♘امیرحسین♞
♘ مدیریت انجمن اسب ایران ♞
Before buying a race horse, it is important not only to have the financial but also to set aside the requisite time resources before committing to such a responsibility. Practical knowledge is also an indispensable part of the horse ownership equation.
HYGENIC AND WHOLESOME NUTRITION FOR TOP HORSE RACING
Awareness about the role of diet in human fitness and wellness has grown by leaps and bounds, but we cannot say the same about horse racing enthusiasts!
Owners may splurge on luxurious and showy accessories for their thoroughbreds, but bite their lips in hesitation when the veterinarian suggests a better feed plan. This should not be taken as a sweeping indictment of all horse racing stakeholders, but there is certainly a case for better appreciation of the hygiene and balance aspects of nutrition for champion race horses. Race horses are just like sports people in their dependence on all the major and trace elements in their diets for peak performance and for balanced development.
"Grass is grass", could be a common refrain that seems entirely reasonable at first thought. Yet, the nutritional value and cleanliness of humble green cuttings can make a world of difference between a healthy animal and one beset with deficiencies and intestinal infections. The role of proper and clean feed is under-rated in most horse racing circles. The pressures of events and declarations can serve to divert attention from the basics of proper diet for the animals on which so many hopes and expectations rest.
Diet management starts with the source of grass. Cuttings from wild vegetation may contain parts of weeds which contain substances toxic for equestrian digestion. It is not unlike eating wild mushrooms without proper identification and processing-a horse may take severely ill because of being fed contaminated grass. A nutritious variety of grass, on the other hand, properly cultivated and harvested, can help to build champions.
The method of storage may encourage the growth of pathogens. Fungal attack is likely in wet grass, and can produce harmful chemicals which will detract from the overall health of a horse on a chronic basis. Many microbes find the horse gut to be a favorable environment for growth, and eradication can be a major task. It tends to interfere seriously with race performance. Grass should be treated with heat and kept dry before being fed to horses.
Veterinarians can plan diets that are balanced, helping to build strong bones and durable muscles in animals. However, supplements and all the care that grooms provide, have little meaning if the source of grass is unreliable and of dubious quality. The size of cuttings and rate of ingestion are other important factors that influence digestion and bio-availability of nutrients. Dedicated grooms, under the supervision of expert veterinarians, have key roles to play in the breeding, racing and maintenance of thoroughbreds.
Every horse racing enthusiast cannot match the knowledge and experience of nutrition professionals, but all people with stakes in the sport should know that the quality of feed affects both breeding and race performance. Punters who take the trouble to visit stables in order to follow their favorite horses would be well advised to look in to how grass is procured, stored and presented to the animals. It can matter at least as much as the spaciousness of living quarters and the training facilities.
CARING FOR HORSES: LIVES DEPEND ON YOU!
Looking after a thoroughbred race horse leaves no room for anything else in life! You are justified in thinking that I exaggerate, but it is closer to the truth than many may imagine. Horseracing is a matter of great passion, and top professionals display unbelievable love and diligence in caring for the animals in their stables.
Caring for a race horse starts with its conception. The best approach is to cross studs and mares from distinct genetic lines, in order to produce off spring with superior capabilities. There is an element of chance in this process because we cannot be certain of the combination of traits that will result in a fetus. A detailed record of expressed ancestral traits can improve the chances of dominant and desirable traits of studs and mares coming together in a foal.
Nutrition and physical exercise are keys in the months after birth of a thoroughbred. No champion can be trained without the right number of calories fed per day and the balanced intake of major and trace elements to build muscle and sinew. Strength and endurance develop as exercise routines are introduced and stepped up in rigor, developing the animal to its fullest potential. Horses are both temperamental as well as intelligent. They are sensitive to treatment and can communicate, albeit in ways different from human speech! Only the most skilled trainers can balance aggression and obedience in a horse and produce a race champion to give the jockey and edge. The interplay between jockey and horse is an important element of mutual mental wellness, and this often becomes the difference between a historic win and a dull place.
Hygiene and immunity have crucial roles in caring for race horses. Straw and other organic material in the stables and grounds are favorite hiding places for microbes, and some bacteria that are harmless in people can be pathogenic in horses. The animals should be vaccinated comprehensively. The living quarters and people who work there should be kept scrupulously clean and free of potential infection.
There is no substitute for the professional care of a veterinarian in order to ensure the physical well-being of race horses. However, there is no ready formula to develop their personalities and exceptional abilities to perform well in peak and highly stressful conditions. Team formation between trainers, jockeys and top race horses is a difficult but invaluable task in this sport.
Though it makes no impact on race performance, caring for horses has to encompass their years in pasture. There are no controls to prevent ill-treatment and sad neglect of horses that are past their careers and reproductive lives, but true followers of horseracing never abandon a horse that is old or injured, or allow it to suffer pain or deprivation. One should never forget that horses are herd animals, and would never be happy if left alone without company. It is an unfortunate practice to destroy horses after they have passed their productive lives. We should do more to prevent such an extreme and heartless step for the magnificent creatures that give us both pleasure and profit.
HYGENIC AND WHOLESOME NUTRITION FOR TOP HORSE RACING
Awareness about the role of diet in human fitness and wellness has grown by leaps and bounds, but we cannot say the same about horse racing enthusiasts!
Owners may splurge on luxurious and showy accessories for their thoroughbreds, but bite their lips in hesitation when the veterinarian suggests a better feed plan. This should not be taken as a sweeping indictment of all horse racing stakeholders, but there is certainly a case for better appreciation of the hygiene and balance aspects of nutrition for champion race horses. Race horses are just like sports people in their dependence on all the major and trace elements in their diets for peak performance and for balanced development.
"Grass is grass", could be a common refrain that seems entirely reasonable at first thought. Yet, the nutritional value and cleanliness of humble green cuttings can make a world of difference between a healthy animal and one beset with deficiencies and intestinal infections. The role of proper and clean feed is under-rated in most horse racing circles. The pressures of events and declarations can serve to divert attention from the basics of proper diet for the animals on which so many hopes and expectations rest.
Diet management starts with the source of grass. Cuttings from wild vegetation may contain parts of weeds which contain substances toxic for equestrian digestion. It is not unlike eating wild mushrooms without proper identification and processing-a horse may take severely ill because of being fed contaminated grass. A nutritious variety of grass, on the other hand, properly cultivated and harvested, can help to build champions.
The method of storage may encourage the growth of pathogens. Fungal attack is likely in wet grass, and can produce harmful chemicals which will detract from the overall health of a horse on a chronic basis. Many microbes find the horse gut to be a favorable environment for growth, and eradication can be a major task. It tends to interfere seriously with race performance. Grass should be treated with heat and kept dry before being fed to horses.
Veterinarians can plan diets that are balanced, helping to build strong bones and durable muscles in animals. However, supplements and all the care that grooms provide, have little meaning if the source of grass is unreliable and of dubious quality. The size of cuttings and rate of ingestion are other important factors that influence digestion and bio-availability of nutrients. Dedicated grooms, under the supervision of expert veterinarians, have key roles to play in the breeding, racing and maintenance of thoroughbreds.
Every horse racing enthusiast cannot match the knowledge and experience of nutrition professionals, but all people with stakes in the sport should know that the quality of feed affects both breeding and race performance. Punters who take the trouble to visit stables in order to follow their favorite horses would be well advised to look in to how grass is procured, stored and presented to the animals. It can matter at least as much as the spaciousness of living quarters and the training facilities.
CARING FOR HORSES: LIVES DEPEND ON YOU!
Looking after a thoroughbred race horse leaves no room for anything else in life! You are justified in thinking that I exaggerate, but it is closer to the truth than many may imagine. Horseracing is a matter of great passion, and top professionals display unbelievable love and diligence in caring for the animals in their stables.
Caring for a race horse starts with its conception. The best approach is to cross studs and mares from distinct genetic lines, in order to produce off spring with superior capabilities. There is an element of chance in this process because we cannot be certain of the combination of traits that will result in a fetus. A detailed record of expressed ancestral traits can improve the chances of dominant and desirable traits of studs and mares coming together in a foal.
Nutrition and physical exercise are keys in the months after birth of a thoroughbred. No champion can be trained without the right number of calories fed per day and the balanced intake of major and trace elements to build muscle and sinew. Strength and endurance develop as exercise routines are introduced and stepped up in rigor, developing the animal to its fullest potential. Horses are both temperamental as well as intelligent. They are sensitive to treatment and can communicate, albeit in ways different from human speech! Only the most skilled trainers can balance aggression and obedience in a horse and produce a race champion to give the jockey and edge. The interplay between jockey and horse is an important element of mutual mental wellness, and this often becomes the difference between a historic win and a dull place.
Hygiene and immunity have crucial roles in caring for race horses. Straw and other organic material in the stables and grounds are favorite hiding places for microbes, and some bacteria that are harmless in people can be pathogenic in horses. The animals should be vaccinated comprehensively. The living quarters and people who work there should be kept scrupulously clean and free of potential infection.
There is no substitute for the professional care of a veterinarian in order to ensure the physical well-being of race horses. However, there is no ready formula to develop their personalities and exceptional abilities to perform well in peak and highly stressful conditions. Team formation between trainers, jockeys and top race horses is a difficult but invaluable task in this sport.
Though it makes no impact on race performance, caring for horses has to encompass their years in pasture. There are no controls to prevent ill-treatment and sad neglect of horses that are past their careers and reproductive lives, but true followers of horseracing never abandon a horse that is old or injured, or allow it to suffer pain or deprivation. One should never forget that horses are herd animals, and would never be happy if left alone without company. It is an unfortunate practice to destroy horses after they have passed their productive lives. We should do more to prevent such an extreme and heartless step for the magnificent creatures that give us both pleasure and profit.