In this episode of the Disease Du Jour podcast, Shannon Reed, DVM, MS, DACVS (LA), discussed common health concerns for off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs), shared ways veterinarians can support these horses in their new careers, and talked about post-racing opportunities.
How Veterinarians Can Support Thoroughbreds Transitioning off the Track
Reed said veterinarians need to help their patients maintain a good body condition when transitioning from the track. “The best way to do that is by getting proactive with clients about what it means to feed a Thoroughbred and what it looks like to ease a metabolism from athletic on the track into not as much demand,” she said, pointing out that the horse might be an easy keeper in the future once the metabolism has adjusted.
She also recommends performing post-purchase exams on OTTBs whenever possible. This exam should involve looking for obvious musculoskeletal issues and possibly taking radiographs of the feet. Horses might also require ulcer treatment or an ulcer prevention program.
Common Health Issues in Recently Retired OTTBs
Overall, Reed said the most common issues she sees in recently retired OTTBs are bone fragments, fractures in the joints, osteoarthritis, ulcers, and soft tissue injuries. These horses tend to have a low incidence of neurologic conditions.
Fetlock issues are especially common and can include soft tissue injuries, bone chips, osselets, or synovitis. Reed recommends taking radiographs of puffy joints to look for loose, floating bone fragments. “Not all chips need to come out, but if they’re early in the process and they haven’t been there for a while, taking them out can actually help the joint long-term to not develop arthritis,” she said.
If a joint looks scary, Reed recommends having it looked at by a track veterinarian for a second opinion, because “there’s some things that can look scary on X-rays that really aren’t going to affect them for long-term use.”
Down Periods for OTTBs
Reed said the decision to give an OTTB a “down period” is horse- and situation-dependent. Young horses that were just getting into a rhythm at the track will likely be naughty, injure themselves, and lose muscle mass if you throw them in a field and don’t give them a job. “Doing some things with those animals that are used to a routine will help them ease into a life off of the track,” she said. On the other hand, horses that have raced for years and need a mental break often benefit from downtime, as do horses with injuries.
Reed said downtime can look different for different horses. It might involve doing groundwork, practicing tying, and giving the horse a routine, even if it’s not in ridden work.
“I don’t think every horse off the track needs a year off to refresh themselves,” she said. “I think it’s situational to the horse and what they have for a routine and what’s going on with their body and their mind.”
Common Health Issues in Older OTTBs
Reed has data to prove that after a year, most OTTBs are equivocal to their peers of other breeds and sports, health-wise. Unless they had a specific racing-related injury, they do not have a higher predisposition for almost any problem after a year than horses of other breeds and disciplines.
Thoroughbreds do have a higher incidence of overriding dorsal spinous processes, potentially be due to their conformation or common genetic pool, said Reed. However, these are not always clinically relevant. “Just seeing them on X-rays is not enough, because we know that they’re so common,” she said. Unless the horse is showing clear signs of back pain, she generally recommends against taking back radiographs for this reason.
Supporting Long-Term Soundness in OTTBs
Reed said the most important aspect of setting up an OTTB for long-term soundness is finding the right path for that horse’s body type and capabilities. If the horse is going to stay sound as a barrel racer, it should be short and compact. If the horse is going to stay sound as a dressage horse, it needs to have the appropriate training and conformation.
“I think long-term soundness is maybe not putting a horse into eventing that has visible arthritis of the fetlocks and expecting them to stay sound at a higher level into their twenties,” she said.
Reed sees many Thoroughbreds that are successful in sport careers into their teens and twenties, even at the five-star level, because “they were in the right sport, and early in their careers they were set up for success by the choices that were made in their path.”
Post-Racing Opportunities for Thoroughbreds
One opportunity for OTTBs early in their restart careers is the Thoroughbred Makeover, which is run by the Retired Racehorse Project and take place annually at the Kentucky Horse Park.
“We tend to call it the happiest horse show on earth,” Reed said. Ten disciplines are represented in the Makeover, and horses can enter up to two events.
Another opportunity for OTTBs is to participate in The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program. Horses registered with this program can compete in specific classes at horse shows to win prize money and earn points toward end-of-year awards and championships.
Reed said there are endless opportunities for OTTBs within various sport horse organizations as well, with many Thoroughbreds excelling in trail classes, western dressage, timed events, and more. “With the right resources, they can be successful at a huge amount of things,” she said.
About Dr. Shannon Reed
Shannon Reed, DVM, MS, DACVS (LA), is a large animal surgeon who has been focusing on retired racehorses and their health for much of her career. She is currently a clinical associate professor of large animal surgery at Texas A&M University, where she spends most of her time on clinical duty seeing patients while also teaching veterinary students. She has published research on retired racehorses in peer-reviewed journals. She has been involved in the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover for many years as both a competitor and as the consulting veterinarian and organizer of the Arrival Examination for all horses competing in the Thoroughbred Makeover. Reed is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Related Reading
- Association Between Turnout and Musculoskeletal Disease in Young Thoroughbreds
- Nutritional Management of the Competitive Equine Athlete
- Disease Du Jour: Regulatory Veterinary Medicine for Horses
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