In the wake of the fatal injury sustained by filly Eight Belles in the May 3 Kentucky Derby, The Jockey Club has commissioned a seven-member Thoroughbred Safety Committee, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) board of directors
Pain originating in the upper cannon bone area, just below the knee or hock, is common in all types of equine athletes. However, it can be difficult to determine exactly what structure is injured; some injuries can only be seen with high-field MRI.
The airways of many breeds of horses, particularly Thoroughbreds, are evaluated via an endoscope and graded before sale. The intent is to identify horses whose airways might have problems that could limit the horses’ performance at maximal
According to a group of researchers from the United Kingdom, heart murmurs are common in athletic horses, but do not negatively impact racing performance.
“A high prevalence of heart murmurs is known to exist in horses,” explained Lesley
Up to 86% of Australian Thoroughbred racehorses have been reported to have gastric ulcers. Many factors can contribute to ulcers, and researchers at Murdoch University set out to determine which ones were the most significant for this population
Storm Cat, for years the No. 1 Thoroughbred stallion, has been experiencing difficulties impregnating his mares this breeding season at the Young’s family’s Overbrook Farm near Lexington. Fewer than half of the 31 mares that the 25-year-old
The Virginia Racing Commission will offer free pre-race testing for anabolic and androgenic steroids in horses that race at Colonial Downs this year.
The commission, at its March 19 meeting, unanimously adopted regulations and penalties
Although it’s not a common injury, fracture of the scapula or shoulder blade does occur in horses and causes notable lameness. At the 2007 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Orlando, Fla., Stuart Vallance, BVS
The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) has funded a research project to study threshold levels and withdrawal times of four approved anabolic steroids. But the timing of the study, which should be completed by August, could make it
Thoroughbred racehorses with obstructed respiratory tracts due to inflammation of the arytenoid cartilage or failed tiebacks treated via unilateral partial arytenoidectomy–a surgical technique that resolves the obstruction–are likely to return
A weekly feature found only on BloodHorseNOW.com, The “Inside Track” is dedicated to the people in Thoroughbred racing that may not always make the headlines, but
Infertility is a major problem in some broodmares. A large incidence of infertility is seen in valuable, intensively bred mares such as racehorses and performance mares, and significant amounts of money and time are devoted to dealing with the
A study led by Colorado State University and research partners will help to answer a long-debated question about health and performance effects of a drug commonly used to treat racehorses in the U.S. to prevent bleeding into their airways as the
The proliferation of racehorse rescues and retirement programs means that thousands of retired Thoroughbred racehorses have been placed into new homes. Ensuring success in what comes next–the transition and retraining of Thoroughbreds by their
A new way to correct a respiratory condition commonly called “roaring” has returned a Thoroughbred mare to the track, earning her owners more than $300,000 since her recovery in 2006.
Raging Rapids, a strapping 5-year-old mare, won a race
New York racing regulators July 31 adopted a series of new rules, including more restrictive prohibitions on betting by racetrack mutuel tellers and final action on a provision to combat “
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