Thoroughbred U

Just like people, Thoroughbreds have to be maintained in tip top shape to be the superior athletes that they are.  Horses are cared for by their owners, trainers, handlers, licensed veterinarians, and rules established by many organizations.  The United States Department of Agriculture, state regulations, federal and state veterinary offices, sales auctions, and racetracks all have a responsibility for caring for the horses, and they have varied rules for achieving adequate care.

To become an equine veterinarian in the Unites States, generally a person must first obtain a bachelor’s degree that includes a good scientific background.  After that, they may sit for the Graduate Record Examination or the Veterinary or Medical College Administration Test.  Once admitted to an approved school they will study about 4 years to receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine  degree.  At this point they will take the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam, and upon passing they will likely do a year of internship.

Horses take all kinds of medicine for many problems, just like we humans do.  Some of the medicines are purely therapeutic, but some are utilized with a bit of controversy, because they may be performance enhancing drugs.  The medications you will likely see or hear about on race day are Lasix and Bute.  In the racing program, and over the intercom system, there is usually some announcement referring to the use of these medications in particular horses.  Lasix is the brand name for furosemide.  This drug is administered to a horse generally to prevent exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage.  In stage four of this problem bleeding is visible thru the horse’s nose.  The horses bleed because when they race they might have a four times increase in blood pressure that may cause the small capillaries in the lungs to burst.  Giving the horse Lasix may decrease the blood pressure and the blood pH and will cause the horse to urinate a good percentage of body weight.  Most other countries have banned the use of this drug on race day.  Many American tracks have also banned this medications use, but at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, KY  a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved veterinarian may administer the drug.  You can see if the drug is in use by the letter l (L) right next to the horses name in the program.  Bute is an abbreviation for phenylbutazone.  It is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.  This drug is a good pain killer.  It is also subject to controversy since some think this may help a horse push through it’s pain when it really needs rest.

Thoroughbreds receive vaccinations as well.  Most races and sales will have a horse take a Coggins test annually.  This test looks for equine infectious anemia (swamp fever).  There is a vaccination to assist with prevention.  Horses also suffer from strangles.  This is the term for an infectious and contagious abscess of the lymphoid tissue in the upper respiratory tract.  It is streptococcal in nature and only found in donkeys, mules and horses.  This too has an available vaccine.  In order to race at Keeneland a horse must be approved by the Kentucky State Veterinary office and found to have a current negative Coggins test, a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection performed by a licensed vet within the last 72 hours, and a record of vaccination against Equine Herpes Virus Type 1 within the period of the former 14 to 120 days.  The horse must have a rectal temperature log maintained during its stay.  Any reading over 102 degrees fahrenheit is to be reported immediately.   If a horse is to be sold at Keeneland,  it must pass a Certified Veterinary Inspection showing all tests and vaccines.  Also, it must meet the USDA requirement of a negative equine infectious anemia test (AGID) and there may be no infectious, contagious, or communicable diseases present or a history of exposure.  A Federal Veterinarian is kept present throughout the sales meet.

Horses need proper health care and fortunately there is a lot of discussion, legislation and rules that guide the correct and ethical treatment for these animals.  Be on the lookout for updates to theses current standards.

Tonight I am looking into a controversial topic that is surely worthy of exploration. Why do Thoroughbred horses get whipped at races and even training? Do the whips hurt? Is whipping a horse necessary?

I am a huge animal lover. Anything that brings harm to an animal is offensive to me. Despite my affection for horses I do not ride them. At a young age I was overwhelmed with compassion for the horses I had the opportunity to ride. My young mind could not grasp that a horse could or should carry the weight of a human. I would not put the saddle on tightly either. No way was I going to give a horse a belly jab to get a better fit, so off to the side I slid. I prefer to watch. There are few other thrills more exciting than viewing a live horse race. When the weather is right I walk right up to the finish line, at my favorite track, and wait there. Then, I hear the frightening crack of the whip and I cringe a little. So I must know, what is all the whipping about?

It seems horses have always been whipped from the time man first started domesticating the animal. I do not know when the public began to balk, but by 1980, in England, there became a large demand for change. That sentiment was felt in many countries worldwide including the United States. By 2007, in this country, padding the whip became a requirement. It is interesting that many of these changes are driven by public opinion. This public has two opinions however. One group feels that if a jockey does not whip the horse that they are not really trying hard enough to win. The opposing public feel it is unnecessary, even abusive. It seems from the jockey’s prospective that most enjoy having an option. Great races are won both ways. For the jockey, it may be a matter of protecting the horse and rider.

Because some horses wear blinders, or due to the adrenaline and crowding on the track, many Thoroughbreds may need a little help from the riders. The jockey may need to steer the horse away from running straight on a turn, into a rail, or colliding with another horse and rider. Whipping is one way to cue a horse. However, there are other ways to cue a Thoroughbred too. Verbal clicking and coaching is one method to directing a horse. Some horses respond well to nudges. Often a change of posture in the saddle can be a useful alert. Shaking on the reins can make the horse aware. Note that some horses do not respond to whipping anyways.

Probably to soften the blow, poor choice of phrase, the industry has started to stray from the word whip. Alternative names are sticks, encouragers, ticklers, feather dusters, persuaders and more commonly, riding crops.

Apparently, apprentice jockeys use the whip more than seasoned jockeys. One of the most famous jockeys, Pat Day rarely whipped a horse. Gabriel Saez whipped Eight Belles 10 times in the 2008 Kentucky Derby where she placed and then immediately broke both ankles and was euthanized on the spot. That event initiated an all time low in moral for the American public towards the racing industry.

That same year, Ellis Park in Western Kentucky started using new whips. Later that fall, Keeneland in Lexington, KY, started to experiment with 30 different whips. In America the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) and the Jockey Club create the design for whip rules but they leave each racing jurisdiction to set their own guidelines. The ARCI chose to use trimmed fiberglass rods taped with duct tape, wrapped in fabric , weighing under 8 ounces with a minimum shaft of 0.5 inches in diameter and the flap may be 0.8 to 1.6 inches wide. The handle is rubber and the popper is applied with glue. Kentucky Regulatory Statutes have the same specifications and a maximum length of 30 inches, a flap max of 1/2 inch wide, no binding allowed within 7 inches, use of shock absorbing material is required, and stingers/projections and metal is prohibited. Keeneland makes a Condition Book for each meet. They have the same requirements and they insist that inspections may be made by stewards or scale clerks.

Other ARCI rules are that jockeys have the choice to use the whip or not. If they choose not to use it, that choice will be announced prior to the race. They must first show the horse the whip and give the animal response time before using it, they may only use it again if the horse responds. The whip is to be used in rhythm with the stride. The shoulders or hind should only be struck if for safety. No whipping may occur after the race unless it is used for safety. The whip is not to be used excessively or to cause breaks in the skin or welts. If the horse is not in contention to show or already at its maximum speed it should not be whipped. Finally, a jockey may not whip another jockey or the horse the other jockey is riding, duh.

Many other countries have their own rules too. Some have maximum consecutive whip counts. Many require stride breaks between whips. Frequently the jockey is only permitted to raise their arm so far. Others chose to only allow whipping in certain stages on the race. Also, it is not uncommon to have a veterinarian examine a horse post race for marks and bleeding.

Australia did a widely shared retrospective study in 2011. Five races were watched with 48 Thoroughbreds participating. The study was funded by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The conclusion was that increased whip was not associated with a significant variation in velocity as a predictor of superior placing at the finish ( see An Investigation of Racing Performance and Whip Use by Jockeys in Thoroughbred Races 1/2011 for full disclosure ). This study was applauded by many and equally rebuked by others. The Jockey’s Guild of Nicholasville, KY sent an e-mail that was not in approval. Some think the sample size was too small, that a retrospective study is not proper and that the funding was from a biased organization.

For certain changes are still in the making. The new whips make an impressive popping sound but supposedly do not inflict pain. That makes some jockeys whip even more and harder. If whips were banned by all in training and racing it would level the playing field but often a jockey does not practice with a horse prior to a race so they do not have the relationship to maximize alternative cueing methods and find the whip the best way to keep horse and self safe. California is awaiting final approval in early 2015 to disqualify a horse if it receives more than 3 consecutive whips in a race.

To whip or not to whip? That is the question.

What makes a horse a Thoroughbred?  It is all about the breeding.  Every single horse of this breed is a descendant of 3 original sires (male parents) and a selection of dams (female parents).  The stallions (fertile male horses) were the Godolphin Arabian/ Barb, the Darley Arabian, and the Byerly Turk.  The Godolphin was named for a Lord of the same name and was from Yemen.  The Darley was named for Thomas Darley and was purchased in Syria.  The Byerly got his name from Captain Robert Byerly, both horse and rider were from Ireland but the horse may have originated from Turkmenistan.   These horses were brought to England between 1689 and 1730.

Early efforts to pedigree and keep books were not sophisticated.  By 1791 the first General Stud book was created for Thoroughbreds in England. The first breeding of the Thoroughbred in America took place in both Maryland and Virginia.   American horse racing dates back to 1665 but Thoroughbred racing started in the U.S. in 1745.  It wasn’t until 1873 that The American Stud book was developed.  This was created by Kentucky native Colonel Sanders D. Bruce, not to be confused with another Colonel Sanders of the same state, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.  In 1986 The Jockey Club replaced The American Stud book.  Blood typing began in  1977.  Currently, the United States is the leader in having the most Thoroughbred races.

There are fairly standard characteristics of the breed.  These are the fastest of all horses.  They are known for their strength.  Horses are measured in hands.  A Thoroughbred stands at 15 to 17 hands.  Each hand is a unit of 4 inches.  They have a face in the style of Arabian horses that may or may not be marked with a star, snip or a blaze. The neck is long and the body is muscular.  The fur may be colored bay, brown, chestnut, black, gray, roan, palomino or white. The legs are long and lean with possible stockings or socks.  Thoroughbreds are certainly beautiful!

Who’s your daddy?  It is one of the most important questions to ask about a Thoroughbred. Knowing the sire and dam is the basis for all breeding, sales and racing but it is real easy to find the answer.  Just check the pedigree and be certain it started with just three daddies.

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