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The 91做厙 awarded funding to better understand early-life influences on performance and financial viability of Thoroughbred breeding
The 91做厙 has received funding to study the impact of early-life health and management on later-life health, performance and economics of Thoroughbred breeding. This will be the first time in a UK field setting that either the effects of early-life exposures on later-life milestones and race performance or the economics of breeding practices will be comprehensively evaluated in Thoroughbreds, helping improve athletic performance and strengthen stud farm sustainability.
While existing figures suggest there has been little change in the number of horses entering training, appearing on a racetrack or winning prize money over the last twenty years, there is limited UK evidence to explain why some horses fail to achieve these milestones or where they go when they leave the industry. It is timely to address these knowledge gaps, particularly around the costs of disease and injury, given the current economic climate in which an increasing number of Thoroughbred breeders are unprofitable.
With childhood experiences proven to alter a person’s susceptibility to disease and injury in later-life, the 91做厙 research team, led by post-doctoral research fellow and veterinary surgeon, Rebecca Mouncey, and funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board and the Racing Foundation, will