenced by speed and weight and are produced when the hoof comes in contact with the ground. At racing speeds of 38 mph, the hoof hits the ground approximately 150 times a minute. Stride frequency is an important consideration because a study has suggested that horses have around 100,000 gallop strides before the soft tissues fail. Therefore, any reduction in loading cycles (number of strides) could potentially help reduce injury risk.

Harder, faster, longer

Every stride impacts the horse’s joints, causing wear and tear (see Speed & Force panel), so fewer longer strides is the preference for optimum training efficiency. Although horses have a naturally imprinted option, the pressure studies demonstrate that they switch between the two in response to certain extrinsic factors, such as high saddle pressure.

Our task as trainers is to optimise the horse’s locomotor efficiency by removing any impediment that might force it to adopt the shorter-stride compensatory gait. We speculate that equipment which increases pressure (such as an unsuitable design of saddle, bridle, girth or saddle pad) will be counterproductive because it may encourage an increase in stride frequency and compromise natural locomotor efficiency.

Contouring is key

In both studies, the saddle pads that were designed to follow the contour of the horse’s back and withers performed better than those that were flat with no shaping. Furthermore, pads with a midline seam connecting the two sides were able to maintain traction and position, providing spinal clearance even at speed.

In contrast, pads that were flat without any contouring or with no central webbing seam were observed to slip in response to the horse’s movement, drawing down against the spine under the saddle. This was seen even when the pads were pulled up into the saddle channel before setting off.

Quality vs quantity

In an attempt to improve comfort, it’s standard practice to use multiple pads under an exercise saddle. However, adding more shapeless padding can lead to instability and potentially saddle slip.

This feeling of instability can encourage the jockey to overtighten the girth in an attempt to keep the saddle still. One study demonstrated a relationship between increased girth tension and a reduced run-to-fatigue time on a treadmill, indicating that girth tension can affect the breathing of the galloping horse.

In addition, bulk under the saddle puts a feeling of distance between the horse and rider. This compromises the close contact feel and balance all jockeys strive to achieve and hinders the lowering of the jockey’s centre of mass relative to the horse.

Age concern

It’s worth noting that the ability of a material to absorb pressure can be significantly compromised with use and washing, as well as changes in climate. As some materials age, they degrade and loose any initial shock-absorbing qualities. For example, wool loses its ‘crimp’ over time and becomes less effective, so a well-used wool pad may not absorb as much pressure as a new one. …

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Zilpaterol fallout - isn't it time for a European wide threshold testing protocol?

By Alysen Miller

It was a cruel twist of fate, in a year already overshadowed by the spectre of COVID 19, when another biosecurity scare threatened to cast the longest shadow over the blighted 2020 racing season.

On the eve of its biggest racing weekend of the year, French racing authority France Galop announced that five horses had recently tested positive for zilpaterol, a synthetic substance used to promote muscle growth in beef cattle, which is licenced in the United States and other countries for agricultural use but widely banned in Europe. The common denominator was quickly determined to be their feed: all the positive samples were taken from horses fed on Gain Equine Nutrition—the equine feed brand of Glanbia, an Ireland-based global nutrition group with operations in 32 countries. Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien and his two sons, Joseph and Donnacha, who use Gain products, were forced to withdraw all of their runners from Longchamp, including four horses that were due to run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The culprit turned out to be a contaminated feed ingredient—cane molasses, which was supplied to Gain by a third-party supplier, ED&F Man Liquid Products. (Since then, it has been confirmed by the British Equestrian Trade Association that cane molasses containing Zilpaterol supplied by ED&F Man had been supplied to a further half-dozen feed companies in the UK, although at lower levels than was the case in Ireland.) But the scandal has massive implications for the industry beyond O’Brien’s four non-runners in the €5 million European showpiece and raises questions about biosecurity and testing procedures in general, as well as about the sensitivity and specificity of testing apparatus across different racing jurisdictions, both in Europe and beyond.

What is zilpaterol?

But first, it’s worth explaining what exactly zilpaterol is and how it could have found its way into horse feed. Zilpaterol is a beta-agonist used to increase the size of cattle and the efficiency of feeding them. As of October 2017, it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, as well as some 16 other countries, for use in beef cattle; although it has rather fallen out of favour in recent years as many of the countries to which the US exports, including China, do not permit it. It is also strictly prohibited in the European Union. As an anabolic steroid, it is widely banned for use in horses due to its potential performance enhancing properties. “The problem is that the feed manufacturers had no way of predicting this was going to happen,” says Joe Pagan of Kentucky Equine Research. Because of zilpaterol’s declining popularity in the beef industry, in other words, it is not necessarily something that would be on their radar: “It’s so completely out of left field that it’s not something that they would have thought to test for,” he adds.

Nevertheless, questions remain about how exactly a prohibited substance was able to enter the food chain. Feed manufacturers generally go to great lengths to ensure that their product is safe and free of contaminants by testing a certain proportion of their product before sending it to market—for example, a 300gm sample from each 10 tonne batch. Furthermore, feed manufacturers in the UK and Ireland are subject to the Universal Feed Assurance Scheme (UFAS), which regularly audits a company’s entire operations to ensure that they are in compliance with biosecurity protocols. However, several feed industry representatives, who declined to be quoted in this article, privately acknowledge the reality that it is simply too expensive to test every bag, and occasionally something will slip through the net. Many may remember that in 2014, a batch of Dodson & Horrell feed was contaminated by poppy seeds that had been grown in a field close to their plant, resulting in five horses testing positive for morphine (among them, embarrassingly, the Queen’s Royal Ascot Gold Cup heroine, Estimate). Prior to that, in a long-running legal battle, the Willie Mullins-trained Be My Royal was disqualified after winning the 2002 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, the highest-profile casualty among a glut of failed morphine tests at the time.

Test & Trace

O’Brien’s Irish Derby winner Sovereign.

A further difficulty for feed manufacturers is that, even with the most stringent testing regime in place, identifying a possible contaminant among a batch of feed is rather like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. “How do you test 25,000 tonnes of oats for a poppyseed?” Poses biochemist and equine nutritionist Jim Fielden. “One handful can differ from another handful. You pick up one handful and it’s clear; the next handful has one seed in it, and you’ve got a problem. You will never get an exact reading of both handfuls coming from the same sack.” Furthermore, depending on supply chains and the length of time between contamination, production and ingestion, there is no guarantee that a hormone such as zilpaterol would have been detectable in the feed before it had made its way into the horse. “Zilpaterol, if it’s exposed to air conditions, can degrade within a certain time,” explains Fielden. “If they have not analysed it straight from the bin, within a certain length of time, it might prove negative. When it gets into the body, that hormone works with the rest of the hormone system and that’s why it’s easier to find.” In other words, it’s possible that, in some cases, the only way of knowing if zilpaterol was present is if it shows up in the horse as a positive test.

Specificity & Sensitivity

Aidan O’Brien and his sons, were forced to withdraw all of their runners from Longchamp.

And yet there had been no positive tests for zilpaterol anywhere in Europe until France Galop made its bombshell announcement on October 2nd. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board tests all winners on its tracks as a matter of course. Is it conceivable that horses exposed to the contaminated feed could pass a test in Ireland only to fail in France? Of O’Brien’s four intended Arc runners—Mogul, Serpentine, Japan, and Sovereign—Japan and Sovereign had run in Ireland within three weeks of the Arc. Neither had won. The O’Brien family did, however, send out multiple winners in Ireland during the same period; and yet in that period, and despite the fact that the contaminated molasses had made its way to several feed companies the UK by this time, there had only been positives detected under the rules of racing in France from feed originating from one Irish company. …

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Nutrition - antioxidants - their role in racing - is there merit in specifically supplementing antioxidants to enhance performance?

By Catherine Rudenko

Antioxidants are substances that slow down damage to organisms created by the presence of oxygen. The need for antioxidants is always there, in all species, increasing as exercise intensity and duration increase. Is there merit in specifically supplementing antioxidants to enhance performance?

The nature of antioxidants

There are many forms of antioxidants naturally present within the body and supplied through the diet. One key feature of antioxidants is that they are ‘team players’. No one antioxidant alone can maintain the system, and some will only function in the presence of another antioxidant.

The role of an antioxidant is to keep reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free-radicals created in the presence of oxygen at an optimum level. Oxygen is required for life, it is always present, but as an element, it is highly reactive and so can also have an adverse effect on the body. The reactivity of oxygen in the body produces ROS which cause damage to cellular components such as DNA, proteins and lipids of cell membranes. Some ROS also have useful cellular functions, and so the purpose of antioxidants is not to eliminate ROS altogether but to maintain a healthy balance. In general, antioxidants operate in two ways: either preventing the formation of an ROS or removing it before it can cause damage to a cell component.

Sources of antioxidants

There are multiple sources of antioxidants including vitamins, enzymes and nutrient derivatives. Other nutrients such as minerals, whilst not having antioxidant properties, are also involved as their presence is required for the functioning of antioxidant enzymes. Two key examples are zinc and selenium.

As with many body systems, the ideal healthy balance can often go awry. When the level of ROS present overwhelms the capacity of antioxidants present, the body experiences oxidative stress. There are three main reasons for a horse in training experiencing oxidative stress:

• Increased exposure to oxidants from the environment

• An imbalance or shortage in supply of antioxidants

• Increased production of ROS within the body from increased oxygen metabolism during exercise

Oxidative stress is of concern as it can exaggerate inflammatory response and may be detrimental to the normal healing of affected tissues. Oxidative stress during strenuous exercise, such as galloping or endurance, is typically associated with muscle membrane leakage and microtrauma to the muscle. Oxidative stress is now understood to play a role in previously unexplained poor performance.

Dietary antioxidants photo: horse eating?

Given the demands of training and the regularity of intense exercise and racing itself, the use of dietary antioxidants is an important consideration. As antioxidants are generally best considered as a cocktail, it is necessary to give consideration to provision of nutrients and their derivatives across the total daily diet.

The majority of racing feeds will be formulated to provide a good cocktail of basic antioxidants or their supporting minerals. All feeds will contain vitamin E, selenium and zinc for example. Some, but not all, feeds will also provide vitamin C. The source of these nutrients may also differ; for example, some feeds will contain chelated zinc or organic selenium, which offer improved availability. The source of vitamin E will also vary—the majority being provided as synthetic vitamin E; but some will include natural sources of vitamin E, which is more effective.

TOP: Oxidative stress is now understood to play a role in previously unexplained poor performance.

Once a good base diet is in place, consideration for strategic use of individual antioxidants may then be warranted to further enhance the capacity of the body to mitigate the effects of ROS on the muscle. Three popular and commonly used antioxidants are vitamin E, vitamin C and more recently coenzyme Q10.

Vitamin E

As a lipid-soluble antioxidant, vitamin E provides defence against ROS in cells, playing an important role in maintaining integrity of cell membranes. Vitamin E is the most commonly supplemented antioxidant. There are established recommended daily intakes for vitamin E, typically 1000 IU per day for a horse in training; however, further supplementation beyond the basic nutritional requirement can yield benefits. Modern race horse feeds are well fortified—the majority providing upwards of 300 IU/kg, resulting in an average daily intake of over 2000 IU/day.

Intakes of above the base rate have been investigated for their effect on CK (creatine kinase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase)—two markers of muscle damage. One such study used endurance horses whereby intakes ranged from 1150 IU up to 4750 IU per day. Elevated intakes of vitamin E correlated with lower levels of CK and AST suggest that vitamin E can affect muscle membrane permeability and injury to muscle during exercise.

As a guide to improving antioxidant capacity, an intake of up to 5000 IU per day would be appropriate for a horse in training. Vitamin E intake is influenced by the level of fats fed in the diet; and where additional oils are added, further vitamin intake E is required, as vitamin E will be utilised in stabilising the oil itself. Fats fed in a dry format, such as extruded rice bran, are normally fortified with vitamin E for this reason and do not require further supplementation.

Vitamin E is available in feeds and supplements in two forms: synthetic or natural. The natural form, d-alpha-tocopherol, is made up of a single isomer (chemical unit). The synthetic form, dl-alpha-tocopherol, is made up of eight different isomers—only one of which is molecularly the equivalent of natural vitamin E. The dose rate required to increase serum vitamin E levels in horses is lower for natural E than synthetic vitamin E.

The increased bioavailability of natural vitamin E has led to further research in comparing this source against synthetic vitamin E for efficacy against oxidative stress and physical gait changes. The study used 3 diets: a control diet with the standard recommended intake of 1000 IU/day provided by synthetic vitamin E; a higher intake synthetic vitamin E diet of 4000 IU/day; and a high intake of natural vitamin E at 4000 IU/day. The study lasted for six weeks and measured serum levels of vitamin E at various time points along with markers of oxidative stress, CK and AST levels, and gait analysis.

The key findings:

All diets increased serum vitamin E over time; however, the increase was not significant in the diet, providing only 1000 IU/day of synthetic vitamin E. The greatest difference in serum vitamin E was seen in the natural vitamin E diet where levels increased by 77.25% from day one to the last time point.

Oxidative stress was measured through multiple tests including oxidation of lipids (TBARS). Horses supplemented with natural E had lower levels of lipid oxidation markers than both synthetically supplemented horses at the second exercise test, which occurred after six weeks of fitness training.

AST levels were lower within the two hours post exercise of natural E supplemented horses compared to synthetic vitamin E horses; however, by 24 hours, the difference was no longer significant. There was no noted significant effect on CK.

Gait analysis before and after exercise showed better movement of horses that were supplemented with natural vitamin E. These horses experienced less of a reduction in their stride duration post exercise, potentially indicating less muscle soreness due to less oxidative stress.

As vitamin E is well proven to be an effective antioxidant, it may be tempting to think that ‘more is better’; however, as with all nutrients, there is a safety limit to consider. Current research indicates that supplementing at 10 times the base level—an intake of 10,000 IU/day—may result in poor bone mineralisation and impair beta-carotene (vitamin A) absorption. An intake of 4000-5000 IU/day based on the research above and other studies would appear effective whilst also being well below the presumed safety limit.

Vitamin C

Ordinarily horses can manufacture adequate vitamin C within the body, unlike humans that require direct supplementation. Additional vitamin C is required and often recommended when the body is challenged through disease or periods of stress. …

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Hydrotherapy for performance - the benefits of water based conditioning - hydrotherapy as a mechanism for enhancing performance in the racehorse

What is hydrotherapy?

The historic use of water for therapeutic benefit in the equine industry has taken a leap in development in recent decades, from the humble use of cold hosing a swollen limb through to the development of water treadmills and water walkers for injury rehabilitation and performance development. Cold hosing and other forms of cooling localised areas of the body is more correctly termed cryotherapy—meaning, it aims to harness the benefits of reduction in temperature to treat mainly acute and oedemic injuries. By reducing temperature of the local area, for example, a distal portion of a limb, several key functional changes occur. First, local blood flow is reduced. This is especially useful if an open wound is involved; the precapillary sphincters constrict and direct blood away from the area. Secondly, there is evidence that nociceptors, involved in the perception of pain and sensory receptors located at the end of peripheral nerve endings can be temporarily suppressed with local application of cryotherapy. Following a brief summary of cryotherapy, this article is going to focus on hydrotherapy as a mechanism for enhancing performance in the racehorse, focusing on the specific parameters of fitness that can be targeted and thus improved.

• Fundamental properties of water

There are several fundamental principles of water that can be used as a recovery tool to facilitate optimum rehabilitation and ongoing performance improvement. When immersed in water, or made to move through water, the horse’s body, like the human, encounters a medium for which it is not designed, and locomotion is of limited efficiency. It is in fact the imposed limited efficiency that is useful in different training contexts—it forces the body to work harder than on dry ground, thus improving fitness and better preparing the horse’s body for future athletic tests. Similarly, the method of human altitude, or hypoxic training, is where the body will learn to produce the same amount of energy with a significantly lower available amount of oxygen and thus benefit at a later date in a competitive environment.

The effect of hydrostatic pressure increases as water depth increases.

First, and most important in an equine fitness protocol, is the viscosity of the water creating resistance; the resistance offered by water is greater than that experienced in locomotion on dry ground, therefore requiring greater overall effort to move through it. Exercising in water has shown to provide up to 15 times the resistance of exercising on land. This factor alone means that the trainer can achieve a far more challenging training environment without the horse experiencing the concussive forces on the limbs associated with high-end aerobic or anaerobic land based exercise, such as works on a gallops. Resistance also works indirectly at lower water levels whereby horses will choose to step over the water in a bid to avoid resistance. Therapists then utilise this to gain increased flexion at limb joints (further discussion of this throughout the article). Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted on an object when immersed in water. Depth of immersion is an influential factor with greater depth correlating with greater pressure. Depending on the type of hydrotherapy system used, the benefits of hydrostatic pressure will vary. For example, greater hydrostatic pressure will be exerted when using a swimming lane with depths of up to two metres, as opposed to depths of 30-60cm of water on a treadmill. Application of hydrostatic pressure greatly benefits the recovery processes, acting in a similar way as compression bandages. The pressure reduces the formation of oedema, or swelling, and improves the elimination of muscular by-products such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide. Buoyancy is not utilised in the same way as it is in humans and small animal hydrotherapy, except in the use of swimming lanes; this is partly due to the obvious size difference and limitations associated with submerging a horse almost completely in water. Buoyancy is achieved when the weight of the fluid displaced by the body is equal, also accounting for the force of gravity on the body. To remain buoyant, the two forces must counterbalance one another. Once this balance occurs, the body is essentially weightless, allowing exercise without the impact of joint load experienced in land-based exercise. These properties act together during water-based exercise to produce the increased benefits to the horse’s fitness discussed in this article.

• What happens during a hydrotherapy session?

Horses are typically introduced to the hydrotherapy equipment to acclimate them and ensure they will be relaxed while exercising. It is important for the horse to establish a relaxed frame when working on the treadmill or in the hydrotherapy pool to prevent any stress-related or compensatory posture during the workout. As we know from land-based exercise, if a horse is stressed, they are likely to tire more quickly; so in order to utilise this workout, acclimation is beneficial. When using a treadmill, it is typical that the horse warms up on a dry treadmill prior to adding water. As with land-based exercise, a thorough warmup ensures adequate preparation of the horse’s muscles to be ready for harder work during the session.

• The bodily systems during exercise

During a hydrotherapy session, the horse’s different bodily systems will be affected in several ways. But essentially, the efficiency and smooth-running of these systems all contribute to overall performance quality, and any deficiencies will act as an overall limitation. The cardiovascular system is often considered to be the horse’s engine during locomotion, working with the respiratory system in concert to provide the horse with the oxygen needed for exercise as well as dispelling by-products. Working as a muscular pump, the heart delivers oxygen and nutrient-rich blood across the body via a network of blood vessels that develops further with long-term consistent exercise. Supplying this oxygen are the nasal structures; as obligate nasal breathers, horses must breathe through their noses. Flaring of nostrils and dilation of the horse’s larynx work to provide a greater cross-sectional area of space for oxygen uptake. When exercise begins, the previously oxygenated muscles begin to work and enter temporary oxygen debt. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems combat this by working harder to produce a continual supply of oxygenated blood by increasing the number of breaths taken per minute, thus increasing oxygen intake. During hydrotherapy exercise, the respiratory system will be required to deliver elevated levels of oxygen and removal of increased quantities of carbon dioxide. This is because the horse begins to work towards the higher levels of aerobic exercise. At rest, the horse will be taking in approximately 60 litres of air per minute; when moving towards moderately strenuous exercise, this can increase to as much as 2,250 litres of air per minute. From here the heart increases in beats per minute to keep up with this demand. When still working with oxygen the exercise is considered aerobic; when the horse reaches a speed or exercise intensity where they require greater oxygen than is available, the horse will begin working anaerobically. In a hydrotherapy setting, the treadmill can be considered more the equivalent of strength and conditioning training where heart rate does not rise significantly. On the contrary, swimming increases heart rate significantly without the concussive forces of traditional gallop work. This is when the horse is unable to utilise oxidative processes quickly enough—also known as maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max). Any further energy must be generated by anaerobic glycolysis. The horse cannot sustain long periods of anaerobic exercise, but instead the horse’s aerobic capacity becomes greater and thus delays onset of the anaerobic exercise.

Incidentally, horses also experience respiratory locomotor coupling in higher intensity canter and gallop work—a phenomenon that epitomises the efficiency of the horse as a performance animal. The stride and breath are in sync at a harmonious 1:1 ratio; they must lengthen their stride to increase their speed. From a fitness point of view, the respiratory system is often considered the horse’s limiting factor where minimal conditioning takes place of the related structures. Additionally, the horse’s respiratory system is highly specialised for exercise. This means that any damage to or deficiency of the respiratory system can have significant influence on overall performance. Unlike in the human, the horse’s resting heart rate does not lower with increased fitness; therefore, opportunities to measure fitness are reduced to monitoring during exercise and in the recovery phase.

Fitness testing methods may include blood-lactate tests, monitoring of respiratory and exercising heart rate, recovery rate from exercise—with the fitter the horse, the quicker the recovery rate. Like on dry treadmills, the controlled indoor nature of the hydrotherapy environment lends itself well to applying various fitness testing equipment as opposed to some of the environmental constraints often found in in-field exercise environments such as out on a gallops. In contrast, to the respiratory system, the horse’s muscular system has great potential for improvement, and targeted use of hydrotherapy can be hugely beneficial. …

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Thoroughbred Tales - a campaign named in Pat Smullen’s honour driven by John Butler, physiotherapist to the Irish racing stars

By Sally-Ann Grassick

This has been a difficult year for people the world over for obvious reasons. Aside from COVID-19, it was also a tough time for the racing world as we lost one of the gentlemen of the weighing room in Pat Smullen, and the pandemic deprived our tight-knit community from coming together in the traditional way to honour and remember him, as so many of us wished we could have. But even the darkest times can provide a glimmer of positivity when we least expect it, and throughout Pat’s illness, and even after his untimely passing, we have seen the strength of humankind and the desire to help others in whatever way possible. The entire racing community banded together throughout Ireland and beyond to support the fundraising campaign in Pat’s name for much needed pancreatic cancer research. During the last year of his life, a game-changing €2.6 million was collected through various events around Irish Champions Weekend 2019. Pat hated being the centre of attention for any reason other than his skills in the saddle; but through that campaign, he provided a much-recognised face to a worthy cause and created a legacy to make his family very proud.

The spirit that we all felt during that time has resurfaced again during this difficult year with a campaign named in Pat’s honour and driven by John Butler, physiotherapist to the Irish racing stars.

John Butler

“I have dealt with a lot of sports teams during my career, and the highlight of any major success was always the lovely tradition of taking the trophy to a children’s hospital the following day. I had often mentioned it to the jockeys, and last year we finally made it happen, though we had to all make fools of ourselves singing in a car driving around the Curragh to raise money beforehand! I’ll never forget the feeling of standing in the car park that morning, more nervous than I’d ever been in my life, surrounded by jockeys who think nothing of throwing themselves over fences on horseback for a living but were dry mouthed at the prospect of what they might see inside. It wasn’t nearly as terrifying as they might have expected, but it did have an effect on each of us that day.

Pat was a great friend of mine going back years; we are both Offaly men so we had a sort of mutual understanding of our stubborn personalities. He was supposed to be part of that day, but unfortunately his condition worsened and that couldn’t come to be in the end; but we carried him with us on that visit. He was so inspirational to that campaign, so it was only right that we would dedicate this year’s project to his memory.

I remember Aidan O’Brien turning to me at the end of last year’s visit and saying, “Thanks for that John; we all needed it.” Those words have stayed with me, and I think now is another time when we all need that feeling again. This year has been hard for everyone, and restrictions make it even harder for hospital staff and the parents of the children. I asked Crumlin Children’s Hospital to name a piece of equipment that they really needed, and they came up with a Spinal Cell Saver, which is a blood recovery device that costs €26,000. I thought that seemed a decent target to aim for, but little did I know that three weeks later our total would be over €30,000 and still continuing to rise. It has been amazing to see the support for this campaign as we have not been able to organise any big events, and we haven’t had major donors. But instead, it has just been regular people throughout the racing community giving what they can. The machine has already been purchased and is on site ready to be used. The account will remain open for now, and any further money raised will go to providing some much needed fun and distraction for the children. I think it has been a lovely way to honour Pat’s memory, and I hope the groundwork has now been laid for this project to continue in the future when we finally return to normality and can organise our next hospital visit.”

The mission of Thoroughbred Tales is to spread positive stories about racing with a wider audience, and I for one cannot think of a better tale to share with you all at this time of a difficult year than this one. Happy New Year to you all, and I hope 2021 shines brighter for everyone. …

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TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter - Susan Corbett

By Lissa Oliver

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

Susan Corbett trains over 20 National Hunt and Flat horses at Girsonfield Stud in Otterburn, Northumberland. On 19 December at Newcastle, Andante won the QuinnBet Quarterback “Junior” Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race and Hills Of Connemara brought up the double for the stable when winning a poignant QuinnBet Live Casino Novices’ Handicap Chase. “Andante was a bit of an accident,” Corbett confesses. “Micheál Conaghan asked if I’d make an offer on an unsold three-year-old gelding. I was giving my four-year-old granddaughter a riding lesson at the time and trying to hold her, the phone and the catalogue! I made a low offer, as I couldn’t afford the horse and didn’t want it! So Andante arrived five months ago and we broke him and kept waiting for him to tell us to back off a bit and give him a break, but instead he just kept strengthening all the time. “I took him for his first and only racecourse gallop at Newcastle and my husband Frank came to watch and said, ‘I know what I want for my birthday, I’d like that horse!’ And out he came out and won on debut at Newcastle, two days before Frank’s 70th birthday.”

Completing the stable double was Hills Of Connemara, highlighting Corbett’s patience and ability to bring back a horse from injury. “She was owned by Fred Chapman, who sadly lost his fight to cancer just two weeks ago,” Corbett reveals. “Fred liked to pay as little as possible for his horses and often just acquired them, so I was surprised when he rang to say he’d paid £17,000 for a filly at the Cheltenham Boutique Sale. “Hills Of Connemara ran with promise early in 2018 but then damaged a tendon. We got that fixed and then she damaged the other tendon.

So we spent two years trying to get her back to work, it’s a real tribute to Fred for his patience. She had been off the track for 885 days when we ran her at Hexham and she was pulled up when lack of fitness got to her. We were rushing to get her to the track while Fred could still enjoy her, but sadly he lost his battle before being able to see her repay the faith he had in her. His family were delighted by her win.”

At the age of 11, Corbett was told the stark reality by her parents that she couldn’t have a pony “because Dad only worked in a factory, he didn’t own it.” She has achieved her dream by sheer stubbornness and refusal to give up, which you could say reflects in her patient nursing back to winning ways of Hills Of Connemara. “Not coming from a family with any background in training, I have no preconceived ideas,” Corbett reflects. “I sometimes do random things, like putting Morning With Ivan back in training after her foal was weaned, and she won another five races. We’ve now done the same with Harrisons Promise. Once her filly was weaned she practically ran back into the training yard, she is better than ever.”

With son Jamie working as Assistant Trainer, having only recently retired as a jockey, and Frank managing the farm, which includes the supply of their own high-quality hay and haylage, it’s a real family affair, completed by eldest son Richard and his cousin Adam, who manage the website. They have a professional and ambitious team alongside. “I remember once reading in Trainer magazine that a trainer is only as good as the people who work for them and that has been something I’ve always kept in my mind,” Corbett says. “All the team here are a great bunch, really committed to the horses and they love their job.” In fact, last year the Girsonfield team were awarded 3-star Gold Accreditation in the Lycetts Team Champion Award and this year they made the shortlist of four, earning Gold accreditation.

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Bureaucracy in training - how trainers are coping with the added paperwork they now need to produce for racing authorities

By Lissa Oliver

Conny Whitfield, a small-scale German trainer based in Iffezheim, shares one of German racing’s best kept secrets. “Elsewhere in Europe, most stables have a secretary, but here in Germany, most trainers do not. There are 15 trainers based here, three with over 50 horses in training each; and none of us have secretaries.”

As the office work elsewhere in racing yards increases, it’s perhaps bitter-sweet to learn that some jurisdictions have honed an efficient online system that can actually save trainers time in the office.

“We have 10 horses in training, and I do all the office work myself, although I do have the help of an accountant,” Whitfield reveals. “I find all the paperwork and documentation required on a daily basis to be straightforward, and it has not really increased in recent years. The difference now is that it is all online, and I find it simpler. Moving online has been a great help. What used to take me an hour now only takes 10 minutes. The only paperwork needed is collecting receipts.”

Whitfield has a lot of runners in France and notes, “There’s much more paperwork required by France Galop!” She admits that recruiting and dealing with staff is a bigger issue than office work, as finding good staff in Germany is a major problem.

There are always exceptions, and Cologne-based Peter Schiergen is assisted with secretarial duties by his wife Gisela. He also has Valeria Holinger working on his website and social media, but he does have over 70 horses in training. Christian von der Recke, with 43 horses, has introduced Stefanie Sambale to his team—the first person in his office for many years.

Producing good riders and grooms is the necessary priority for the racing school in Cologne, but the mounting office work faced by most other trainers means that courses for Racing Secretaries are becoming an equal part of the curriculum at Europe’s horseracing academies.

Ireland’s Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE) is the latest to introduce such a course—the part-time racing secretary course new for 2020 and delivered via Zoom (due to pandemic restrictions) in six afternoons over three weeks. Among the six modules covered are Racing Administration, Payroll and Health and Safety, which have increased significantly in recent years.

Racing Secretaries courses are designed to provide aspiring secretaries and newly appointed secretaries with a comprehensive understanding of the role of the trainer’s secretary, the structure of the racing industry and racing administration. Clare Breadin was seeking work within the racing industry when she recently completed the Newmarket-based course and found it was an even mix between those already working in a racing yard office and those, like herself, looking to change careers.

“I see the role of the racing secretary as quite demanding,” Breadin observes, “as they cover Health and Safety, Human Relations, declarations, bookings, owners, accounts, payroll and so on. Attention to detail is a must. Also, now everything has to be on social media, which is another additional task. I feel the job could be very stressful, and secretaries are needed seven days a week.”

Breadin, who now works in a leading flat racing stable in Britain, found the software programmes for accounts and billing easy to use and straightforward, so it would seem the traditional tasks have been alleviated somewhat by the digital era. But new responsibilities for employers regarding data management, working hours and the health, safety and general wellbeing of employees have brought a tougher new dimension to the office.

“Some trainers have several secretaries, as some do the book-keeping and some deal with the racing side of things,” Breadin notes. “I think maybe with the increase of racing, and also more international runners, the role has increased.”

This is borne out by Hannah Watson, racing secretary and PA to British trainers James and Ed Bethell. “Over the last year, the emphasis on the trainer's secretary to carry out more and more administration duties and paperwork has increased dramatically,” Watson says. “Weatherbys have now changed several things. VAT Summaries are now online, and we must go through them all monthly and print them out. The naming of the horse online now is done by us, and Weatherbys just send us a sticker for the passport once confirmed. We must make sure of the correct spelling, etc.

“Unfortunately, due to COVID, we now must declare all racing staff online and then do the race day declaration. Previously this would be done by a member of staff at the races in the weighing room. This takes time, and it is so important to get all the information correct, such as whether the horse needs to wear a red hood to the start, etc. It's our responsibility to make sure all our owners and staff have passed the COVID questionnaire before attending racing; we then organise the badges via the PASS Card system.

“I am lucky, as I have worked on and off in the racing industry as a trainer’s secretary for many years. I have had no formal training and taught myself along the way. Weatherbys do have a help desk if we are ever stuck.”

Martine Ricard, secretary to Henri-Alex Pantall in Beaupréau, France, joined the team in 1983, and has followed its progress, being responsible for all the administration and management of the business. “It is with pleasure that I could talk about the job of racing secretary, I’ve been practicing it for 35 years and it’s true that there have been a lot of developments,” she says.

“The job of stable secretary has evolved considerably since I started, 35 years ago. Everything has become enormously professional and centralised at France Galop. The number of race meetings, now several meetings per day, has increased a lot and as a result the workload of entries, forfeits, declarations of starters, climbs too. Then there is the organisation for owners and transport for this. “Fortunately, the internet is there! And the France Galop site greatly facilitates our work, it has become an essential tool for our work, but also much more specialised and demanding, it is also our reference.”

Pantall’s stable is well-established and successful, as Ricard points out. “With the exception of this particular year, we have on average more than 1,000 starters per year, plus those abroad who are also ask to complete special formalities. In addition, there is staff management, and in France social laws are constantly evolving, and all the billing. “In conclusion, one or more secretary in a stable is more and more essential, to free the trainer from this increasingly time-consuming administrative work and she or he must have a great capacity for adaptation.”

It would seem that with any volume of runners, a trainer simply cannot devote the necessary time to the administration involved in running a larger racing stable, even if he or she possessed the required skill set and interest. Few people get involved with horses in order to immerse themselves in office duties, least of all trainers. For many British stables, having two office staff is fast becoming the norm.

With over 250 horses in training, Middleham-based UK trainer Mark Johnston has a team of seven in the office; four secretaries complimented by a dedicated human resources and transport manager, an accounts manager and a partnerships manager to deal specifically with shared ownership horses. …

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Funding research in equine veterinary development - the financial impact of the pandemic on scientific research

By Annie Dodd

Something we can all agree on is that 2020 has not gone as planned. Nothing has escaped the effects of COVID-19, and as far as the racing industry is concerned, that goes for scientific research as well as the day-to-day activity in training centres, on studs and on the track.

Amongst the statutory duties of the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) is a requirement to apply funds for the advancement of veterinary science and education. In a normal year, the Board, through its Veterinary Advisory Committee, would be inviting applications for new projects to start the following year, as well as managing work already underway.

In 2020, access to university labs and field work has been severely restricted, meaning that many of the ongoing projects are being delayed—a frustrating situation for all. Everything will be finished, but it will take longer than planned.

The financial impact of the pandemic on racing is well known. For the Levy Board, many of the non-racing budget items have had to be restricted, and this has included veterinary science and education. For the first time there has been no grant call this year, and so no new work will be starting in 2021.

The better news is that three new major projects, 12 small projects, one research scholarship and two post-doctoral fellowships have begun in 2020.

The major research projects are hosted by institutions such as university veterinary schools. These can go up for up to three years, with budgets normally in the region of £200,000 to £300,000. …

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FMBs Water Treadmills - a unique and innovative product that can be used for both rehabilitation after injury

EQUINE HYDROTHERAPY - SPONSORED CONTENT from FMBS

Equine Aqua Power -Hampshire.

The Water Treadmill from FMBs Therapy Systems is a unique and innovative product that can be used for both rehabilitation after injury and as an important part of a training regime to improve all over suppleness, stride length, muscle tone and core strength. Our Water Treadmills can help maximise performance and reduce the risk of injury offering combined operation with horses being able to be use it dry as well as with water but also with chilled saltwater spa options.

We have nearly 18 years experience in manufacturing and installing water treadmills worldwide, meaning you can rely on our extensive knowledge and experience in the field, plus all our water treadmills are sold with full UK training, backup, support and servicing. We have the benefit of having Dr Matthias Baumann (veterinarian, rehabilitation centre owner and Olympic Gold medal event rider winner) as part of our team for full onsite training post installation. Matthias’ knowledge and experience is immense - he had a water treadmill in his practise for over 20 years and has been involved with numerous studies on working horses in water treadmills. He has extensive practical and scientific experience to achieve the best results for all types of horses both during rehabilitation and as part of specific training programmes.

MP Jump - France.

Our water treadmills are manufactured in Germany using stainless steel construction throughout. They can be run with either fresh water or salt water, depending on your requirements. Additional options available that can be incorporated into the treadmill are spa jets, a water chilling system, an incline function, trot (as well as walk) and a filtration system with options to suit your budget and needs whether operating privately or commercially.

All our water treadmills are supplied with transparent side and doors, so that you can see the horses working from all angles, plus looking down from the user platform which is one of the more important views of how the horses are working through their backs and muscle asymmetries. The treadmills come with an efficient and easy to use full filtration system with pre-filtration (removal of solids), micro filtration (cleaning of the water), water recycling and chemical-free sterilisation. At the press of a button, the filtration will continuously run automatically cleaning, sterilising and recycling your water.

The design and dimensions of the treadmills are important to allow the bigger horses room to work comfortably within their stride length through their backs. There are numerous safety features on our machines which all help to allow horses to work correctly and safely with their head and neck lower. This is really important for the horse’s safety and comfort as well as the training benefit and your results. Speed and water depth is really important to get right for the best results. Our customers find having the experience of Dr Matthias Baumann available to draw on when required invaluable.

Dr Matthias Baumann says, “At the beginning we thought the treadmills were only good on therapy – for ligaments and tendons. Now we have good experience on the training and see the effects are not just for rehabilitation of the legs but also on the back muscles, core strength and flexibility through the spine when you train in the right way, on the right machines.”

With regards to placement of the treadmill, they can either be placed in small pits so horses can walk on and off level to the ground, or placed on concrete with on/off ramps. We will meet with you for an initial site visit, discussing options for placement and ideas of set up based on our vast experience and knowledge, providing you with an efficient solution bespoke to your property, set up and business requirements.

Serena Hickson, managing director of FMBs Therapy Systems, says "On- going research and training is of utmost importance to us. We and our clients are always very happy to get involved with any new research projects to improve overall learning for the equine hydrotherapy industry as a whole. We were pleased to hear of the new organisation, the IEH (Institute of Equine Hydrotherapists), which has been set up to standardise, improve knowledge and support of this growing sector. We are looking forward to sharing knowledge, learning and extensive experience, especially with the water treadmills, to improve the industry as a whole.”

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