Chief Stipe

Changes to allowances for jumps races and highweights will come into force from Monday, July 9. (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Captain Dolmio hasn't been seen at the races for more than a year. (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Reading many articles online about ACS (yes thanks Google) I can't find any that suggest regular treatment during racing. It is primarily recommended for rehabilitation of horses with chronic injuries that have not responded to other anti-inflammatory treatments. Is it a preventative treatment? Some interesting ethical questions arise from that approach.

Equine Intra-Articular Osteoarthritis Treatment Options Pharmacological osteoarthritis therapy focuses on preventing or reducing pain and improving joint function. By World Equine Veterinary Association | Oct 7, 2017 | Anatomy & Physiology, Arthritis & Degenerative Joint Disease, Article, Horse Care, Injuries & Lameness, Muscle and Joint Problems, Musculoskeletal System, Older Horse Care Concerns, Sports Medicine, Vet and Professional, Vet Convention Reports, World Equine Veterinary Association High-dose tiludronate resulted in only transient and mild changes in a few joint and cartilage health parameters. Photo: Alexandra Beckstett By Raquel Baccarin, DVM, PhD, WEVA Regional Ambassador for Brazil and South America Epidemiologic data collected from more than 100,000 horses revealed that articular lesions are the most frequent reason owners seek veterinary care for their animals (Pennell et al., 2005). Among equine joint diseases with the greatest impact and clinical relevance in orthopedics, osteoarthritis (OA) remains the most devastating. The condition is often associated with poor performance, early retirement, and a significant financial burden for owners of affected animals. In humans, OA is classically defined as an age-related joint disease that is one of the main causes of pain and dysfunction in elderly individuals. However, in horses, the condition also affects young animals, indicating that age is not an essential factor for OA development in equids. Equine OA is a painful and debilitating disease that can develop rapidly (when secondary to trauma) or slowly (months to years), depending on the etiology (cause). It is common in all types of horses; however, it tends to affect joints with a larger and smaller range of movement in sport horses and leisure horses, respectively. In recent years, researchers have described equine OA not as a single disease, but as the final stage of destruction of the articular cartilage, with early stages being triggered and perpetuated by many random factors. However, the exact sequence of events leading to OA development remains unclear, and the temporal relationship between subchondral bone (located just under the cartilage surface within a joint) damage, chronic synovial membrane (the joint capsule’s inner lining, which secretes lubricating synovial fluid) inflammation, and cartilage damage remains unknown. Pharmacological OA therapy focuses on preventing or reducing pain and improving joint function. Veterinarians have administered intra-articular (in the joint) injections of the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide (TA), with or without hyaluronic acid (HA), for decades. Triamcinolone provides better pain relief and functionality in the short- and medium-term, but corticosteroid alternatives are needed for horses with chronic OA. Many studies have shown that administering at least three intra-articular HA injections results in significant improvement in joint pain and function that begins immediately after treatment and lasts for a medium- or long-term period. However, there is no evidence confirming HA injections improve structural damage to articular cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine are therapeutic alternatives for OA treatment. Researchers have found evidence suggesting that CS and glucosamine could preserve or even repair damaged articular cartilage. Dietary supplements containing CS are available, as well as intra-articular formulations for managing OA clinical signs in horses. When testing CS in horses, researchers’ initial hypothesis was that it would provide the cartilage with the necessary building blocks to synthesize the extracellular matrix proteoglycans; however, study results were inconsistent and conflicting. Chondroitin sulfate penetration into chondrocytes (cells that make up articular cartilage) was very limited, indicating that CS’s primary effect on chondrocytes is mediated by cell-surface receptors through which it exerts anti-inflammatory effects. Another therapeutic alternative for OA is polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG), which studies showed alleviates lameness and joint effusion in osteoarthritic horse joints. Additional studies are needed to elucidate PAAG’s mechanism of action in improving OA clinical signs. Blood-derived products such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), autologous conditioned serum (ACS), autologous processed plasma, and autologous blood can also be administered via intra-articular injection. Most equine clinical studies have shown that PRP has positive effects when used to treat joint injuries; however, these studies have a high risk of bias and PRP products vary greatly in composition, making it difficult to compare their efficacies. Frequently, veterinarians recommend two or three PRP treatments with intervals varying from two to three weeks. Following PRP treatment veterinarians have reported lameness improvement and reduced joint effusion (swelling). Researchers are also working to develop a more effective PRP product by combining it with other molecules such as chitosan and gelatin, and HA used in combination with PRP has shown promise as a future treatment. Veterinarians commonly use ACS in athletic horses when corticosteroid use no longer shows beneficial effects, mainly in chronic OA cases. Lameness generally improves after the second administration, with resolution occurring after the third or fourth. The effects of ACS treatment typically last three months to a year in joints that are not responsive to other intra-articular therapies. A considerable amount of data suggests that ACS use has beneficial effects, but the findings of experimental and clinical trials are inconsistent. Several studies have shown that intra-articular mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) injection helps reduce synovial inflammation and results in better cartilage repair from a structural point of view, when compared to other currently available therapies and surgical techniques. In horses, MSC sources include bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord, umbilical cord blood, amniotic membrane, and peripheral blood. Moreover, researchers have recently shown synovial fluid and membrane to be viable sources of MSCs. The quantity of cells obtained, the capacity for and efficiency of differentiation, the ease of collection, and low risk of complications during collection are important issues to consider when selecting an MSC source. Currently, MSCs derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue are most commonly used in therapeutic approaches. Veterinarians can use a variety of intra-articular therapies to minimize joint damage, but it is important to identify the most effective treatments for specific equine OA cases. Furthermore, most of the therapies used to treat OA treatment have short-term effects on pain and function, and few have been tested for or exhibit long-term benefits. Veterinarians should constantly strive to gain more experience in using such therapies, alone or in combination, to provide optimal treatment to horses recovering from joint injuries.

Medications Impact Autologous Treatment Options in Horses January 10, 2018 By Kentucky Equine Research Staff Veterinarians use regenerative therapies to manage certain musculoskeletal conditions in horses. These therapies, which include stem cells, autologous cultured serum (ACS), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP), employ the injured horse’s own cells to treat the condition. Collected samples can be stored for future use. What if your horse was either on medication or had an underlying condition at the time of sample collection? How does that affect future use of the sample? Consider the following scenario: Your horse has osteoarthritis (OA), a common yet painful and progressive degeneration of the lining of articular cartilage found at the end of long bones. Your veterinarian recommends a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as phenylbutazone (bute) or even an injectable product such as firocoxib. That same vet also recommends ACS. This involves collecting a sample of the horse’s blood and incubating it with specially designed beads to stimulate the production of anti-inflammatory molecules such as interleukin-1 receptor agonist proteins (IRAP). Those IRAP-rich samples can then be directly injected back into your horse’s affected joints, and some can also be saved for future use. Down the road, your horse is a little sore before competition and you know an NSAID cannot be administered, but ACS can. So your vet dives into her freezer to unearth the ACS. What if the sample contains a trace of the NSAID that your horse was on when the sample was collected? Will it result in a positive drug test? “Various governing bodies, such as the United States Equestrian Foundation (USEF), the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), have strict rules and penalties regarding allowable levels and withdrawal times; therefore, this is a valid and important question,” emphasized Laura Petroski, B.V.M.S., veterinarian for Kentucky Equine Research (KER). While both NSAIDs and ACS remain important tools in the management of OA, along with nutritional supplements, using ACS “spiked” with an NSAID could result in serious repercussions. One research group* conducted a study and experimentally created the above-described scenario. They treated horses with firocoxib, prepared ACS following treatment with that NSAID, and later injected the ACS into the horses’ joints. Blood samples were subsequently collected and analyzed like any blood sample would be for equine competitions. “The researchers found the amount of firocoxib in the ACS sample did not appear to be large enough to result in detectable systemic concentrations of the medication,” shared Petroski. Nonetheless, the researchers noted, “Although we have determined that intra-articular administration of ACS derived from horses following two oral doses of firocoxib at a 24-h interval does not affect plasma concentrations of firocoxib, we cannot extrapolate this evidence to horses with maximal plasma concentrations of firocoxib that occur with longer term use (≥10 days) or to other medications. Further evaluation of different medications is required and should be pursued. The information gained from this study is vital for protecting the horse and the associated equestrian team from therapeutic drug administration resulting in an inadvertent positive test.” While considering various options for joint health and managing OA, don’t forget that experts also recommend supplements containing glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, omega-3 fatty acids. “Always choose quality joint supplements, such as KER•Flex, Synovate HA, and EO•3 to support joint health,” Petroski advised. In Australia, look for Glucos-A-Flex as well. *Ortved, K.F., M.B. Goodale, C. Ober, et al. 2017. Plasma firocoxib concentrations after intra-articular injection of autologous conditioned serum prepared from firocoxib positive horses. Veterinary Journal. 230:20-23.

Regenerative Therapy Review: ACS for Horse Joints February 1, 2018 By Kentucky Equine ResearchEven if an owner coddled a foal from birth, allowing him to work and play on only the best footing, chances are he will still develop osteoarthritis (OA) at some point in his life. This explains why OA, a progressive, painful degeneration of joints that often limits a horse’s ability to perform Osteoarthritis usually develops whenever abnormal stresses or abnormal joint anatomy occurs. Foals are sometimes born with abnormally shaped bones or joints, such as incomplete ossification or hardening of the small cuboidal bones in the knee or hock; Foals can develop angular limb deformities or other developmental orthopedic diseases such as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD); Horses may experience trauma to a joint not only during training or competing but also meandering in a pasture or cavorting with peers; and Normal wear and tear on the musculoskeletal system from a lifetime of exercise in an ageing horse. “Although no cure has been identified, multiple research-based strategies exist to help minimize or delay the development and severity of OA,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist. “Appropriate nutrition, including the use of oral joint health supplements prior to any trauma or wear and tear can help protect joints throughout a horse’s life.” KER offers several joint supplements that could fit the bill, including: EO•3 contains marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids that possess inherent anti-inflammatory properties; Synovate HA features hyaluronic acid to help lubricate horse’s joints; and KER•Flex includes glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate (Glucos-A-Flex in Australia). Medical options include administration of anti-inflammatory drugs and regenerative therapies, including stem cells and autologous conditioned serum (ACS), also known as IRAP or interleukin-1 receptor agonist protein therapy. In a nutshell, ACS uses a small volume of blood collected from the patient to treat its own joint disease (the word autologous means self-derived). After letting the blood clot, the resulting serum, or liquid portion of blood, is mixed with special beads included in a commercial ACS kit. This incubation process stimulates the production of anti-inflammatory molecules, most importantly IRAP. This “conditioned” serum is then injected into the target joint of the horse to inhibit inflammation. Studies support this technique, showing that horses with experimentally induced OA treated with IRAP had a significant improvement in lameness as well as microscopic evidence of healing joint tissues. “Maintaining an appropriate body condition score throughout a horse’s life and keeping horses active also play important roles in supporting joint health,” Crandell reminded.

Another channel suggesting we are slandering.

Definitely not slander either way. Bush lawyers are rife! May be NZRB are short on cash?

How do you know that? I don't consider it slander if you dont know!

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Yes I agree Racefields is a crock of dung. Does anyone know where the NZRB is getting the money from now for the new betting platform AND the promised stakes increases? I suspect they will ask the Taxpayer for a handout on the basis Racefields Legislation has been held up.

Facebook Live? Mmmmm not a game changer. Do they truly understand the Facebook demographic? Or even the Facebook business model?

Do you support the racefields legislation Freda?

Rule Number(s): 869(2)Following the running of Race 1 (Supreme Equine Feeds Mobile Pace 2500m) Information A09964 was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S Wallis with the Judicial Committee. It alleged a breach of Rule 869 (2) in that “C Negus (Queen of Glory) used her whip on more occasions than permitted in Clause (b) of ... (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(2)Following the running of Race 3 (More FM & Night ‘N Day Park Pace 2000m) Information A09966 was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S Wallis with the Judicial Committee. It alleged a breach of Rule 869 (2) in that “B Hope (A Better Dancer) used his whip on more occasions than permitted in Clause (b) of ... (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Sacred Master’s next preparation will decide the future of the Group winner. (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

The formerly Stephen Marsh-trained fillies Pierrocity and I Am Queen have joined Trent Busuttin and … (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Well-regarded filly Stella Noire will be chasing black-type features in the new season. (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Hiflyer will cross the Tasman early next week ahead of a shot at the Listed Winter Stakes at Rosehil… (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

New Zealand-breds have had a great season in Hong Kong, recording victories in six of the 24 stakes … (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 6, Mountfield Quarry, an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d). The Informant, Mr Williamson, alleged that Mr Rusof allowed his mount MORWEKA to shift out when not clear of MARZEMINO which was checked losing ground near the 75m. Mr Rusof acknowledged that he understood ... (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 9, Northpine Timber Beams and Posts, an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d). The Informant, Mr Williamson, alleged that Miss Fawcett allowed her mount MAJOR TOM to shift in when not clear of LUCKY SWEEP (S Spratt) when not the required distance clear. Initially ... (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(3)(b)Following the running of Race 1, the TRAC RACING TE AROHA MOBILE PACE 2200m, Mr Muirhead instigated a charge by way of an Information against Amateur Horseman, Mr J Darby. He alleged that Mr Darby 'drove A CHANCE TO DREAM carelessly contacting the sulky wheel of WAINGARO MARA approaching the 1100 metres'. ... (RSS generated with FetchRss)View the full article