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We only use quality galvanised steel on all trailers and our design team ensures your float will be light weight, attractive and serve its purpose as the smoothest, safest and most comfortable trailer available.

Lexington, Ky. (AP) -- Thoroughbred racetracks in the U.S. reported more than three horse deaths a day last year and 5,000 since 2003, and the vast majority were put down after suffering devastating injuries on the track, according to an Associated Press survey.

Countless other deaths went unreported because of lax record keeping, the AP found in the broadest such review to date.

The catastrophic breakdown of filly Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby last month made the fragility of a half-ton horse vivid for the millions watching, but the AP found that such injuries occur regularly in every racing state. Tracks in California and New York, which rank first and sixth in thoroughbred races, combine to average more than one thoroughbred death for every day of the year.

Questions about breeding, medication, synthetic surfaces versus dirt and other safety issues have dogged the industry for some time, and a congressional panel has asked key players in the sport to testify this week about its direction, particularly the influence of steroids.

The AP compiled its figures from responses to open records inquiries sent to the organizations that govern the sport in the 29 states identified by Equibase Co., a clearinghouse for race results, as having had at least 1,000 thoroughbreds start a race last year.

Arkansas, Michigan, Nebraska said their organizations don track fatalities at all, and only one of Floridas three main thoroughbred tracks provided numbers. There were wide differences among the other states in what types of deaths are monitored and how far back the records go.

"Nobody really knows how big of a problem it is," said Rick Arthur, Californias equine medical director. "They just know its a big problem."

When a horse breaks a leg - let alone two, as Eight Belles did - often the only choice is to euthanize the animal. A thoroughbreds bones are thinner than most breeds. Usually its not possible for the horse to lie down for long periods because that could disrupt the blood flow to the arteries in the lower limb, causing an extremely painful hoof infection called laminitis.

Barbaro, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2006, broke down in the Preakness and was euthanized with laminitis several months later after a gallant effort to save him.

Despite the regularity of such breakdowns and the money involved in the sport, no one is certain how many horses are lethally injected on the nations tracks each year. The Jockey Club, which registers all North American thoroughbreds, did not know of another comprehensive, state-by-state tally of fatalities at tracks before the APs, said Bob Curran, a Jockey Club vice president.

Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., who made the grim announcement that Eight Belles had been euthanized after the Derby, said fatality numbers don seem to be dropping, despite major medical advancements. To Bramlage, that suggests racing injuries are becoming more frequent because vets are already pulling the most injury-prone horses before post time.

"We e able to pick them up better, with digital X-rays, bone scans and MRIs, which give us the information we need to take those horses out of training," Bramlage said. "In spite of that fact, we e not denting the total number of deaths."

California officials became alarmed in 2005 when the number of thoroughbred racing deaths there spiked by nearly 50 percent from just two years earlier. Last year, 314 horses - 261 of them thoroughbreds - died at Californias tracks, including those hurt in training or barn accidents, and a few that suffered other injuries or medical complications.

"Just seeing the totals and the recurrent theme, its eye-opening," said Bon Smith, assistant director of the California Horse Racing Board.

Beginning this year, California has mandated that all its major tracks replace their dirt surface with a synthetic mixture found in some studies to be safer for horses and jockeys.

While Californias thoroughbred fatalities are nearly triple those reported by any other state, its warm weather and bounty of tracks make it the nations busiest racing state. And it has received high praise across the industry for the way in which it tracks deaths - every death that occurs on the public grounds of a California racetrack is recorded in detail, largely through veterinary reports.

Some other major racing states have no records of fatalities that occur during morning training exercises, even those that happen on the tracks where races are run in the afternoon. Kentucky listed 228 deaths since 2003, but none of them from training accidents, which in some states that track them account for nearly a third of the total.

Other states, such as Colorado and Iowa, run mixed breed meets, in which quarterhorses might appear in one race a day while thoroughbreds make up most of the rest. Often, these states list the deaths only by meet, not breed, although veterinarians say the more muscular torsos and spindly ankles of thoroughbreds make them more susceptible to injury.

Many states that do closely track horse deaths haven been doing it for long. New Mexico counted 52 deaths in 2007, but its racing commission said it had no records before that.

Some states that do monitor deaths don differentiate between horses that die in freak accidents in their barns, for instance - the consensus is that such deaths are rare - and those that break down training or racing and are destroyed.

Such discrepancies have made the task difficult for Mary Scollay, a veterinarian at two Florida racetracks who has created a uniform national injury reporting system that aims to record every thoroughbred fatality. Scollay, who next month will become Kentuckys equine medical director, said 65 tracks are participating in the program now, but only 30 have compiled a full years worth of data.

She declined to release the preliminary numbers, explaining the sample size is still too small to draw conclusions. It could take years, Scollay said, before major trends can be identified.

"Certainly we know more than we did last year at this time, and one fatal injury is one too many," Scollay said. "We know we need to do better. I think within the last few weeks, theres been a mobilization of the industry to do some pretty serious things."

Those who own and handle the animals stand to lose plenty when a horse is put down.

Timothy Capps, a professor at the University of Louisvilles equine industry program, said most racehorses don carry mortality insurance. The ones that do typically carry only a fraction of their projected value as a stallion or mare, Capps said.

After the gruesome breakdown of Eight Belles, the Jockey Club created a national panel to examine safety, and the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority did the same on the state level.

Among the topics being reviewed are track surfaces, medication (particularly steroids), the use of the whip by riders, and whether - as Bramlage suggests - thoroughbreds are becoming less durable because they e being bred to emphasize speed rather than stamina early in their careers.

"Those that do get hurt maybe get hurt worse because of their speed and size," said Larry Jones, who trained Eight Belles. "A good big horse will outrun a good little horse, and they can be more fragile because their legs and joints have to hold a lot more."

A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee has asked states for the figures they have on fatalities ahead of a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Of particular interest to Congress is the influence of steroids, which were legal this spring in most racing states including Kentucky, Maryland and New York - which host the Triple Crown races.

Those advocating a steroid crackdown got ammunition when Big Brown, who easily won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with the steroid Winstrol still in his bloodstream, ran the Belmont without it and finished last.

Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., said steroids should be banned - not regulated - in horse racing but questions whether the sport has the ability to police itself.

"There are enough people I have great respect for who say this industry is really beginning to be in trouble," Whitfield said.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said the sport gets a bad rap for what he believes it does best - take care of the animals.

"There isn a trainer worth his salt that doesn look into this 24 hours a day," Lukas said. "Ill guarantee you that if any one of those purists who feel like its an abusive sport would spend two weeks in my barn, theyd walk away a different person and have a greater appreciation for the care. Animals don have a say in it, but when they get to this level, they have a pretty good deal going."

By Jeffrey McMurray, Associated Press Writer

The ride you completed yesterday was just a bit harder on you than expected. Your body cringes as your feet hit the floor reminding you of all those miles. A massage right now sounds great, but what about your horse? Maybe his fatigued and sore muscles could use a helping hand too.

When your muscles are tight and sensitive you try to avoid repeating the strain by limiting use in the area and taking it easy. Unfortunately, many of our horses do not complain loud enough and they will do the same work day after day. When you end up with a problem, if you think back hard enough you will remember when his performance slowly declined or his behavior changed.

Muscle injuries can sneak up on your horse little by little until you have an actual problem. You can help head this issues off early by using simple massage techniques. Massage and stretching can also improve the functional length of a muscle. This is a fantastic benefit for the performance horse! By improving the range of motion and his way of going you can actually increase the stride length. Over the distance of a race, the longer steps make him more efficient using less energy and that can help him last longer. Just imagine the benefits of the riding discipline where bigger movement counts.

In each of these features we will show you one or two simple massage moves which you can try at home on your own horse. You’ll find that each move can be employed on quite of few areas of your horse. However, before we begin there are a few simple guidelines to follow to keep everyone safe:

Do not tie or crosstie. If you hit a sore spot he may pull back. Run the rope through a ring and hold on to the other end or use hardware that allows the rope to come loose slowly.
Choose a quiet area to work. If he is comfortable in a stall this is the easiest place for a massage. If he is usually in a pen with other horses, work on him outside the fenced area to keep some distance from his curious friends.
Pay attention. If you hit a particularly sensitive area, he may get defensive.
Never massage with elevated vital signs. Something is going on with your horse and massage may not be appropriate for him at this time.
Stay away from injured areas. Avoid any recent soft tissue injuries.

MOVE #1: THE GLIDE
The horse does most of the work for this move which is why it is a favorite in the head and neck region. All you have to do is place the palm of your hand at the lower region of the area which needs work and apply pressure. If you wait a few seconds, your horse will lean into you for more pressure. When he is ready he will actually lower his head and neck and your hand will slowly move up.

AREAS FOR THE GLIDE AND TECHNIQUE:
Area 1: The base of the neck: This is the blue triangle in figure 1A. Many riders and owners are not aware that the neck bones do not follow along side the entire mane (see 1B). When a horse is actually carrying himself properly it also involves lifting and straightening the base or the root of the neck where it blends in with the shoulder.

When you might use this stroke in this area:
• If your horse bulges his neck and holds his head high with his nose leading, he is overstretching this muscle. This is an “upside-down” horse.
• If this muscle is restricted (shortened), he may take a shorter step with the affected limb.
• When tight and sore on one side, he may hold his head and neck towards that side making it difficult for him to bend laterally to the opposite direction.

Step by step:
• Stand by the side of his neck facing the hind end.
• Position 1: Using your outside hand, point your fingers up and place your palm at the base of the neck and shoulder as shown in figure 1C. Stay above the large strap neck muscle (brachiocephalicus).
• Try to keep as much bend out of your wrist as possible by keeping your elbow pointing towards the ground. Put a slight bend in your knuckles to take the tension out of your hand
• Breathe!
• Lean into the horse just enough so he meets the pressure without stepping away.
• Allow your palm to very slowly slide up. This may take over a minute to reach the top. Allow him to lower his head and neck if he wishes.
• Place your hand above the large strap muscle in position 2 and repeat the move sliding up to the same spot where you ended on the first line.
• Repeat with your hand in position 3.
• Repeat the glide along all three lines again.

Area 2: The poll: This is the region at the top of the neck just behind the base of the ears. In figure 2A the wing of the first neck bone (atlas) is in white. It is highlighted in yellow on the skeleton in figure 2B.

When you might use this stroke in this area:
• If your horse holds his head high with his nose leading, he is tightening the muscles here constantly.
• If he is resisting or fighting the bit. If he is difficult to flex (bend) at the poll.
• If he tilts or rotates his head to one side. (Remember to have someone check his teeth especially those back molars.)
• If this muscle is sensitive and shortened on one side he may resist to bending to the opposite side.

Step by step:
• First make sure he is okay with your hand up here, some horses are a bit concerned at first. Stand on the side of his face and rest your hand just behind the wing of the atlas (first neck bone, Figure 2C). You may need to start a little lower on the neck first if he is uncertain or shy.
• Hold on to the cheek piece of the head collar. Try not to pull down on it. Keep your fingers out of the hardware, they can get caught!
• Position 1(Figure 2D): Place the palm of your outside hand just behind the wing as shown in figures 2A and 2B. Point your fingers towards the hind end and press with the palm.
• Again, try to keep as much bend out of your wrist as possible.
• Apply pressure with your palm and wait for a soft eye.
• When he relaxes by leaning into you and lowering his head, slowly side the palm back keeping the pressure (Figure 2E). Your hand will move fairly horizontal to the ground. Continue the glide for 2 hands lengths which is about as long as the arrows in the pictures. The glide should take at least a minute.
• Repeat 3 times.

Next Part: Forearm Presses and the Melt.

By Debranne Pattillo, MEBW, CEO Equinology INC®.

Copyright © 1995 Debranne Pattillo and Equinology, INC®, All rights reserved.
All Equinology, INC® illustrations, article, text and photos are protected by copyright laws.

About the Author: Debranne Pattillo is the CEO of Equinology INC®, an educational company with sister affiliates around the globe offering over 50 courses taught by leading veterinarians and specialists. Debranne is the chief instructor for the Equine Foundation Massage Certification Massage, Equine Massage Advanced Techniques Level One, the Progressive Equine Anatomy and Equine Stretching courses. She has been featured in various major media publications in the USA, UK, New Zealand and Australia and her work was showcased on BBC’s Country Files.

More information can be found at Equinology.

Debranne lives in Gualala, CA and holds a long time practice as a Master Equine Body Worker in the neighboring 5 counties. She spends over 300 days a year on the road tending to horses and teaching.
 

Horses need physical contact just like we do. The question is which form of physical contact they prefer.Looking at each other is not enough. Sniffing, nuzzling and rubbing are also needed - not least if you are a horse. Research at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (DJF) at the University of Aarhus (Denmark) has revealed that horses have a clear need of physical contact. Now researchers have started studying which form of physical contact horses favour.

In the preliminary stages of the study the horses were given the chance to greet another horse on the other side of some bars or a dividing wall, or by entering a room with another horse in it. The alternative was to go back to their box where they could see but not touch the neighbouring horse.

"The horses’ need for contact with another horse - irrespective of how it was done – was so pronounced that it was impossible for us in that study to distinguish which form of contact the horses preferred", says scientist Eva Søndergaard, who is in charge of the new project.

The second stage of the experiment is therefore to investigate, which form of contact horses prefer using a press button method. The method, which is used on other livestock such as heifers, calves and pigs, involves giving the animals a task to find out how hard they are prepared to work to achieve a certain result. With this method it is also possible to distinguish between an actual need and something that would just be nice to have, but is not absolutely essential.

Pressing the right buttons
The work for the horses involves pressing a button with their nose. The reward is contact with another horse in a certain way. By counting how many times the horses press the buttons, it is possible to measure the form of contact they are prepared to work the hardest for.

Denmark has the highest number of horses per capita in Europe. It is therefore natural that we (University of Aarhus) carry out research into horse behaviour. DJF has a very important role to play in providing policy advice, for example in relation to the preparation of new regulations and notifications for horse owners. This means that the research results can be directly applied.

"A draft bill by the Ministry of Justice, which will be presented by the government at some point in the future, specifies that keepers of horses should have at least two horses. This means that they will recommend that horses have social contact. But so far it has not been defined what this social contact should be and there is no minimum requirement set out. This is where our results can come in useful", says Eva Søndergaard.