Racehorses are among the most elite athletes in the equine industry. However, little is known about mitochondrial adaptations to race training. To test the hypothesis that race training increases mitochondrial biogenesis and capacity, gluteus medius samples were collected from Thoroughbred horses (11 geldings, 2 mares) before and after 14 wk of early race training. Horses […]

Research into the growth and development of Thoroughbreds managed on commercial breeding farms is reviewed in this paper. Because horses are not meat-producing animals, less research has been performed quantifying growth, muscle, and bone development than with other production animals. However, variations in growth and development are linked with both value and wastage in young […]

Bone density and strength are important for the long-term health and soundness of performance horses. Marine-derived mineral complexes improve bone density and strength in laboratory animals and humans. Additionally, nutrients without established requirements in horses, such as boron, silicon and vitamin C, may affect bone health. This study evaluated the effect of feeding a supplement […]

Bone quality is important for the long-term health and soundness of performance horses. In racehorses, insufficient bone density is associated with shin soreness, an important cause of lost training time and reduced starts, as well as other aspects of bone fatigue. Risks of injury during training are associated with insufficient bone density. Research has previously […]

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is very common, with a prevalence estimated from 53% to 93%. A major contributor to its pathogenesis is excessive gastric acid. Omeprazole (OM) is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that inhibits gastric acid secretion in horses and is the most popular treatment for EGUS. PPIs are also widely used in […]

Bone density and strength are important for the long-term health and soundness of performance horses.  Marine-derived calcium mineral complexes have been shown to improve bone density and strength in laboratory animals and humans. This study evaluated the effect of a supplement containing marine-derived calcium (Triacton™) (TA) on bone density in Thoroughbred racehorses.  Thirteen horses (average […]

Joe D. Pagan1, Peter Kazakevicius2, Alyx Swanhall1, Emma Ford1, and Abby Pritchard1 1Kentucky Equine Research, Versailles, Kentucky, USA; 2 Ocala, Florida, USA Radiographic photodensitometry to estimate bone density in horses was originally developed using conventional analog film radiography. Today, most researchers have switched to digital radiography (DR) to make these measurements. One important feature of […]

Few animals are as precocious as the horse. Within 20 minutes of birth a foal may stand and within hours can be ready to run at speeds no human athlete will ever achieve.

Pagan, J. D., L. A. Lawrence, D. Nash and P. J. Huntington. 2008. The relationship between shin soreness, blood parameters and cannon bone measurements in Thoroughbreds being prepared for two year olds in training sales. In: Proc. Aus. Eq. Symp. Vol. 2 Gold Coast, OLD. 4 – 6 June. pp. 40.

As yearlings leave a breeding farm environment and enter training major changes occur in their skeletons.