Clinical abnormalities detected in post-race examinations of poorly performing Standardbreds

Objective To describe the clinical abnormalities found on post‐race examination of poorly performing Standardbreds. Method The results of 541 post‐race veterinary examinations on Standardbreds were analysed. The horses were selected for examination by the stipendiary stewards on the basis of poor pe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Australian veterinary journal 2000-05, Vol.78 (5), p.344-346
Main Authors: Knight, P.K, Evans, D.L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
abnormal development
animal injuries
Animals
Back Pain - veterinary
Breeding
clinical examination
Forelimb - injuries
Horses - injuries
injury
lameness
Lameness, Animal - epidemiology
Lameness, Animal - etiology
New South Wales - epidemiology
Physical Conditioning, Animal - adverse effects
Physical Examination - veterinary
Prevalence
racehorse
racehorses
racing performance
Running - injuries
Standardbred
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Summary:Objective To describe the clinical abnormalities found on post‐race examination of poorly performing Standardbreds. Method The results of 541 post‐race veterinary examinations on Standardbreds were analysed. The horses were selected for examination by the stipendiary stewards on the basis of poor performance from a population of approximately 20,000 runners which competed at Harold Park Paceway, Sydney. Results Clinical abnormalities were detected on post‐race examination in 264 of the 541 poorly performing horses. Some horses displayed more than one abnormality. Twenty three individual abnormalities were reported. Seventy three horses had suffered interference‐type injuries (cross firing, scalping, over reaching) during the race. Lameness was the second most commonly found abnormality (n = 60), with 73% of these lamenesses being in a forelimb. Twenty nine horses had sacroiliac pain (representing 10.6% of the abnormalities detected). Poor recovery, exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage, respiratory infection or nasal discharge, gluteal pain, unilateral nasal haemorrhage and mouth injuries complete the list of the ten most common findings. Conclusion Interference‐type injuries, lameness and sacroiliac pain were the most common abnormalities found on post‐race examination of Standardbreds, which performed poorly.
ISSN:0005-0423
1751-0813
DOI:10.1111/j.1751-0813.2000.tb11790.x