European Trainer - Winter 13/14 - issue 44

European Trainer IS

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Understanding how teeth affect performance

ARE TRAINERS FEELING THE SQUEEZE WITH VAT?

The healing power of water

WORK RIDERS UNDER THE RAINBOW

PETER FAHEYThe trainer with the gentle touch

www.trainermagazine.comEuropean ISSUE 44 – WINTER 2013/14 £5.95

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE THOROUGHBRED

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GILESANDERSON

HIS winter, our cover trainer profile is on the up-and-coming Irishman Peter Fahey, who hails from afamily of trainers and is fast gaining a reputation as atrainer to watch. His is a story familiar to many about hardgraft and waiting for the right horses to progress at the

right time. Peter is one of those trainers we’re going to read muchmore about over the coming months with the big jump racingfestivals of the spring.

In this issue, we have quite a varied menu of subjects. MaryBromiley and Gary Waters offer a fascinating in-depth studyhighlighting the relationship between the horse’s mouth and itsskeletal structure, a relationship that can be so crucial but yet, dareI say it, forgotten when assessing the horse’s performance or reasonfor lack of performance.

We also examine the perception of training agreements, which are commonplace and accepted in the UK but less so in Ireland and wanted in other countries. Earlier in 2013 I asked a handful of trainers this question: What did you learn from the economicdownturn? The general answer was about nonpayment of training fees, with the owners of horses of limited ability most likely to be liable to debt. Whilst the training agreement itself doesn’t solve all problems overnight, its sheer being is designed togive both the owner and trainer an understanding of the obligationsfor each party. At the recent European Trainers’ Foundation AGM in Stockholm it was clear that all countries should adopt suchagreements, if anything to safeguard the interests of all partiesinvolved.

Keeping in the financial groove, we also examine the correlationof VAT across the European Union. It’s very clear from Lissa Oliver’sreport that whilst Brussels wants all member countries to have thesame headline rate of VAT, there are a number of negotiated tiereddiscounts in place from country to country which are confusing thewhole principal of a unified headline rate.

Lastly, Katherine Ford has spent time in South Africa where shelearnt about the series of races for work riders.

Finally, we’ve recently upgraded the Trainer website(www.trainermagazine.com) and with feedback from our readershave started curating an index of all previously published articlestogether with page-turning magazines – this is well worth looking atnext time you are online.

Wherever your racing takes you this winter, good luck! n

ISSUE 44 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 01

THard graft and pursuitof a unified front

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02 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 44

Chairman’s message

CRIQUETTEHEAD

What a year 2013 has been for the female sex! On theFlat, women trainers have won arguably the threebiggest races in the world, with Gai Waterhouse

earning long-awaited consecration in theMelbourne Cup with Fiorente, Mucho Macho

Man’s fairytale victory in the Breeders’ CupClassic, and my own success with Treve in

the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

“I have never let my gender preventme from pursuing a career in racingbut I think that even now, after yearsof progress, it is still more difficult forwomen to succeed in the sport thanmen. There is no sound reason for thisas after all, it is the horse who doesthe running!”

congratulate all the winners of the season, not just theladies! The jumps are now getting underway and Britishtrainers have already made an impact at Auteuil, which isgreat for international competition.Much has been written and discussed about the various

Champions days and series that are becoming a feature inracing nations across the globe. While I realise therelevance of creating a narrative to promote our sport, itis important not to lose sight of the existing Pattern. Thissystem was created to ensure the correct spacing betweenraces and a coherent grading structure which itselfresembles a championship. Sometimes tradition is notsuch a bad thing. I wish you all a happy festive season and a successful

new year. n

O this trio, we can add the exploit of Aurore'sEncore, trained by Sue Smith to win theworld's most famous jumps race, the AintreeGrand National, earlier in the year. This is a rare achievement and serves as

proof that us ladies have truly arrived at thetop of the racing game. I have never let my genderprevent me from pursuing a career in racing but I thinkthat even now, after years of progress, it is still moredifficult for women to succeed in the sport than men.There is no sound reason for this as, after all, it is thehorse who does the running! We are just as capable ofmaking the entries and training the horse as any man.When I compare my training methods with those of

my father or my brother, I am probably less tough on myhorses but, at the end of the day, the final results are thesame. Racing is gradually becoming more democraticand I am confident that women will continue to makeour presence felt in the sport and win more and moreraces at all levels.Females have an ever-increasing role in stables and

many fulfill important roles such as that of head lass ortravelling head person for top yards, as well as beinggood exercise riders. I find that girls are generally morepatient and gentle with the horses but I certainlywouldn't have a man-free yard, as some horses need astrong male rider. As the flat campaign draws to a close, I would like to

T

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10Peter Fahey: Going the extra mile The young Irish trainer who successfully balances top-notch

horsemanship and keeping his owners happy, by Lissa Oliver.

16Succulents and treats

Apples and carrots, or Guinness and eggs?, by Catherine Dunnett.

20Tie-back surgery

The latest developments in the treatment of laryngeal paralysis,

by Timothy Barnett and Celia Marr.

26Giving all a chance to shine

Katherine Ford visits the South African Jockeys Academy.

34The winning home team

The vital role the work rider plays to the overall success of a

stable, by Katherine Ford.

38The mouth, muscles and performanceHow the mouth plays an integral role in the structural integrity of

the horse, by Gary Waters and Mary Bromiley.

44The many healing qualities of waterThomas O’Keeffe on one of the oldest therapies in use today.

52Are trainers being financially squeezed?

Making sense of new VAT regulations, by Lissa Oliver.

56Owner/trainer agreements

Each country has its own rules and suggestions on how to

financially protect trainers and owners, by Roisin Shanahan.

58European Trainers’ Federation AGM

A review of the annual meeting held in Stockholm this year.

Issue 44

CONTENTS

6European Trainers Federation

7Contributors

8TRM Trainer of the Quarter

60Product Focus

62Stakes Schedules

10 16 20 26 44

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Vice Chairmanship:Max Hennau

FEDERATION BELGE DESENTRAINEURS

Rue des Carrieres 355032 - Les Isnes

BELGIUMTel: Fax: +32 (0)81 56 68 46Email: [email protected]

GERMANYErika Mäder Jentgesallee 1947799 Krefeld

Tel: +49 (0)2151 594911Fax: +49 (0)2151 590542

Mobile: +49 (0)173 8952675Email: [email protected]

CZECH REPUBLICJosef Vana

CZECH JOCKEYS AND TRAINERSASSOCIATION

Starochuchelska 192/16159 00 Praha 5 - Velka Chuchle

Contact: Roman VitekMobile: +42 (0)606727027Email: [email protected]

SLOVAKIAJano Cagan

SLOVENSKA ASOCIACIADOSTIHOVYCH TRENEROV

MDZ 48942 01 SURANY

Slovakia Tel: +42 19 03 165 609

Email: [email protected]

EUROPEAN TRAINERS’ FEDERATION

Chairmanship:Criquette Head-Maarek

Association des Entraineurs de Galop18 bis Avenue du Général Leclerc

60501 ChantillyFRANCE

Tel: + 33 (0)3 44 57 25 39Fax: + 33(0)3 44 57 58 85


AIMS and OBJECTIVES of the ETF:a) To represent the interests of all member trainers’ associations in Europe.

b) To liaise with political and administrative bodies on behalf of European trainers.c) To exchange information between members for the benefit of European trainers.

d) To provide a network of contacts to assist each member to develop its policy and services to member trainers.

ETF REPRESENTATIVES

Vice Chairmanship:Christian von der Recke

Hovener Hof53919 Weilerswist

GermanyTel: +49 (0 22 54) 84 53 14Email: [email protected]

Treasureship:Jim Kavanagh

IRISH RACEHORSE TRAINERSASSOCIATION

Curragh House-Dublin RoadKildare-Co.Kildare

IRELANDTel: +353 (0) 45 522981Fax: + 353 (0) 45 522982

Mobile: + 353(0)87 2588770Email: [email protected]

www.irta.ie

SPAINMauricio Delcher Sanchez

AZAFRAN, 5- 3ºMMAJADAHONDA28022 Madrid

Spain Tel: +34 (0)666 53 51 52


UNITED KINGDOMRupert Arnold

NATIONAL TRAINERS’ FEDERATION9 High Street - Lambourn - Hungerford

BerkshireRG17 8XN

Tel: +44 (0)1488 71719Fax: +44 (0)1488 73005www.racehorsetrainers.org

ITALYOvidio PessiU.N.A.G.

Via Montale, 920151 [email protected]

[email protected]. +39 02 48205006

mobile: +39 348 31 33 828

NORWAYSven-Erik Lilja Eventyrveien 8,1482 Nittedal

NorwayTel: +47 (0) 67 07 14 12

Mobile: +47 (0) 91 12 88 96Email: [email protected]

SWEDENFredrik Reuterskiöld

Swedish Trainers Association SouthNotarp 3228S-243 92 Hoor

Tel: +46 (0)413 55 00 65Fax: +46 (0)413 55 04 95

Mobile: +46 (0)70 731 26 39

Swedish Trainers Association NorthKarlaplan 10

115 20 Stockholm SwedenMail: [email protected]

Tel: +46 (0)8 662 46 79Mobile: +46 (0)708 756 756

www.europeantrainers.com


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Tim Barnett BSc BVM&S MScMRCVS qualified fromEdinburgh University in 2005. In2007 he joined RossdalesEquine Hospital and DiagnosticCentre where he gained broadexperience over a two-year

period. After a further period of general practice,Tim moved to Edinburgh University in January2010, where he completed a residency in EquineSurgery. Tim has completed a number of researchprojects in equine upper airway disease, dentistryand orthopaedics.

Dr Catherine Dunnett BSc,PhD, R.Nutr. is an independentnutritionist registered with theBritish Nutrition Society. She hasa background in equineresearch, in the field of nutritionand exercise physiology, with

many years spent at The Animal Health Trust inNewmarket. Prior to setting up her ownconsultancy business, she worked in the equinefeed industry on product development andtechnical marketing.

Katherine Ford was broughtup in a hunting and point-to-pointing environment on a farmin North Yorkshire. Following ayear working in a racing yard inMiddleham, she studiedModern Languages at Sheffield

University, with a semester studying French inPau. After University, Katherine completed theBHB Graduate Programme in 2000, and in 2001started work for the International Racing Bureau’sParis office. Three years later she moved toEquidia, France’s horseracing television channel,travelling to some of the world’s major racetracks.Katherine currently works part-time for Equidiaand as a freelance journalist and translator.

Professor Celia Marr is anequine clinician at Rossdales,Newmarket. She is a RCVS andEuropean Specialist in EquineMedicine and HonoraryProfessor at the GlasgowUniversity Veterinary School. She

has previously worked at veterinary schools inGlasgow, Pennsylvania, Cambridge and Londonand in racehorse practice in Lambourn. She isChairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board’sThoroughbred Research & Consultation Group andEditor-in-Chief of Equine Veterinary Journal.

Thomas O’Keeffe is a graduateof University College Dublin,currently working in Ocala, Florida.He worked for Rossdales andPartners in Newmarket, UK as amember of their ambulatory racingveterinary team and in their world

renowned hospital facility. He was also an associatewith Scone Equine Hospital, Australia, as residentveterinary surgeon for Darley’s Kildangan Stud inIreland and worked in Lexington, Kentucky with DrRuel Cowles, DVM.

Lissa Oliver lives in CoKildare, Ireland and is a regularcontributor to The Irish Fieldand the Australian magazine,Racetrack. Lissa is also theauthor of several collections ofshort stories and two novels.

Roisin Shanahan is a Mastersgraduate from the RoyalAgricultural University. Havingworked on thoroughbred studsacross the world she hassettled back in Ireland and isthe Irish representative for

Anderson & Co Publishing. In her spare time sheeducates her young thoroughbreds by takingthem showing.

Publisher & Editorial Director

Giles Anderson

Editor

Frances Karon

Circulation/Editorial Executives

Suzy Crossman/Louise Crampton

Picture Editor/Editorial Executive

Harriet Scott

Design/Production

Neil Randon

Advertising Sales

Giles Anderson

Photo Credits

APRH, Equine Auto Trainer Pty Ltd,

Equine Health Centre, Katherine Ford, Kraft,

Horsephotos.com, Liesl King, Mark Rose,

Rossdale & Partners, George Selwyn,

Shutterstock, Gary Waters

Cover PhotographCaroline Norris

Trainer Magazine is published by Anderson & Co Publishing Ltd.

This magazine is distributed for free to allETF members. Editorial views expressed arenot necessarily those of the ETF. Additionalcopies can be purchased for £5.95 (ex P+P).No part of this publication may be reproduced in any format without the priorwritten permission of the publisher.

Printed in the European Union

For all editorial and advertising enquiriesplease contact Anderson & Co Publishing LtdTel: +44 (0)1380 816777 Fax: +44 (0)1380 816778email: [email protected] www.europe.trainermagazine.com

Issue 44

CONTRIBUTORS


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Criquette Head-Maarek with her Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Treve

The TRM Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by Criquette Head. Criquetteand her team will receive a selection of products from the internationally-acclaimedrange of TRM supplements worth €2,000, as well as a bottle of select Irish whiskey.

WORDS: GILES ANDERSON PHOTO: APRH


TRM Trainer of the Quarter

CRIQUETTE HEAD-MAAREK

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RIQUETTE Head-Maarek isin a unique position: As wellas training her string ofhorses from her Chantillybase, she also plays an active

role in the management of her familyfarm, Haras du Quesnay, located justoutside of Deauville in Normandy.

An April 7, 2010 foal by Motivatorex Trevise was a typical mating for thefamed French stud. At the time of thefilly’s birth, Vodafone Derby winnerMotivator was still based in Englandand wasn’t to arrive as a stallion at LeQuesnay until 2012. Trevise hadalready produced a stakes performer in Trois Rois, and with the wonderfulAnabaa as Trevise’s sire the 2010Motivator filly was matching speed

and stamina from this mating.Fast forward to October 18, 2011,

when the filly was brought to sell atArqana. She went through the ring butat €22,000 she had shown the flickerof potential at home and wasn’t worthselling that cheaply.

As a two-year-old, the filly wasnamed Treve, following a longQuesnay tradition of naminghomebred horses with words startingwith a “T.” Treve needed time, and itwasn’t until September 22 of her two-year-old season that she made the firstof five racecourse appearances over thenext thirteen months, culminating inher trainer’s second Prix de l’Arc deTriomphe victory, on October 6, 2013.

The victory was a deserved victory


for Head-Maarek. Over the past fewyears, her stable numbers had suffered following the death of a keyowner (Sheikh Maktoum) and on apersonal level she survived thedreadful cancer.

As a person, Head-Maarek is one ofthe kindest and considerate people inthe racing industry. In her role aspresident of both the French Trainers’Association and European Trainers’Federation, she regularly gives her timeand experience to help and advisefellow trainers and at home is a proudemployer of her beloved “boys” – theloyal team she employs.

2014 will be an exciting year forracing for both Criquette Head-Maarekand her stable star Treve. n

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PROFILE


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PETER FAHEY

PETER FAHEYGoing the extra mile

Balancing the care of owners with their horses could very well bethe hardest part of a trainer’s routine, but it says a lot about PeterFahey from the outset that this interview is conducted very late atnight in racing terms, particularly with an earlier-than-usual start

beckoning in the morning, as Peter and wife Ber head off to the salesin the UK and to oversee Sunday Serenade’s run at Cheltenham.

WORDS: LISSA OLIVER PHOTOS: CAROLINE NORRIS

HE late appointment has beenthoughtfully planned so that bothPeter and Ber can provide theirundivided attention, although aquick interruption by the phoneassures them that Sunday

Serenade has arrived safely ahead of them andeaten up, necessitating a second call, this timeto the promising mare’s enthusiastic owner,Michael Moloney.

It’s clear that Peter Fahey has time foreveryone except, quite possibly, himself,although sitting relaxed with his young family,even that tricky act of time juggling seems tohave been successfully achieved. Ber is onlyjust home from an evening as Scout Leader atthe troop attended by six-year-old daughterKate. Conor, aged two, is currently beingtended by Aisling, the nanny who ensureslong race day absences and trips to the salesby Peter and Ber pass almost unnoticed by thechildren.

It’s a typical lifestyle for most trainers, andRoefield Stables in the heart of the‘Thoroughbred County’ of Kildare is fairlytypical, too. Modern facilities sit alongside aprivate circular sand and fibre gallop, withtwo traditional yards home to 50 horses at anyone time, many in pre-training. The horsespull out at 7am and start with a little roadwork, passing by four other racing yards asthey loop round back to Fahey’s own gallop.

What isn’t quite so usual, particularly in a‘one-horse town’ like Cloneygath village, isthat the other yards are all home to a Fahey.Peter’s brothers Paul, Seamus and Jarlath are

T successful trainers in their own right, andnephew Mark has also inherited the familytalent. Does this mean there’s a wealth offamily expertise to call upon, or does siblingrivalry add an extra spike?

“We all operate very separately,” Peter says.“We all have different ways of doing things,but there’s definitely no rivalry. We’re alwaysreally pleased for the others when one of usdoes well, and we’ve all been lucky enough toeach have some good horses. We all do ourown thing and no one begrudges anyoneanything.”

The nurturing of young talent is one of thefamily traits, and Peter’s training careerappropriately began with breaking and pre-training young horses, but his history goesback very much further. “The family alwayshad a big involvement with horses, all the wayalong,” he recalls. “The family had a hugeinterest in pony racing, with my mother assecretary and my father as chairman (of theHorse and Pony Racing Association) I wasalways going to compete. I rode in my firstpony race when I was only six, recorded my

first winner a year later and went on to bechampion pony rider on a few occasions. Irode as an amateur for nine or ten years, from1996, and I rode almost 100 winners whileworking for Jessica Harrington.”

Ber, meanwhile, had grown up at JessicaHarrington’s, where her father, Eamonn, ishead lad and looked after the great MoscowFlyer. It could be regarded as a match made inheaven and very definitely a perfectpartnership, and Ber is involved at every levelwith the daily running of the yard.

They went to America for a year as workriders, but Peter ended up serving his time asan assistant trainer to Golden Shaheen winnerBig Jag’s trainer Tim Pinfield, which providedhim with the basics when he returned home.Given a blank canvas – nothing more than apiece of well-situated land – the couple spenttheir evenings drawing out plans, “working atthe table with a pencil and ruler,” as Ber says,until Roefield Stables emerged. “We had themain yard built before the house. Peterwanted the second yard built, but I thoughtwe should wait, but when I came home fromwork the foundations were already laid!”

The breaking yard is nearby, a separateentity to the racing yard, and both not onlyenjoy superb private facilities but also a closeproximity to the Curragh training groundsand all they have to offer, as well as the equineswimming pool and additional gallops locallyat Monasterevin. “We are very lucky to havethe Curragh on our doorstep; its facilities aresecond to none and I use it to do our lastpieces of work before a run,” Peter says.

“I never really wanted togo training, but pre-training got quiet.Training was never theintention”


Fahey gives out instructions with Frontline and Andrew Leigh leading the string as they trot around the gallop


PROFILE

Nevertheless, as ideal as it all sounds,surprisingly it was never quite the plan. “Inever really wanted to go training,” revealsPeter, “but pre-training got quiet. Training wasnever the intention. Shop Dj twisted my armto train.” Shop Dj, a mare bred and owned byArthur Craigie, retired with earnings of£123,222 and was a Grade 3 winner andGrade 1-placed, including a fine second to SirDes Champs at Punchestown in theChampion Novice Chase in 2012, with sevenwins to her name. “We won a point-to-pointwith her, but I didn’t have a licence so we senther to Jarlath until I got it. He won two NHFlat races with her and she won her maidenhurdle at her third start for me.”

The mare was a yard favourite but, as Berreveals, she could also have her moments.“She was there from the start, as a three-year-old, and she was one of the first horses webrought to Cheltenham, and she gave us ourfirst Grade winner [the Grade 3 ITBA EBFMares’ Hurdle at Punchestown], so she’llalways be very special. She could be a madam,too, and before Cheltenham she dropped meon the road!”

“Some owners sent us horses for breakingand wanted us to keep them in training,”Peter continues, “and the recession reallyaffected the breaking and pre-training. Upuntil then we were used as an overflow yardby a lot of trainers. It went a bit quiet, whichinfluenced the decision to go training. It washard, only having a few horses and seeingthem go off to other yards, so it made sense tokeep them and take out a licence. All thehorses we’ve been lucky with have all beenstarted here.”

The hardest part of the recession was thehuman cost, particularly in a small rural

community. “We went from 30-40 horsesdown to seven or eight,” admits Peter. “It wasterrible having to let people go, especially asthey were local people. That was very hard.”

Difficult though it must have been, settingup as a trainer in the depth of a recessionproved a remarkably wise move. Numbers areback up and beyond, and the owners who hadwanted their young horses to remain atRoefield Stables were amply rewarded fortheir justifiable faith. “Once we started it tookoff pretty quick and we had a great start,” saysPeter. “Hopefully we can keep going at ahigher level, and we’re building up betterhorses.”

Higher profile wins provide Peter and hisowners with better opportunities at the sales,but despite recent hard times the bloodstockmarket is again booming, making it verydifficult for the smaller owner and trainer.“We’ll always be at the sales up and down, butwe don’t buy on spec. We’re always lookingfor a horse for one of our existing, or new,owners,” says Peter. “We’ve got a lot of ownerswith just one or two horses. Some of them liketo buy at the sales, but a good many are

breeders and there are no major clients with alarge string. The middle price market is sodifficult and we’re all chasing the same type ofhorse. A lot of the horses we’ve beensuccessful with have been sent to me, bred bytheir owner, so I’ve not gone by pedigrees.”

Typical of Peter’s owners is MichaelMoloney. “I came to Peter on therecommendation of equine osteopathAnthony Coyne. I would definitely be one ofPeter’s worst owners!” he laughs, his horsesvery much a part of his family and doted uponlike children. “I’m a worrier; but you have totrust yourself that, in sending your horses tosomeone you trust, you’ve made the rightdecision and he’ll look after them. Peter suitsme perfectly. I wouldn’t last two minutes witha leading trainer with a large string – my horsewould be tied to the gate with a note saying,‘Come and get it!’”

Other than the individual care and timedevoted to the owners, as well as to theirhorses, there’s little difference between Peter’sestablishment and that of a major yard, asMoloney is quick to point out. “Everythingabout Roefield Stables is professional. Thestaff are spotless leading up at the races, in asmart suit, turned out as perfectly as thehorses. It’s that extra mile that makes all thedifference. It doesn’t matter what level yourhorse is, Peter will always find a race for them,you’ll always have one winner, which remindsyou why you do it and why you keepspending all this money!”

While winners can’t be guaranteed – andPeter is the first to state, “I don’t like havingbad horses; if they’re no good I tell the ownerearly on” – careful placing is as much a part oftraining as the fitness regime, and Peter is notalone in finding the Racing Calendar against

“Once we started it tookoff pretty quick and wehad a great start.Hopefully we can keepgoing at a higher level,and we’re building upbetter horses”


Above: Sunday Serenade (right) enjoys some

time off before going on to win the Mares

Maiden Hurdle at Tramore. Right: Owega

Star, winner of the Grade 2 Tara Hurdle


him, perhaps a problem peculiar to Ireland,conversely a country renowned for its racing.There are frequently to be found blank daysthroughout the year with no race meetingsscheduled. “I’d definitely love more racing,more opportunities,” he insists. “It’s verytough and very competitive during the wintermonths, I’d love to see more opportunities forthe lesser grade horses. They’re the races thatare always divided and balloted; it’s hard toget a programme for those horses.”

There are, of course, plusses, too, and theIrish racing community has pulled together toprovide fresh opportunities for the formerblack sheep of the National Hunt world: thefilly. “Enough has been done by the ITBA (Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association),”Peter agrees. “That initiative was a very good call by the ITBA, but it will make thefillies and mares’ races very competitive.”Another factor making races for the fairer sexeven more competitive are Peter’s ownrunners. Having a lot of owner-breeders in theyard means that he’s had a large amount offillies and has done particularly well withthem. Already this season Four Wives (ownedby G. O’Dowd), Sunday Serenade (Moloney)and Queen Alphabet (Mrs Carmel Ennis &Mrs Catherine Burke) have each chalked up awin for the girls, following in the hallowedpath of Shop Dj.

When asked if there’s a knack to them,

Peter admits, “Fillies are definitely harder. Justtrying to plan a programme around theircycles, it’s so important. Shop DJ was asregular as clockwork and we planned herraces accordingly. I think it is just asimportant to keep their mind right and keepthem happy in themselves.”

Being aware of a filly’s cycle is an importantpart of the daily routine, and it’s a simpleroutine that is the key element to keeping all ofthe horses happy and healthy. “We start atseven AM every morning and get everythingfinished by one PM in the yard here at home,”Peter explains, “then in the afternoon we do thebreakers and pre-training, and finish up at4.45pm, then feed up. We feed four times a dayand they’re all on Red Mills Racing Cubes.”

Most of the staff work in both yards andtheir feedback is invaluable. “I’m lucky tohave very good staff. We have a youngishcrowd so they’ve learnt as they’ve gone along,”says Peter. Ber adds, “Two of the lads aregraduates from RACE (Racing Academy andCentre of Eduacation) and they’re young and

brave!” Peter, having been such a successfuljockey, also rode work up until recently, buthe now finds that with such a large string it’seasier to watch the work and listen to thefeedback from his riders.

“Tuesdays and Fridays are our work daysand on those days we go to the Curragh. Wejust do routine canters on the other days andwe’ll use the swimming pool occasionally, aswell,” he explains. “They’ll do three cantersaround the gallop, then have a walk round torelax, then four canters round. We try not todisappoint any horse – we always work themwith a horse of their own level to keep theirconfidence. That’s what keeps their form forthe year. It’s definitely harder to keep themmentally fit than physically fit. Routine isimportant, more so, and keeping things assimple as we can. They have walks down theroad and a change of scenery. Weatherpermitting, I try to ensure they get a spell inthe paddock after their work.”

Peter doesn’t think it makes it easier foreither himself or the individual horse thatthey’re often broken by him as well, but itdoes help him to bring them on gently in themanner he’d like. “When we’re first breakingthe youngsters, we’re always schooling themand loose schooling them at home in the ring.The problem with young horses is they takeso much time. When you’re given a horse andyou’re not under any pressure it’s so mucheasier to get the best out of them, to do rightby the horse. So what really helps is anunderstanding owner, and we’re so lucky,we’re just steeped, even the syndicates arevery good. When owners are so enthusiasticthe biggest worry is thinking jeez, I hope itworks out for them!” One of those owners,equine osteopath Anthony Coyne, is also avital member of the team, and he owns thepromising Alton Bay.

Of other promising horses Peter and Ber can

look forward to, Siobhan and Anthony Callan’sOwega Star is currently shining brightly for thestable, his six wins including the Grade 2 TaraHurdle. Ber describes him as having thekindest temperament, but “a bugger to ride!”Peter’s picks are: “Definitely Sunday Serenade.Frontline is one we definitely hope will be topgrade and we have a nice Flemensfirth fillycoming along, a half-sister to Frontline. AltonBay is very good, he’s been unlucky so far.” Illluck can often haunt a yard and periods ofdrought can be disheartening, but as Peterpoints out, “There definitely does be bad days,when you have a spell without a winner. But ifyou keep to the routine, it comes back.” Beradds, “It’s kind of hard when you get a nicehorse in and you’re looking forward to theirfuture and then they’re sold. We were verylucky when Frontline got new owners andallowed him to stay in the yard.”

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the

“Fillies are definitelyharder. Just trying toplan a programmearound their cycles, it’sso important”

PETER FAHEY


PROFILE


Cheltenham just couldn’t do enough for you.”Like most other trainers and nearly all

owners, Peter contrasts this to Irishracecourses. “I’d like to see more facilities forowners. In most cases there’s nowhere inOwners And Trainers’ for a hot food option,or any food options for that matter. The socialside would help owners to enjoy their daymore and help trainers to engage with them.Consistency throughout all racecourses wouldhelp.”

It really is quite typical that we began ourinterview with Peter’s consideration of thepeople connected to his horses, which is alsohow we end it. Ber, by her own admission,may not be happy working in the office. “Iprefer to be in the yard. Even in the cold and the rain. I’d rather have wellies on and beout there than be in the office!” – but shewillingly takes care of the administrative sideof the business, which includes keeping all ofthe owners updated about their pride andjoys.

“Ber sent me a photo of Sunday Serenadeon the morning of her arrival at Cheltenham,”Moloney tellingly reveals. “I’d promisedmyself they had enough on their plate and Iabsolutely wouldn’t pester them, so I didn’tphone to acknowledge it. The next thing Ber was on the phone to me, ‘Did you get that picture alright? We haven’t heard fromyou!’”

It’s clear that the secret to happy horses andhappy owners is, as Moloney rightly says,going that extra mile. In that, Peter Fahey hasearned his Marathon Medal. n

Horses at the modern

Roefield Stables prepare

to be ridden out

Fahey with his wife Ber, who is involved in all aspects of running the yard

good days and, for NH racing, Cheltenhamrepresents the pinnacle. As Michael Moloneyenthuses, “I’ve been to Cheltenham lots oftimes but I’d never had a runner there, untilSunday Serenade. She was my first runner, myfirst winner, and now she’s taken me toCheltenham. Please God she’ll be going backthere in March. The thrill of going to

Cheltenham, win or lose, it’s what it’s all about.We had A.P. [McCoy] riding for us, and mythree young nieces were with me. They’re onlysmall, but they definitely know who he is andeven with all the pressure he’s under he shookhands with them and made time for them. Itwas a wonderful experience; the staff at



NUTRITION

SUCCULENTSAND TREATS

Secretweapon or simplyfolklore?

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Training racehorses could be described as being theepitome of art and science coming together. Whilst the

latest research and recommendations are important, therehas always been a strong belief in tradition and folklore in

the racing community where feeding is concerned. WORDS: CatheRine Dunnett BSC, PhD, R.nutR PhOtOS: ShutteRStOCK

morning. Generally it was well received,although I remember hearing a few reports ofhives or ‘protein bumps,’ which wereattributed rightly or wrongly to this freshmaterial. Alfalfa is a true king of forages, havinga superior digestibility compared to hay orhaylage. It is also a good source of bioavailablecalcium, but does not have a high sugarcontent. When fresh alfalfa is offered, it isessential that it is fed soon after cutting,because it will eventually start to deteriorateand could contribute to digestive problems.Fresh grass and alfalfa both have a very highwater content and so the level of nutritionprovided per day when fed as a succulent islikely to be quite low. However, the intangiblepsychological benefit of ‘Dr Green’ is huge,although fresh alfalfa is very difficult to sourcein Europe unless you grow and harvest ityourself.Some succulents such as hydroponic grass

offer a more significant nutritional addition tothe diet and are way beyond simply being atreat. Hydroponic grass has not taken offsignificantly in Europe or the US but is popularfor many equestrian disciplines in Australia.Those trainers that have tried it really value itas part of their racing ration, as it offers analternative and significant source of ‘Dr Green.’Hydroponic grass is delivered via a mat ofsprouted grains (usually barley) and the horseseat both the green shoots and the mat of roots.A single mat per day makes a significantnutritional contribution to the diet and canreplace about 2-3kg of concentrate feed,therefore reducing the starch load of atraditional racing diet. These mats of ‘grass’ are very good for horses

psychologically, as they prolong eating timeand so encourage a more natural grazingbehaviour. In addition, the sprouting processitself mobilises natural starch digestingenzymes from the grain, which may also helpimprove the digestion of starch from theremainder of the racing diet. Hydroponic grass offers a real tangible

benefit for horses in training, but the unitsrequired to produce it are relatively expensiveand have to be kept scrupulously clean to

ORSES in fulltraining canexperience reducedappetite or can becomeincreasingly finicky

feeders the fitter and the nearer to theracecourse they get. In addition, immunefunction may be suppressed and psychologicalstress can become significant. Trainers over theyears have often expressed their individualismthrough nutrition offering those specialintangible additions to the normal daily ration.In this article, I will explore some of the mostcommonly used and also the more peculiaradditions I have experienced in racing diets,and discuss their potential benefits ordisadvantages.

Succulents: are they simply a dailytreat?The addition of succulents to the diet are oftensimply viewed as a daily treat, a way of addingsome variety to the ration but are not reliedupon for any specific nutritional benefit.Carrots and apples are perhaps the bestillustration of a widely used succulent in aracing context. Horses generally love them andthey can certainly help to maintain interest infeed. As long as they are cut up appropriatelyand don’t present a choking hazard, they are agreat addition to the diet. Both carrots andapples tend to be very high in sugars whenexamined on a dry matter basis, but they alsooffer digestible fibre including pectin, as well asnatural antioxidants and vitamins. Theirnutritional contribution is fairly limited,however, given the amount fed and their veryhigh water content. In short, carrots or applesare a benign addition to the racing ration, withthe main benefit largely being to improve feedintake, as well as psychological wellbeing.Other succulents of note include fresh

forages such as alfalfa, or indeed the revered‘pick of grass.’ Alfalfa cut freshly in the morningwas a time-honoured tradition for many yearsin Newmarket, delivered by my neighbour andfriend, ex-trainer Gerry Blum. Many horseswere offered an armful of this fresh forage each

H

SUCCULENTS AND TREATS


avoid microbiological spoilage. Hordenine, aprohibited substance, can also be producedduring the sprouting process and so the riskand consequences of its presence from feed inpost-race sample needs to be urgently clarifiedby the BHA.

Health benefits Moving away from succulents, trainers havealways been interested in additions to the dietthat may help to keep horses healthy andstrong or support their recovery followinginjury during training. Comfrey is a herb orplant that was cultivated and used in at leastone successful training yard historically. Thecolloquial name for comfrey is knitbone,which perhaps provides a clue to its reputedbenefits. A scan of the literature howeversuggests that any positive effects on bone mayhave been limited to its topical use. Feedingcomfrey may actually be hazardous due to thelevel of liver toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloidspresent, which are similar to those found inragwort. A very traditional but perhaps rather bizarre

addition to the diet of hunters and horses intraining is Guinness. Guinness is a popularIrish dry stout made from water, barley, roastmalt extract, hops, and brewer’s yeast.Guinness, I suspect, may have been given tohorses in the belief that it is a rich source ofiron to diminish anaemia, and it usedto be advised for pregnantmothers and blooddonors alike. Howeverthis practice has been ceased and the ‘ironeffect’ is a bit of an urban myth, with manyother feeds being a much more relevantsource of iron. Equally it is veryunusual for iron deficiency to be theroot cause of an anaemic blood profilein horses. The brewers of Guinness have

never made any overt healthclaims, but scientists haveindependently supported moderateconsumption in humans. Antioxidantcompounds, similar to those found in certainfruits and vegetables, in Guinness may beresponsible for its reputed health benefits,which include reduced blood clotting. Beers ingeneral have also been cited as being a goodsource of bioavailable silicon shown to bebeneficial for bone density. High-sugar containing syrups have also

been added to in-training feeds for many years,and honey is probably one of the most popularadditions. Largely honey is fed for its positiveeffect on palatability and is used to tempt fussyhorses. The benefit of standard honeyprobably doesn’t go beyond this, but manukahoney has reputed health benefits and so isregarded as a type of ‘super honey.’Manukahoney, which has a premium price, is derivedfrom Australia and New Zealand and isproduced by bees collecting pollen from themanuka tree. It reputedly has antibacterial

effects and has been used in wound healing,although the scientific evidence for this israther sparse.Finally, there are some additions that

trainers believe provide nutrition beyond thatfound within the basal racing diet. Musclebuilding protein is a huge commercialopportunity within the human sports sector.Human power athletes routinely consumeprotein shakes, which combine highquality protein sources such as whey.There is no doubt that the additionof quality protein is beneficial, as itprovides many key amino acidsneeded to drive muscle proteinsynthesis, support immunefunction, and even tost imulate

better glycogen synthesis in conjunction withappropriate carbohydrate. In my travels, I have come across eggs being

used as a high-quality protein source forhorses. Eggs are routinely added to thetraining diet of horses in India, although thispractice is no longer popular in Europe or theUS. Whilst eggs are indeed a very high qualitysource of protein, their addition to a racingdiet is risky. Horses are naturally herbivoresand so the addition of ‘animal protein’ is ratheran alien concept. In addition, there is always

the risk of salmonella infection withraw eggs, which is usually how they

are fed. A more appropriatesource of of high qualityprotein for horses perhaps

would be full fat soya, whey, orspirulina, which is an algae that has

recently emerged onto the equinemarket. I am always conscious when writing

articles on new and perhapsunproven aspects of nutrition thattrainers enthusiastic to gain anedge may embrace these ideas.Beetroot has been the subjectof a previous article inEuropean Trainer, ‘To beet ornot to beet’ (Issue 39 –Autumn 2012), and has

achieved some well-deservednotoriety in the human health and

sports nutrition sector. Beetroot juice,cooked beetroot, and even uncooked beetroot

have been offered to horses in training. The benefit of beetroot in humans isfairly well established but much

more clarity is required inhorses. The flesh of thebeetroot is no doubt a usefulsource of digestible fibre;however, the attraction in

human nutrition is inharnessing the vasodilating effects

of its high nitrate content. The majordifference with horses is that as

herbivores, the nitrate intake from othercomponents in the diet is likely to be muchhigher than that of a human athlete and theaddition of beetroot to the diet may beinconsequential in this respect. Some species-specific research in horses would be welcometo establish any benefits beyond its normalnutritional content. In summary, I am in no doubt that

succulents and some high sugar-containingsyrups have a worthwhile role within the dailyracing ration to help maintain feed intake. Inaddition when given by hand, succulents suchas carrots and apples help to maintain socialcontact and psychological wellbeing.Hydroponic grass could have real tangiblebenefits to nutrition and racehorse welfare, butthe value of many of the other daily additionsmentioned is steeped in tradition or hearsayrather than robust science. n


NUTRITION

“Alfalfa is a true king offorages, having a superior digestibilitycompared to hay or haylage. It is also a goodsource of bioavailablecalcium, but does nothave a high sugar content”



TIE-BACK SURGERYNew research on theupper airway procedure

VETERINARY

TIEBACK EURO ISSUE 44 V2_Jerkins feature.qxd 16/12/2013 11:28 Page 1


TIE-BACK SURGERY


HE aim of this procedure is toreverse the effects of larynxweakness that occurs due to adegenerative condition of thenerve that controls the muscleson the left side. A synthetic

implant is placed along that side of the larynx to hold it open where the muscle is tooweak.

It has long been suspected that theprocedure has other effects on the airway,other than simply tying the collapsed part ofthe larynx back and out of the way. Recentresearch from the University of Edinburghpublished in Equine Veterinary Journal hashelped to shed some light on this, and itemphasises the importance of accuratediagnosis of upper airway disorders both priorto and after the surgery if the horse is stillfailing to meet expectations.

Tie-back surgery has been very successfulin many racehorses with the potential forsignificant improvements in postoperativeperformance, and it has also significantlyreduced abnormal noise production.However, in some cases, clinical signs persistpostoperatively and the procedure may beassumed to have failed. Horses may thensimply be retired from race training withoutfurther investigation, causing considerablecost to all parties involved.

Laryngeal paralysis and the tie-backprocedureThe larynx has a number of functions, one ofwhich is to help prevent food material fromentering the airway of the horse when it isswallowing feed. Two symmetrical cartilagesof the larynx, known as the arytenoids, act as

Every trainer is familiar with a horse that makes a noise, andif performance is poor, a trip to a surgical facility is the usualnext step. The tie-back procedure (or laryngoplasty) has beenthe mainstay in the treatment of laryngeal paralysis for over40 years. WORDS: TimOThy P BaRneTT, ROSSDale anD PaRTneRS, neWmaRkeT, SuffOlk,

Celia m maRR, equine VeTeRinaRy JOuRnal, neWmaRkeT, SuffOlk.

PhOTOS: GeORGe SelWyn, ROSSDale anD PaRTneRS

TVETERINARY

“doors” that close when the horse swallows.The same “doors” open fully when the horse isexercising. This allows as much air as possibleinto the lungs and the horse to perform to itsfull potential.

In some horses, and commonly thethoroughbred, the muscles controlling the leftarytenoid can become paralysed due to adegeneration of the nerve that controls itsmovements. At present we do not fullyunderstand the exact mechanism of thisdisease process. But, as the nerve fails and the muscle weakens in turn, the leftarytenoid will then fall into the airway and itcannot be pulled out of the way when thehorses starts to exercise.

The volume of air reaching the lungs is reduced, resulting in suboptimalperformance; and the production of

abnormal noise exists due to the partlycollapsed larynx vibrating when the horsebreathes in.

Tie-back surgery aims to replicate theaction of the fully contracted muscle, and thusties the left arytenoid back and out of theairway, so that airflow at maximal effort isuncompromised. Unfortunately this alsomeans that the airway is permanently open onthe left, even when the horse is swallowing.This can allow food into the windpipe andlungs, which may cause coughing for a periodof time afterwards. This is why surgeonsadvise feeding horses postoperatively from thefloor, as they are less likely to inhale foodparticles.

Surgical success, potentialcomplications, and side effectsDepending on the measurement criteria andon the discipline of the horse, the success ofthe tie-back procedure ranges from 38-92%.Some horses do not improve at all. They maycontinue to make a noise or, more importantlyin the case of the racehorse, they may not


The closed larynx – preventing food particles from entering the

wind pipe

Fully opened larynx – allowing maximal airflow into the windpipe

and the lungs.


TIE-BACK SURGERY


perform as well as expected after surgery.Well-known side effects include coughing, asdiscussed earlier, and a reduced ability toswallow food, both of which often improvewith time.

The Edinburgh studyPostoperatively, most surgeons advise thathorses be re-examined with an endoscopeprior to leaving the hospital and again aroundsix weeks later, before a decision is made tore-enter light training. This allows theveterinary surgeon not only to assess howsuccessful the procedure has been in tyingback the paralysed part of the larynx, but alsoto see if any other problems have come tolight.

Normally the surgeon will only view theairway with the horse at rest; however, thepersistent problems associated with surgicalfailure often occur at strenuous exercise.Endoscopic examination whilst the horse isexercising has been possible for many yearsusing a video-endoscope and a high-speedtreadmill.

Recently, over-ground endoscopicequipment has become available, which hasmade the examination much more convenientto everyone involved. The examination isperformed while the horse is ridden, avoidingthe need to train it to work on a treadmill.And, of course, the equipment is fairlyportable so it can be used at the training yardwithout the need to transport the horse to aspecialist facility.

The Edinburgh study aimed to follow up on 41 horses that had tie-back surgery forlaryngeal paralysis, using endoscopy both at rest and whilst exercising at their maximal ability. Horses involved in a wide range of equestrian disciplines wereincluded in this study, including a number of horses in race training. Owners’ and trainers’ satisfaction with performance,respiratory noise, and respiratory- The over-ground exercising endoscopy equipment in use on a thoroughbred racehorse

related complications were also assessed by means of a questionnaire.

Multiple abnormalitiesIn this group of horses, 78% had a form ofupper airway collapse at exercise, with 41%having complex forms, despite 93% of ownersreporting the surgery to have been beneficial.This was surprising given that most ownersand trainers reported satisfaction with thesurgery postoperatively. It is not clear if these abnormalities occurred as a result of the procedure or were present butundiagnosed before the surgery. Many horses

“Depending on the measurement criteria and on the discipline ofthe horse, the success ofthe tie-back procedureranges from 38-92%.Some horses do notimprove at all.”

Left laryngeal paralysis – the left arytenoid and vocal fold are seen

to collapse into the airway

The left arytenoid tied back out of the airway following surgery.


VETERINARY


had the tie-back surgery solely based onresting examination and conditions onlyoccurring during exercise may have beenoverlooked.

What was very evident was that most of the abnormalities were not associated with clear-cut surgical failure, i.e. the ‘tied-back’ arytenoid was stable. Hadadditional abnormalities been identifiedbefore the tie-back surgery, some could have been treated at the same time as the tie-back surgery, thus ensuring maximalbenefit from the time withheld from trainingand racing.

In some horses, this problem could havebeen avoided had exercising endoscopy been performed before surgery. While trainersmay be tempted to skip straight to the knifewhen they are dealing with a horse making a

noise, throat problems are complex and farfrom identical in each individual. This studyshows that a complete and detailedassessment including over-ground exercisingendoscopy may maximise chances that thecorrect procedure is performed to benefit eachhorse.

Respiratory noiseAs long as the horse is performing well, mosttrainers would agree that increased noisewhen working is of little concern, and thisview is supported by research showing thatmany racehorses will still perform welldespite aberrant noise production. Problemsmay arise, however, if the horse is beingtransferred or sold, as the noise may benoticed at pre-purchase examination. Oneparticularly significant finding from the

Edinburgh study was that when the laryngealventricles were not removed at the time ofsurgery, the horses were nearly five timesmore likely to make respiratory noise whenexercising.

An increased amount of respiratory noisewas also reported in horses with the arytenoidcartilage not tied back as much as possible.Both of these findings are useful lessons forthroat surgeons but it is also possible for thearytenoid to fall into the airway due toincreased stresses placed on the horse in theimmediate postoperative period. Carefulattention to postoperative management andan adequate rest period is, therefore,imperative to ensure a successful outcome tothe tie-back.

One disadvantage of the tie-back procedureis that creates a turbulent airflow in otherareas of the airway, including the structureson the right side of the larynx and thearyepiglottic fold, a sheet of tissue thatattaches the arytenoids to the epiglottis.Collapse of the aryepiglottic fold or the rightvocal fold are common findings following tie-back surgery.

The left vocal fold is usually removed at thesame time as the tie-back surgery. Removal ofboth vocal folds together is a risky procedure;scar tissue can form between them and createa ‘web’ that may significantly obstruct theairway, so the right vocal fold is not usuallyremoved unless there is good evidence it iscausing a problem, and if so, it is usually doneat a later date.

Palatal dysfunctionPalatal dysfunction encompasses instability ofthe soft palate and the more severe anddetrimental condition of dorsal displacementof the soft palate (DDSP). In the Edinburghstudy, 56% of horses had some form of palatal dysfunction and 31% had DDSP. This was an important finding, as DDSP and laryngeal collapse have rarely been diagnosed together in previous studies.But concurrent studies from universityhospitals of Pennsylvania in the US andBristol in the UK have also confirmed palataldysfunction in horses that have undergonetie-back surgery.

Interestingly, the DDSP observed in the

“The Edinburgh studyhighlights that a completediagnosis of laryngeal collapse prior to tie-backsurgery is the best way ofensuring optimal resultspostoperatively”

Aryepiglottic fold collapse seen following tie-back

Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) seen after tie-back


post-tie-back horses was unusual: DDSPusually occurs during fast work. Followingtie-back surgery, DDSP occurred just asreadily at slower gaits, and even whenwalking.

It is unclear at present why some horsesthat undergo tie-back surgery areexperiencing these forms of palataldysfunction. But it is important to stress thatthis group of horses are from a large variety ofdisciplines and are not just fit racehorses.

The owners and trainers of this group ofhorses were largely satisfied with the level ofperformance and noise reduction achievedfrom a tie-back surgery, and the postoperative

abnormalities do not appear to be causingclinical problems.

In conclusionThe Edinburgh study highlights that acomplete diagnosis of laryngeal collapse prior to tie-back surgery, including exercising endoscopic examination, is the best way of ensuring optimal resultspostoperatively. Over-ground endoscopyequipment is now widely available, so adetailed preoperative assessment is moreprudent and cost effective. Not only cancomplex abnormalities be identified but horses with mild laryngeal collapse at

rest that is completely abolished whenworking can also be pinpointed, and sosurgery is not necessarily beneficial for theseindividuals.

The Edinburgh study also highlights that exercise endoscopy may help explainwhy some horses return to training with little improvement in performance. Theseabnormalities can be corrected, depending on the condition, with further surgical or medical interventions. Exercisingendoscopy should certainly be considered before the tie-back surgery is repeated or the decision to retire the horseis made. n

TIE-BACK SURGERY



RACING


WORK RIDERS SOUTH AFRICA EURO ISSUE 44_Jerkins feature.qxd 16/12/2013 11:08 Page 1


GIVING ALL ACHANCE TO SHINEThe South African Jockeys Academy

SOUTH AFRICAN JOCKEYS ACADEMY


RACING


N winning the Vodacom Durban July,the 28-year-old Zulu became the firstblack jockey in history to win SouthAfrica’s most famous race.

The timing could not have beenbetter. As the 20 runners headed

down towards the ten-furlong start, the mindsof the 55,000-strong Greyville crowd were farfrom a last-minute flutter on this prestigiousGroup 1 contest. When the horsesdisappeared out of sight, the stands werecalled to join together in a 67-second silencein tribute to the former President.

However, the silence did not last for long,as spontaneous cheers and applause rang outto acknowledge a series of photos of Mandela,the father of the nation, displayed on the giantscreens. Just minutes later, the spirit ofMandela was still felt on the track. Cheering

redoubled as S’Manga Khumalo stormed tovictory in the Durban July Handicap aboardthe Sean Tarry-trained Heavy Metal. This wasthe second top-level success of the day forKhumalo in the colours of owner Chris VanNiekerk, who could be seen wiping away tearsas he waited to welcome his winner.

“Two wins in a row, on a day that we thinkof Madiba. And young S’Manga Khumalo, ayoung Zulu man… there’s something in thestory that makes me emotional,” admitted VanNiekerk. Van Niekerk is no stranger to bigwins in South Africa, and he had lifted theDurban July twelve months earlier withanother Sean Tarry trainee, Pomodoro. But itwas evident that this moment meant morethan an ordinary Group 1 success for both theowner and the sport as a whole. “Thedemographics of South African racing are stillnot what they should be. To have guys likehim coming through helps the causeimmensely.”

Sean Tarry agreed. “It’s wonderful, whileMadiba is still here, that a first black jockeyhas won the Durban July. I’m sure that thehuge reaction from the crowd had a lot to dowith it being S’Manga riding him. This couldhave a massive impact.”

Just days later, S’Manga Khumalo was onhis way to becoming a household name.Instead of jetting off to the beach to relax andcelebrate during what could be considered awell-timed suspension just after his majorcareer win, the rider’s diary was chock-full ofmedia engagements. He says, “It’s been great, I’ve had a lot of interviews withnewspapers, magazines, and also the TV. I stillcan’t believe it.”

Nicknamed “Bling” for his penchant forflashy jewellery and dyed-blond hair (perhapsas a nod to Tarry’s first-string jockey PiereStrydom), S’Manga Khumalo is living thedream. “My idols are Frankie Dettori andChristophe Soumillon,” he says, “but I’vealready been punished here for copyingSoumillon’s style and being too flamboyantafter a win!” The Khumalo version of Dettori’sflying dismount poses no problem to theauthorities, and as with his Italiancounterpart, just adds to the appeal of thepopular rider.

After posing for yet another photo in theTurffontein training stables, Khumalo reflects,“I never thought that all this would be for me,looking back to where I grew up.” He isreluctant to dwell on the exact circumstancesof his background, but it is clear that he wasraised closer to the townships than the rich

“I dedicate this win to Madiba. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’tbe here.” Almost 20 years after the end of apartheid and as anailing Nelson Mandela – or “Madiba,” as he is respectfullyknown – lay gravely ill in a Pretoria hospital, jockey S’MangaKhumalo marked the beginning of a new era for South Africanracing. WORDS: KATHERINE FORD PHOTOS: LIESL KING, KATHERINE FORD

I

S’Manga Khumalo celebrates victory in the Durban July Handicap on Heavy Metal




Now that S’Manga Khumalo has achievedhis first ambition, his next goal is to becomethe first black champion jockey in SouthAfrica. He may well receive support fromacross the industry in realising this objective,as all sectors are conscious of the boost a high-profile black jockey could give the sport. Indeed, top trainer Mike de Kock has dedicated his July blog to the rider, titling it “S’Manga’s Time Has Come” andpledging support in Khumalo’s bid to lift

next season’s National Jockeys’ Title. No part of the racing community will be

keener to see S’Manga Khumalo succeed thanthe stable staff. It is extremely rare to see awhite stable worker in South Africa and thosewho ensure the day-to-day care and exerciseof the equine athletes regard Khumalo as aninspiration. Even though the South AfricanJockeys Academy makes a conscious effort torecruit as many black and colouredyoungsters as possible, it has taken until 2013for a member of the underprivileged blackcommunity to hit the racing headlines.

In the background, one man has beenfighting with quiet determination for theempowerment of stable staff since the late1990s.

James Maree’s Thoroughbred RacingDevelopment Centre is a uniqueestablishment in the racing world. Launchedin August 1999, its purpose is to improve theskills of stable workers, with the ultimate goalof participating in reserved work riders’ racesand maybe even becoming professionaljockeys.

Maree, a professional trainer in theHighveld region just outside Johannesburg,shouts out instructions to his riders. “Relax!You’re there to help him!” The cry applies

“My idols are FrankieDettori and ChristopheSoumillon, but I’vealready been punishedhere for copyingSoumillon’s style andbeing too flamboyantafter a win!”

S’Manga Khumalo

The crowd at Greyville joined together for a 67-second silence in tribute to former South African President ‘Madiba’ Nelson Mandela

suburbs. His life was turned around by achance visit during his schooldays. “Agentleman was sent by the South AfricanJockeys Academy to go to black schools andlook for guys that wanted to be jockeys andhave the physique to be a jockey. Heapproached me and I decided to give it a go. Ihad never seen horses before and I was verynervous. At that time I was very tiny and I justkept myself as far away from the horses as Icould…”

Based in the Summervelt training centrejust outside Durban, the South AfricanJockeys Academy is renowned as one of theworld’s most successful producers of jockeys.Khumalo soon found his feet, and an affinitywith the thoroughbreds, although heremembers that it was not easy to make hismark. “During my apprenticeship, there wereothers with a horse background; their fathersor uncles who were trainers, or jockeys. Theydidn’t get it as hard as we did. They werealready riding races while we were stilllearning.” He shrugs, “Looking at it now, Ithink I’ve achieved more than them by beinga hard worker. They knew more, but I wantedto learn more. It was hard because they hadbig, well-known surnames, but hard workand dedication has paid off.”


perfectly to the mission of Maree, whoexplains the background of his initiative:“Horses were becoming very expensive and itwas sad to see some of the grooms riding theway they were, sitting in the wrong place, etc.I felt that if we were paying huge sums for ahorse, we needed to improve their skills ingeneral.”

Initially Maree did not meet withoverwhelming enthusiasm from theestablishment. “It was a battle in thebeginning. I had a lot of reluctance from a lotof people… I was told by quite a prominentbloke, ‘A black can’t ride a horse!’ but anyhowthat’s been proved wrong and it just shows ifyou really want to do something and you’repassionate about it, you can get there.”Passion and resolve won the day and JamesMaree’s private training centre now doubles asa racing school for the underprivileged, fullysupported by Phumelela (racing operator andtote betting organisation), the Racing Trust,Racing Association, and National HorseracingAuthority.

The course exists in two parts: the first is athree-month “Work Rider Course,” consistingof basic horsemanship plus basic andadvanced work riding. Completion of all threestages allows riders to don their silks and lineup on the racecourse proper, but only to raceon a straight track. Maree is a great advocateof a quiet and relaxed riding style and givespractical advice unlikely to be heard in ridingschools elsewhere in the world. “It’s soimportant to put your weight in the right

James Maree with students at his

Thoroughbred Racing Development

Centre

RACING



RACING


place. It’s the same as when you put a bucket ofwater on your head – put it in the middle, thenyou can carry it!”

The “Advanced Race Riding Course”involves technical race tactics, and riders are monitored by representatives of the Jockey Club of South Africa and Maree himselfbefore being judged competent to race arounda turn. To date 43 riders have qualified fromthis more demanding second course.

Sessions take place twice a week, and uponthe suggestion and agreement of theiremployers, stable staff are shipped in onminibuses from the training centres ofTurffontein and the Vaal once they havefinished their morning duties. Behind therelaxed atmosphere, a quiet determinationreigns as the 30 or so riders listen intently toMaree and his assistant, jockey MarthiniusMienie.

They are aware that completing the twocourses can be a life-changing achievement, asin South Africa future jockeys must passthrough the stringent five-year apprentice

course proposed by the South African JockeysAcademy in order to obtain a licence. TheThoroughbred Racing Development Centreoffers a second chance for these workers toshow their prowess on the track with aschedule of four reserved races per month, plusthree entire race days for work riders.

Patrick Davis, racing executive forPhumelela, explains, “They compete as fully-fledged jockeys in these races, earning on the

“One successful workrider might support 50other people. The spin-off to the rest oftheir community, family,and friends is just great”

James Maree

same basis as apprentice jockeys (riding fee ofapprox €35, plus 6% of winning stakes). In theten years plus that these races have beenhappening, we have had very few accidentsand the stipendary stewards comment thattheir race riding has improved beyondrecognition in recent years. But it’s not justabout riding; the programme also includes alife skills course to try and give these guys a liftup in life.”

The top earner in the 2012/2013 work ridersstandings is Francis Semela, who with 13successes from 57 rides during the season willhave pocketed 52,000 Rand (€4,000) plus theequivalent of a further €2,000 in riding fees.This figure exceeds the average annual incomefor a black household (2012 figures), whoseearnings are still six times less than whites, 19years after the end of apartheid.

As Maree points out, “One successful workrider might support 50 other people. The spin-off to the rest of their community, family, andfriends is just great.” One of the handful ofwork riders to make the transition to theprofessional ranks is Louis Nhlapo. The winnerof over 200 races, Nhlapo remembers withgratitude the chance that was offered to him. “Iwas a farrier and Mr Maree got me anopportunity as a work rider through his school.As long as you listen, and respect people, thatis when you have a chance to become aprofessional jockey. He taught me from scratchto be something.”

The next generation are hard at work at theEikenhof stable. Each one rides a retiredracehorse in a fast piece of work up the sandtrack, under the watchful eye of Maree and

The South African Jockeys Academy visit schools in search of potential jockeys of the future


Mienie and their video camera. At the end of the morning, a detaileddebrief is given in an improvised classroom adorned with photos ofMaree’s career as a champion jockey and training successes of the stable.

“Mr James” – as some of the students call Maree – “is an expert,” saysSiyabonga Duma, who still attends the training school after about a dozenrides in public. “He was one of the best back in the day, and every dayhere you learn something new. Riding in work riders’ races helps to earnsome pocket money but I’m actually on a mission to become a top jockey.It gives us enthusiasmto see that if S’MangaKhumalo can do it, wecan succeed too.”

Another aspiringjockey, Sandiso Jelwana,is working in JamesMaree’s yard whilecompleting the Basicriding course. “When Iwas still very young itwas my dream tobecome a jockey oneday. I didn’t knowanything about horses,or where to go. Theytold me to go to MrMaree, that he is the onewho is going to give meinformation and anopportunity to be successful in life. He is very strict. When he says youmust do something, you must do it each and every time, but he’s a goodtrainer. I haven’t passed the course yet but I can see where I am going nowfor the future.”

Times have changed in the Rainbow Nation since the Mandela era. Asever, horseracing has not been at the forefront of change, but withS’Manga Khumalo leading the way and a host of dedicated workersbehind, the sport could finally be on its way to becoming a rainbowsport. n



“Riding in work riders’races helps to earn somepocket money but I’mactually on a mission tobecome a top jockey. Itgives us enthusiasm tosee that if S’MangaKhumalo can do it, wecan succeed too”

Siyabonga Duma



RACING

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WORK RIDERSThe winning home team

WORK RIDERS


S South Africa’s James Mareefrom the Work RidersDevelopment Programme putsit, “I know and all trainersknow that if you get to thetrack in the morning and you

haven’t got a decent work rider, you may as wellgo home. Without that, you just can’t doanything.”

Trainers need to be able to rely on theirmorning pilots to follow instructions, as weeksof preparation can be wasted if a strategic gallopdoes not go to plan. This applies both in theshort term before a race engagement or in thelong term, notably for a difficult horse whosecareer can be made or broken depending uponthe skills of his morning partner.

French handler Freddy Head is well-placedto analyse the situation. As a former top jockey,he rode plenty of champions on the gallopsbefore hanging up his boots to become a leadingtrainer, famously of 14-time Group 1 winnerGoldikova and recently of another high-classfilly in Moonlight Cloud, who completed arecord-breaking double at Deauville thissummer.

For Head, a sensitive rider is a must, “Theymust have good hands to be kind to the horse’smouth. The opposite, a brutal rider, can destroya horse and his racing career. Most of my teamhave been with me for a long time, althoughthere are always some changeovers and moreand more girls. My team is now around 50%feminine and in general I notice that the girls aremore gentle riders and are more attached to thehorses. They ride very well and I am sure thatone day soon we will see a champion ladyjockey.”

Trainers around the world have widely varying ideas ontraining methods, feeding regimes, and riding tactics, andthese opinions can even differ between neighbouringprofessionals using the same facilities. But one thing thathandlers will unanimously agree upon is the vital importanceof a competent team of work riders. WORDS: KATHERINE FORD PHOTOS: CAROLINE NORRIS, APRH, HORSEPHOTOS, MARK ROSE

A

RACING

Head explains that he rarely calls on jockeysto gallop his horses in training, preferring to relyupon his regular team who are familiar with hisworking methods. However, many of the staffhave racing experience. “A lot of my work ridersare former jockeys, who have retired from raceriding or after a short career. They are lightweight and experienced and ride most of the fastwork for me.”

A second career as a work rider is a logicalone for many former jockeys as it allows them toremain connected with the racing game andmaintain that all-important contact withthoroughbreds without the demands of settingup as a trainer. Former top-level jump jockeyDean Gallagher retired from the saddle aged 40in 2009 and is now an important member of theBallydoyle team. The Irishman was seen puttingfuture Breeders’ Cup Classic third Declaration ofWar through his paces at Santa Anita recently,and Gallagher relishes his hands-on role.

Ex-jockeys have the advantage of race-ridingexperience, and once they adapt to therequirements of training rather than a win-at-all-costs approach, their value is evident fortrainers.

Newcomers to racing in Europe have oftengraduated from the racing schools such as theAFASEC (Association de Formation et d'ActionSociale des Ecuries de Courses) in France, theBritish Racing School (BRS) or Northern RacingCollege in the UK, and RACE (Racing Academyand Centre of Education) in Ireland. Manyyoungsters will have enrolled at such schoolswith the dream of becoming a jockey but didn’tmake the grade following their training andapprenticeship; but at least they have agrounding in horsemanship and riding, whichstands them in good stead as exercise riders.Since 2007, Newmarket’s British Racing Schoolhas even offered two specific “Riding WorkCourses” with the aim of improving work ridingskills. The objective of the first course is tointroduce stable staff to the particularities ofriding fast work, and the second gives advancedcoaching to more experienced riders andadvises them on giving all-important feedbackto trainers.

The BRS also proposes a made-to-measureservice, sending their coach to a trainer’s yard.James Given is full of praise for this initiative,saying, “I've always felt that if you took your best

More than 50 per cent of Freddy Head’s work riders are female as he believes they are gentler and become more attached to the horses



WORK RIDERS


member of staff and cloned them, your horseswould be prepared better and you wouldtherefore train more winners, attract moreowners, and be able to earn more throughtraining fees. Thats the reason why Sir MichaelStoute employs some of the best riders inNewmarket. However if you can't get involvedin 'buying' you have to do something else – youhave to train your staff.”

It is no coincidence that many of FreddyHead’s remarks are shared by American Hall ofFame trainer Shug McGaughey, who says, “It’svery important for my stable to have good workriders, and above all, riders I am familiar with.The rider I have here [preparing Point of Entryfor the Breeders’ Cup Turf] has been with me

since 1983, and none of my riders has workedfor me for less than five years. We think thesame way and I know their riding styles.

Horsemanship is imperative for McGaughey’sstaff and he explains, “A lot of the girls whowork for me know horses as they have comethrough the showing or equestrian circuits,while most of the boys wanted to be jockeys andhaven’t made it for various reasons.”

A recurrent problem throughout the racingworld is a shortage of competent stablepersonnel, and notably work riders. In Europetrainers employ more and more staff fromEastern Europe and Asia, with all theimmigration regulations and difficulties thisentails, while in the USA, Central and LatinAmerica provide a huge source of stableworkers and indeed a good proportion of thecontinent’s jockeys.

Alan Balch of the California HorseracingBoard says, “We don’t have a problem withfinding stable staff in California as there are somany Central and South Americans looking forwork. But each role is defined and you’reunlikely to find an exercise rider taking a turnat hotwalking or vice versa.”

Young expat Frenchman Leonard Powell, whohas enjoyed a successful season from HollywoodPark in 2013, concurs. “I have three categories ofstaff: grooms who take care of the horses andtheir stables, hotwalkers, and finally exerciseriders. I’ve adapted to the American system andall my riders carry walkie-talkies so I can tellthem the time of the first part of a gallop andthey can adapt their speed if necessary.”

Across the USA, exercise riders are requiredto hold a licence issued by the horseracingboard of whichever state they’re working in,and a recent welcome development inCalifornia is the introduction of an annualphysical examination, as requested by theJockey and Driver Welfare Committee, for allwork riders.

There are no such regulations in SouthAmerica. At the 2012 Breeders’ Cup, futureMarathon hero Calidoscopio was the focus ofmuch amused attention during the build-up to the race as he was ridden bareback in all but his serious gallops. This is the norm in his native Argentina, as leading trainer JuanCarlos Etchechoury says. “This is our traditionalway of training and a matter of organisation andalso of relaxation for the horse. When they havea saddle on their back, they know that it is for agallop or a race and they become nervous.Without saddles, they remain calm.”

South America, and notably Argentina andUruguay, are known for their gaucho culture,and there is little formal training of any kind forjockeys or stable staff except for a makeshiftjockeys’ school at San Isidro, where apprenticesare coached during the afternoons.

Alfredo Gaitán Dassié, who scored a rare hat-trick at the Group 1 “Estrellas” meeting – similarto the Breeders’ Cup – in San Isidro in July, says,“Most of my work riders were jockeys in thepast. Others work in my yard but they need a lotof experience to be good. The job of jockey andwork rider is very different, and a good jockey isnot always a good rider for the morning.”

It appears that trainers around the world arefaced with the same difficulties and rewardsconcerning exercise riders. A team of reliableand talented riders can make the differencebetween success and failure for a stable andthey deserve all the recognition they receive,and often more. n

“I’ve always felt that ifyou took your best member of staff andcloned them, your horseswould be prepared betterand you would thereforetrain more winners”

James Given

Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner, Calidoscopio (left), is ridden bareback during exercise



How eating aids the skeletal structure

VETERINARY

QUINE dentistry has beenpractised since 600 BC and isrecorded in varied medicaltreatises by many of the earlymasters of equitation, includingXenophon (350 BC), Pliny the

Elder (77 AD), and Vegetius (420 AD), who inhis Digesta Artis Mulomedicinae appeared tolink incorrect chewing methods with poorhealth. Thus, the art of dentistry is not newalthough requirement is often ignored as, dueto lack of information, the secondary effects ofmouth pain are generally underestimated. Inorder to appreciate this, the basic anatomy ofthe complexity of the mouth requiresconsideration.

The mouth consists of an upper jaw, ormaxilla, an integral unit of the skull; and alower jaw, or mandible. Muscles and ligamentsattach the jaws to the temporal bone orforehead, an integral part of the skull. The

It has been said that ‘equine conformation evaluates thedegree of correctness of a horse’s bone structure, musculature,and its body proportions in relation to each other.’ This isundeniable, but there is remarkably little information inpublished literature regarding the importance of the positionof the head, despite the fact that this has a direct effect onbalance, posture, and subsequent performance. WORDS: GaRy WateRS, equine Dental technician,

MaRy BROMiley, equine PhySiOtheRaPiSt

PhOtOS: GaRy WateRS illuStRatiOn: caROle VinceR

Econnection of the lower jaw necessitates twojoints, one on either side, known as thetemporomandibular joints (TMJ). These jointsfunction not only to enable movement of thelower jaw but, through sensors, are involvedwith balance, and they are also in

communication with the bones and jointscomprising the poll, which is anotherimportant area involved in balanceperception/regulation.

The mobile tongue is shaped to comfortablycover the upper surface of the lower jaw, itssides in contact with the cheek teeth, thepremolars, and molars, which pulverize orgrind food. Some of the highly specialistnerves controlling the components of themouth, unlike most motor nerves, stemdirectly from the brain and lie, as they tracktoward the mouth, within the soft tissues ofthe cheeks.

The horse has between 36 and 44 teeth,arranged in equal numbers between the upperand lower jaws. All the incisors and premolarstwo, three, and four are deciduous (babyteeth), replaced by adult teeth by the age offive. Eruption can be painful and often theshells of the primary teeth are not expelled,remaining jammed and thus a source of pain.

A horse is hypsodont, meaning that whilehaving a known growth period, its teethcontinue in a state of prolonged eruptionthroughout life – nature’s way of ensuringwear does not remove the ability to chew, anessential requirement. It follows that the olderCaps shed at the same time of year in a large stable

MOUTH EURO ISSUE 44_Jerkins feature.qxd 16/12/2013 11:29 Page 1


the horse, the longer the teeth. Unfortunatelywithout natural wear an incorrect balanceresults, hence one of the requirements forregular dental inspection. Another problemapparently arising from the use ofconcentrated feeds in the stabled horse andevident only to the dentist is the increasingprevalence of peripheral caries, caused bybacterial fermentation and acid productionwithin adherent dental plaque. Gingival (gum)recession has also been observed, occurring ifthere are spaces between teeth that cause animpaction of food resulting in bacterialfermentation with consequent local gumdamage.

The reason for lack of natural tooth wearapparent in the feral animal stems largely frominappropriate food, which includes woody

stems and twigs in conjunction with softerherbage. This mix necessitates considerableactivity within the mouth to ensure digestiblematter reaches the stomach. For internalprogress and digestion, food matter requiressaliva, which ensures easy passage from mouthto oesophagus and onward down into thestomach; three pairs of oral salivary ducts – theparotid (largest), mandibular and sublingual –provide the necessary saliva but only ifstimulation for production is provided byadequate chewing.

The horse uses its lips to examine foodmaterial, then utilises the lower jaw incisors tograsp and cut the selected plant matter. Oncein the mouth, aided by the action of thetongue, the bolus of matter is propelled to thecheek teeth, which are arranged in rows or

arcades angled in a manner to enable completepulverisation of the food bolus when the lowerjaw is activated by the muscles of mastication.These are sited on the lateral aspect of the face– the cheek – lying below the ear andconnected with muscles controlling the ear.

Activity within the muscles of mastication isnot confined to influencing movement of theTMJs alone but also affects the often ignoredinteraction between the TMJ and the secondjoint of the vertebral column, the atlanto-axialjoint. These joints, while enabling movementbetween their adjacent skeletal components,are involved in postural balance, richlyendowed with neural sensors and as a result ofthe combination of messages from them, bodybalance – head position in particular – iscontinually assessed.

MOUTH AND SKELETAL STRUCTURE


VETERINARY


Little is known about equine painthresholds but horses certainly change theirway of going to avoid pain. This is oftenimperceptible but unfortunately, due to rapidinscription of incorrect movement patterns in the movement control centres of the brain, even when the pain source is removed, the original, economic, balancedmovement interactions will not automaticallyre-establish. Uneconomic movement willaffect performance and the subsequentbiomechanical stresses may, long term, resultin injury.

Mouth pain, even subclinical, will result inevasive action by the horse, who will attemptto avoid aggravating discomfort by changingits head position. Adverse change of headposition affects the nuchal ligament, a double-sided elastic structure running under the manefrom poll to withers and continuing as thesupraspinous ligament along the top of theback to the dock. When there is balanced

flexion at the poll, tension occurs throughoutthe nuchal and supraspinous ligament,transmitted along the entire back andeffectively lifting and stabilising the central rodof the body frame, the vertebral column.

The horse relies on a stable frame; whenunstable, the horse reorganises movementsequences to remain upright, shortening thetime each individual limb is weight-bearing byreducing stride length, and thus discomfort inthe mouth can have far-reaching effects onperformance. Flight for survival isprogrammed into the horse, so not only isframe stability required but so is a balancedposture; deviation from the acceptable normalhead position upsets balance and results inalterations to body posture.

Pain also reduces normal movement withsubsequent loss of muscle bulk. As the bulk,created by muscle masses, protects bloodvessels and nerves, its reduction can affectlocal circulatory vessels and neural pathways.Within and adjacent to the muscles of thecheeks are a number of vital vessels and

“Mouth pain, even subclinical, will result inevasive action by thehorse, who will attemptto avoid aggravating discomfort by changingits head position”

Top left and centre: Illustrating the point of

contact between the bit and first cheek

teeth caused by bit pressure

Left: a ‘cap’ deciduous


VETERINARY

nerves, some of which, as previouslymentioned, stem directly from the brain; ofthese, the hyperglossal (twelfth cranial nerve)and the vagus (tenth cranial nerve) providesensory and motor innervation to the tongue,larynx, and pharynx. Thus, if pain in themouth results in an inability to chew correctlyit can lead to muscle loss in the cheeks.

The nerves controlling the tongue, larynx,and pharynx are in the cheeks, with efficientfunction vital during eating, swallowing, andbreathing, so it is essential that they remainundisturbed. It is also worth noting that thereis an intimate inter-connection between thenerves supplying the teeth and correctposition of TMJs and poll, which are vitalcentres for postural control and balance.

Muscles require fuel and the digestibility ofvaried foods, including fibre and moisturecontent, has a significant effect on health,particularly as the degree of processingrequired varies with each, influencing chewingtime. Concentrates require remarkably littlechewing and consequently remarkably littlesaliva is produced; if a horse is given a knownweight of concentrate and a similar weight ofhay it will produce roughly double the amountof saliva when chewing the hay as it will whenchewing the concentrate.

The increased movement required whenpulverising roughage as opposed to pelletsensures full contact between the upper andlower teeth arcades. This correct chewingretains the naturally designed angles andopposition between the cheek teeth. Undernatural conditions a horse would graze (chew)for 13 to 16 hours a day as opposed to thestabled animal, whose average chewing time islimited to approximately four hours a day. Thisdifference in chewing time and the silicatecontent of different feed also affects the wear of

the grinding surface of the teeth, withincorrect chewing resulting in deformity oftooth shape, often manifesting in thedevelopment of sharp lateral areas or points. Ifignored, the sharp edges may cut the innerside of the cheeks or lateral aspect of thetongue with consequent extreme discomfort.Horses on a high diet of concentrated feedrequire more frequent dental examination andtreatment to avoid development of the dentalirregularities associated with a smallermandibular excursion during mastication.

Mouth trouble manifests in varied forms but signs are often so subtle they are notnoticed. Of the more obvious, quidding(dropping food) and/or halitosis are usuallyrecognised, whereas mild single nasaldischarge, general unwillingness to perform, refusing to correct an unacceptablehead position, poll discomfort, back pain,rearing, hanging, fixing the jaw against bitpressure, running very keenly, muscle atrophyof the cheeks, and loss of condition should bebut are rarely associated with mouthdiscomfort.

Pain, as suggested, causes incorrectchewing, leading to reduction in salivaproduction. Saliva not only assists the passageof chewed food but is designed to interact withdigestive enzymes in the stomach to ensurewhen food material is moved to the intestinesthe resident bacteria can interact and createabsorbable, nutritional molecules. Therefore itfollows if food, on reaching the stomach toundergo the first of the digestive processes, isinadequately prepared, the efficient processesessential for nutrient absorption and generalhealth cannot occur.

Lack of muscle fuel leads to inefficientmuscle ability so no matter the quality of feedprovided or the exercise regime adopted,muscles cannot be prepared and conditionedfor competition without efficient digestion todeliver the required nutrients. While there areexceptions to every rule regardingperformance, each horse subconsciouslyappreciates its physical limits and will resort toadopting a way of going appropriate forpersonal survival.

With the mouth of the horse forming animportant line of communication betweenhorse and rider, a painful link usually resultsin a horse fighting for its head, adopting aninefficient head position, or fixing the lowerjaw. When riding a horse that seems to belosing balance over a fence or on a corner,those brave enough to slip their reins usuallysurvive, as they have given the horse freedomto reposition its lower jaw, enabling it to utiliseinbuilt mechanisms to rebalance the bodymass.

Another saying is that ‘diagnosis issecondary only to the number of opinionsgiven!!’ Of the multiple reasons suggested for‘bad behaviour’ and the extensive number ofvaried therapies proffered, unfortunatelydental examination is rarely considered. It isimportant to appreciate that even where dentaltreatment has proved necessary, if the horsehas moved incorrectly for a period of time, theincorrect way of going will have become theaccepted normal, and for this reason a teamapproach is beneficial: the dentist takes awaythe mouth discomfort, and the physiotherapistreinstates an effective, economic, muscleinteraction.

While regular dental examination by aveterinarian or dental technician cancontribute to improving a horse’s way of going,it also enhances the animal’s general health –and it is not just horses in training whobenefit, but young stock and broodmares aswell! n

Bibliography Anatomical source: Anatomy of the Horse,Klaus-Dieter Budras, W.O. Sack, Sabine Rock.5th revised edition. TMJ information: Dr Karen Gellman. DVMgraduate Cornell College of VeterinaryMedicine. Information source, Articles variouson, Equine Posture. Centred Riding Inc.

Lower deciduous central incisors (701 & 801) and permanent incisors (101 & 201)

“With the mouth of thehorse forming an important line of communication betweenhorse and rider, a painfullink usually results in ahorse fighting for its heador fixing the lower jaw”




HYDROTHERAPYThe many healing qualities of water

VETERINARY

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HYDROTHERAPY


AST forward to the late1960s, when the immortalGinger McCain surveyedthe scene as Red Rumwalked lame out of hisstable in Stockport shortly

after he arrived at his new home. As a child,McCain was reported to have noticed thebeneficial effects of seawater on horses that theshrimpers used and with no conventionalgallops available to him he worked his horseson the vast expanse of Southport beach.McCain’s subsequent treatment in the saltwater of the Irish Sea of a horse almostcrippled by pedal osteitis marked him as atrainer of exceptional ability, and Red Rum’ssuccess has become the stuff of legend withthree victories over the fearsome EnglishGrand National fences. From there we move to2013 where a recent study published in theveterinary scientific literature highlights thepositive influence of ice and the beneficial roleit can play in limiting sepsis-associatedlaminitis. So what have we learned throughthe ages and how can the modern trainer putto use the most fundamental natural resourceavailable to man?

The science behind hydrotherapyFrom a state-of-the-art barn hosting the winterDerby favourite to the part-time trainer of oneracehorse, water, in its many forms and uses, isthe most common therapeutic agent used intraining yards worldwide. Most commonly it isused directly on an injured limb, where themajority of its beneficial affects arise from thetemperature drop created within the horse’s

Using water as a therapeuticagent is one of the oldest,most widely practicedmedical techniques usedthrough the ages. In 500 BCHippocrates was the first towrite about the healing ofdisease with water,describing the pain relievingeffects of snow and ice. WORDS: thOmaS O’KEEffE

PhOtOS: EquinE autO tRainER Pty LtD,

KRaft, EquinE hEaLth CEntRE

F

VETERINARY


An Equine Auto Trainer in action in

Australia (top), a Kraft aquasizer (centre)

and a Seawalker (left)


HYDROTHERAPY


tissues. The physiological effects of coldapplication include immediate localvasoconstriction helping to reduce edema andhemorrhage and decreased local metabolism,enzymatic activity, and oxygen demand. Colddecreases muscle spindle fiber activity,preserves the elastic properties of collagen insoft tissue injuries and it has been shown tohave anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.Anti-inflammatory effects of cold therapy arethought to include a reduction in histamineproduction, collagenase activity, and whiteblood cell activation in both soft tissues andwithin joints. These will all contribute to painrelief that is further enhanced by decreasednerve conduction velocity and endorphinrelease within the central nervous system. Thecold sensation also appears to act as acounterirritant producing a shower of nerveimpulses that make receptors momentarilyrefractory to pain impulses. Accordingly, how does all this help the

trainer in the 21st century and for whatconditions can cold therapy be beneficial?There are a multitude of products availablethat facilitate the application of cold therapy tothe equine limb and this article will look atsome of these and assess their use in thevarious training centres worldwide.

Cryotherapy and waterMany old-time horsemen can recount stories

of standing a horse in a creek to treat a bowedtendon or of turning a horse out in a paddockthree-foot deep in snow to treat a lower legproblem. The most basic and probably themost widely used cold water therapy is theold-fashioned hose treatment. Using a gardenhose to provide a continuous flow of wateronto an affected area is a simple, inexpensiveway of applying this therapy. There are theobvious limitations of the horse moving, theinability to immerse the relevant area

completely in cold water for the required time,and time consumption for the person involvedbut it still remains a mainstay of cold watertreatment and is the first line of attack for mostracehorse injuries.Ice is another cheap form of cryotherapy,

and it can be applied to the equine limb in avariety of forms. From ice packs bandaged tothe horse’s limb to the vast array of inflatable,compression, and even vibrating ice products

available on the market the options areendless. It may at first glance appear to be avery elementary form of therapy but ascientific study by Michigan State University’sAnnie Kullmann et al published in a 2013issue of Equine Veterinary Journal showed thatice can be an effective prophylactic strategy forthe prevention of laminitis in severely toxicanimals. Laminitis is a common consequencein horses that are clinically compromised, andin this study horses whose limbs were icedprophylactically were ten times less likely todevelop laminitis than those whose limbs werenot iced. On a similar theme in 2009 a studycame from the Australian Equine LaminitisResearch unit that involved standing laminitis-induced horses with their distal limbsimmersed in cold circulating water (0.5-2degrees Celsius) for 72 hours. This studydemonstrated that laminitis histopathologyand clinical lameness were significantlyreduced in the horses that underwent 72hours of cryotherapy in comparison to theuntreated controls. While these studies refer toseverely sick animals in a hospitalenvironment, it highlights the positive clinicaleffects that distal limb cryotherapy can haveand why it should not be overlooked in atraining environment. Other less conventional cryotherapy tools

such as cold laser therapy find favour incertain parts of the world. The cold laser is a

“The most basic andprobably the most widelyused cold water therapyis the old-fashioned hosetreatment”


VETERINARY


light or photon energy that does not produceheat, and it is proposed that it aids in thestimulation of cellular healing without causingtissue damage. Whilst the scientific rationale ofthe cold laser therapy is difficult to quantify, ithas been reported to have therapeutic effectson a wide range of injuries that the racehorsesuffers from.A form of hydrotherapy emerging over the

last few years with increasing popularity is thecold saltwater hydrotherapy spa unit that canbe installed and used within the trainingfacility itself or at a designated rehabilitationcentre. This tool allows the age-old use of seawater as a therapeutic agent to be combinedwith the modern training environment. Thehorse stands with his lower limb’s immersed inwater, which is maintained between two andfour degrees Celsius with high salt andincreased oxygen content. From personalexperience, horses acclimatise to the spa unitquite quickly and often enjoy the coolingsensation it has on their limbs. An objectivefollow-up study is required to see whether thelong-term outcome following seriouslocomotor injuries is improved by the intenseuse of such a hydrotherapy tool but itseffectiveness as an aggressive cold therapy aid

in the acute phase of an injury cannot bedenied.

Hydrotherapy as physiotherapyEquine swimming pools have been in use formany years as a management aid for horseswith a variety of musculoskeletal conditions,primarily by trainers as a method of buildingor maintaining cardiovascular fitness whilereducing the load on the horse’s limbs. This isthe closest treatment we can use in the horsethat approximates non-weight-bearing motionas practised in human sports medicine.Studies have shown that swim trainingprogrammes provide improvements incardiovascular function, reductions inlocomotor disease, and increases in thedevelopment of fast-twitch, high-oxidativemuscle fibres, which reflect improved aerobiccapacity. A well-reported side effect of swimming

horses is the occurrence of colic following theexercise. A study by Liz Walmsley BCSc,MAVSc, MRCVS, of University of Melbourneappeared in Australian Veterinary Journal in2011 and examined records of racehorses thatwere seen for colic at a large racetrack hospitalin a two-year period and the authors

calculated that one out every 1200 swimsresulted in a colic that required referral to thehospital; however, of those admitted for aswimming-related colic, all survived. Theswimming pool has proven to be invaluable totrainers throughout the years and is often seenby them as them as the ideal facility to managehorses with chronic injuries that might nototherwise withstand the rigours ofconventional training. Following on from the equine swimming

pool, the idea of exercising horses in water hasbeen developed further with the developmentof underwater treadmills and underwaterEuropean-style horse walkers, which are nowbeing used by racehorse trainers across theglobe. In a similar way to the swimming poolthey offer a concussion-free, low-impact, high-resistance workout but also allow the horse tobe trained with the ultimate aim of theracetrack in closer sight. Horses can walk and jog in shoulder deep

cold water (about 10-13C), pushing the waterand creating a current as they move. Theunderwater treadmill was first developed inAustralia and is now gaining in popularityworldwide, combining the benefits of bothtreadmill exercise and hydrotherapy. A recentequine study from Equine Veterinary Educationin April, 2013, (M.R. King et al, Colorado StateUniversity) assessed the changes in a horse’sstride while walking in various depths ofwater. This showed that horses walking inwater at the level of the ulna producedincreased stride lengths and reduced stridefrequencies, compared to horses walking inwater at the level of the pastern joint.Objective studies are required to assess therelevance of these stride differences and theirclinical significance in common racehorseconditions such as osteoarthritis but thepotential for therapeutic benefit is veryencouraging. My summary focuses on the techniques and

applications that I have seen used mostfrequently in the racing centres of the world.As is invariably the case in the equine industry,there are many other variations on thehydrotherapy theme available to today’strainer.

DiscussionThe multitude of therapeutic options availablethat recruit water in various forms provokesmuch debate into their merits, safety, cost-effectiveness, practicality, and, for manyproducts, scientific credibility. However, it iswithout question that hydrotherapy is avaluable and essential treatment at a trainer’sdisposal. The uses and applications of the various

modes of hydrotherapy range from the acuteanti-inflammatory treatment of a wound orknock to the daily management of a horse withchronic degenerative joint disease. Thedevelopment of hydrotherapy tools andexercise units over the last twenty years has led

Spa units are a popular form of hydrotherapy using sea water as a therapeutic agent


VETERINARY

to a change in the use of this therapeutic tool. From where it was solely used in the acute

phase of an injury – for example, the bowedtendon, the hematoma, the trauma on thegallops – now hydrotherapy is often amainstay in a trainer’s arsenal in his or her bidto get a troublesome horse to the track.Following the increasing popularity of the useof MRI as a diagnostic imaging modality –particularly in Newmarket – ourunderstanding of joint issues in the racehorsehas improved immeasurably, which in turnshould help in training horses with issues suchas subchondral bone pain, osteoarthritis ofhigh motion joints, or with chronic soft tissueinjuries. The current human and veterinary literaturesuggests that the beneficial effects ofhydrotherapy include pain reduction andpromotion of increased range of motion in the distal limb joints. A symbiotic relationshipbetween trainer and veterinarian on a dailybasis will allow tailored training regimes to be devised in which many of the hydrotherapytools mentioned above could play a major role. The use of hydrotherapy in rehabilitation of

the racehorse has been well documented andits use is now considered routine on return toexercise following soft tissue injuries,

arthroscopic surgery of troublesome joints,fracture repair, or even common conditions ofthe two-year-old such as bucked shins. Theability to build cardiovascular fitness whilstkeeping loading forces off the affected limband potentially preventing fibrosis of the jointcapsule is a great advantage to the trainer, andthe more modern tools have the added bonusof being able to increase the speed and qualityof the exercise undertaken.

The contrasting approach to the use ofhydrotherapy tools across the globe isfascinating. The Australian racing fraternityhas led the way in their development and useand now they are being installed in trainingestablishments throughout the world. Due tothe nature of racehorse training and racing inthe USA these hydrotherapy units are oftenbased at designated rehabilitation centres

remote from the primary training center. Inrecent years there have been some trainers,predominately Florida-based, who previouslyhad focused primarily on the two-year-oldsales industry that are finding a successfulniche in pre-training, managing layoffs, andrehabilitating horses injured at the racetrack.This is due primarily to the goodhorsemanship and management of theseindividuals but also in no small part to theinstallation of hydrotherapy training units inthese facilities. Multiple Grade One winnersare being produced in this manner, combiningAmerican training techniques with thetechnology and methods of Australia andEurope. The modern approach of using

hydrotherapy units not only as a treatmentoption but also as a training tool should beembraced rather than the “out of sight, out ofmind approach” often taken by trainers whenit comes to injured horses. In the currentclimate, with media scrutiny on horseracing atan all-time high, any steps that can help us toproduce our racehorses in the best possibleway, enabling them to perform at their peak onrace day, should be embraced andhydrotherapy and the latest advances in thisfield are a huge asset to modern trainers intheir quest for that goal. n

“It is without questionthat hydrotherapy is avaluable and essentialtreatment at a trainer’sdisposal”




BUSINESS

VAT ISSUE 44_Jerkins feature.qxd 16/12/2013 13:04 Page 1


Are trainers

being financially squeezed?

VAT

VALUE ADDED

TAX


T is more likely the survival instinct,coupled largely with a lack ofinterest in the business end of things,that causes most trainers to say theyhave no problems that they areaware of with VAT. However, the

European Trainers’ Federation (ETF) didrecently raise concerns about the situation inEurope, with particular regard to France,when stating, “The yearling sales increase, butthe situation of trainers is getting worse. InFrance, the VAT was 7% until the end of 2012and since January 1st has been 19.6%. TheVAT will become 20% as of 1st January. Thereis enough money at France Galop to keep thesame racing allowances for the moment.

“A big change for trainers happened in Aprilin France: trainers receive 14% of the prizemoney (10% for the trainer and 4% for theyard). Before April the VAT was included inthe 14%, so the trainers had to remove theVAT from the amount received. From 1stJanuary 2014 trainers will receive 14% plusthe VAT.”

In Ireland, VAT on training fees remainsunaltered at 2.3% since it is calculated at 10%of the Standard Rate, and an increase in VAT on purchase price is hardly likely to deterpotential owners. However, in France the VAT rate increase on training fees is definitelyposing a serious threat. In all cases VAT onprize money earned is set at the Standard Rate and applicable to VAT-registered owners.

The rise of the VAT rate in Ireland for thehorse industry from 4.8% to 9%, with effectfrom 1st May 2014, will effectively double theVAT bills of dealers. Up until now horses havebeen horses, an agricultural commodity, butthe Department of Finance has nowrecognised that racehorses are a breed apart.Whilst the 4.8% will still apply to those horsesintended for use in the preparation offoodstuffs or in agricultural production, 9%will be applicable to horses not intended foruse in the preparation of foodstuffs or inagricultural production, and will also apply tothe hire of horses.

As all countries provide agricultural serviceswith a Reduced Rate of VAT, which is significantly lower than the Standard Rate, itis of great importance to the industry that itretains its agricultural status. An increase to9% in Ireland is still better than a sharp rise to the Standard Rate of 23%, as exemplified inFrance. In Britain the Reduced Rate is 0%; in Germany 7%; and in France 5.5%. While racing could, and often should, be viewed as abusiness, 90% of training fees are recognisedas non-profit and on the coalface any change of VAT status could be potentiallydisastrous.

The EU provides a bookshop of free to

The first day of November saw some changes announced inIrish VAT regulations, and how they will impact thethoroughbred industry is a major talking point in Ireland.However, similar changes have already been implementedelsewhere in Europe with no real notable effect other thaninitial alarm. Perhaps we are guilty of complacency within theracing industry. Or perhaps we are simply survivors, who seean obstacle, complain briefly, then up and over, to continuethe race.WORDS: LISSA OLIVER PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK, CAROLINE NORRIS

compulsory and is left open to negotiation,any opportunity to find a loophole in theproposed increase in the Irish rate has beendenied by the Department of Finance, whichannounced, “Following the introduction of thenew legislation, the Revenue Commissionerswill produce a leaflet which will provideclarification on how the new arrangements willapply particularly in respect of horses…” It hasto be wondered why this leaflet cannot beproduced prior to legislation. Despite the factthat thoroughbred horse breeders sell their stock at varying ages and as mares carryingfoals, there are no plans to differentiate VATrates for any of these distinct markets, and the Revenue Commissioners insist the 9% rate will apply, with the proviso, “If necessary, [we] will address this point in [our]leaflet.”

The thoroughbred industry, particularly therepresentative bodies of breeders, has alwaysbeen very good at drawing up battle plans, butcannot do so without a clear sight of theenemy. It may be initially obvious thatracehorses are neither foodstuff noragricultural, but not every thoroughbred foalproduced will make it to a racecourse andbroodmares are nothing if not agricultural,surely? Such blurred lines are there to bepounced on and fought over, and it is likelythat those same blurred lines are currentlycausing the Revenue Commissioners a severeheadache as they attempt to iron them out –after the legislation is enforced.

Neither has a distinction been madebetween those buying a horse to trade andend-users, even though racehorse owners areusually private individuals and not registeredfor VAT. VAT-registered farmers will incur the9% rate when selling horses not intended foruse in food or in agricultural production. TheRevenue Commissioners add that, “If thesupply is made by a flat-rate farmer, he/shewill charge the bloodstock agent (if registeredfor VAT) the flat-rate addition, which will be


“There was a lot of confusion about the rules,but France Galop issuedstatements to confirm the rules. Mostof the administrativebodies such as the BHBprovide clear statementsand booklets on the subject”

Matthew Ayton, TMF

IBUSINESS

download books and leaflets, which includesEU VAT Rates, listed in the table below. Thesecan be found at https://bookshop.europa.eu/en/home/.

At one time, a large number of rates belowthe Standard VAT rate were applied in variousMember States, but the Single Marketlegislation reduced the number of lower ratesallowable to a maximum of two. Thereremains, however, considerable variation inthe transactions to which these reduced ratesapply, and Member States can pick and choosetheir own goods and services. Good news for

the racing industry is that under legislationadopted in 1999, Member States are able toapply reduced rates to certain labour-intensiveservices, for which racing can be included. Inaddition, Belgium and Ireland have specialarrangements allowing them to charge a“parking” rate at a minimum of 12% to certaintransactions, applied in particular to jockeys inIreland.

While the application of these rates is not



VAT

5% with effect from 1st January 2014. Asupply by a flat-rate farmer to a privateindividual or to another flat-rate farmer is notsubject to VAT.”

The VAT rate increase should not impactsales of Irish thoroughbred horses to the UK orother EU States as they are generally registeredfor VAT, and intra-Community supplies ofgoods to taxable persons are zero-rated andaccounted for by the registered person in theother Member States.

If the rules on VAT in Ireland are changing,how do they compare to those elsewhere?There is a free-to-use one-stop shop for VATand tax queries for all European countries andworldwide, in the form of TMF VAT Services,and enquiries are welcomed at www.tmf-vat.com. Matthew Ayton of TMFadmits that the racing industry is a funny one,being on the cusp of agricultural but quiteclearly a business. “There was a lot ofconfusion about the rules,” he says,“particularly in France, but France Galopissued statements to confirm the rules. Most ofthe administrative bodies such as the BHBprovide clear statements and booklets on thesubject.” One of the most frequent questionsanswered by TMF regards VAT on prizemoney. “In France it is settled by the offerer,i.e. the sponsor, and not the winner.”

In Britain, the Owners VAT Scheme is inplace to allow owners to claim back theirracing-related VAT, provided they have asponsorship agreement in place to theminimum value of £300 per horse; or £750 per horse if running in Class 1 races; or£100 per horse per year where the agreement is for a group of ten or more horses.Individual trainers and the Racehorse OwnersAssociation (ROA) may be able to assist inobtaining sponsorship. For those ina racing partnership or joint ownership, a jointVAT number can be registered with partners.

With sponsorship in place, VAT can beclaimed back on such things as the originalpurchase price of the horse, training fees,veterinary fees, blacksmith’s fees, telephonebills, and travel and accommodation costsincurred by watching the horse race or train,as well as many other incidentals. WeatherbysVAT Services can advise on specific details.Non-UK residents are also eligible under theScheme if they use an agent based in the UK orregister directly with HM Revenue & Customsin Aberdeen, Scotland, which specialises withVAT registered traders based overseas. Theregistration process takes just over a monthand subsequent repayments are normallyissued within two weeks from the submissionof a VAT return, depending on the size of theclaim.

Once registered for VAT in Britain, any sale of a horse will be liable for VAT, whether

at auction or privately. The sale invoice mustdetail the VAT charged, and all VAT on sales must be declared to HM Revenue &Customs accordingly. Be warned that this alsoapplies to horses given away, and the VATvalue is calculated on their open market value at the time of their disposal. It is possiblethat the VAT will even be calculated on the lastknown value of the horse, which could well bethe price originally paid for it.

Finally, while death and taxes are the twounavoidable factors of life, a great many otherproblems could easily be avoided with aTraining Agreement. The European TrainersFederation does provide a template, but asMichael Grassick, Chief Executive of the IrishRacehorse Trainers Association, points out, thesigning of a Training Agreement is notcompulsory and therefore renders it next toworthless at present. “We have been asking for

years for it to be made compulsory,” saysGrassick, but only a small handful of trainershave managed to gain an equally small handfulof owners’ signatures providing their trainerwith the authority to act on their behalf. Anowner will not bother to sign an Agreementwhen he or she can take their horses toanother nearby trainer with no suchAgreement in place.

This seems remarkable when a TrainingAgreement is as much in the interests of anowner as it is the trainer. As Linda Corn ofWeatherbys explains, “When taking on a newowner in a yard every trainer should have anAgreement Form, and it is recommended theyinclude within that agreement an item on howthe trainer and yard percentages are to bepaid.”

With or without an Agreement, thosepercentages must be paid, and an Agreementsimply spares an owner from embarrassingfinancial surprises and spares the trainer anunnecessary battle in retrieving thosepayments.

A Weatherbys account also provides aForeign Trainer and Stable Mandate for clients,giving Weatherbys authorisation to pay thetrainer and yard direct from prize money. “Wehave a Withholding Tax Exempt Form, whichcan be filled in beforehand,” says Linda Corn.“We would recommend all owners to fill inthis form prior to running their horse abroad.In Italy there is a 4% tax, which is non-returnable. In Germany it is up to 26% insome cases.”

Clearly this is not a subject for the non-expert and it is strongly advisable to sign upfor any assistance the likes of Weatherbys, theBHB, and France Galop can offer, which isreadily accessible. n

Michael Grassick, Chief Executive of the

IRTA

Member State Standard Reduced Super Reduced Zero

Belgium 21 6 0

Britain 20 5 0

Denmark 25 0

France 20 5.5 2.1

Germany 19 7

Greece 23 8 4

Ireland 23 10 4 0

Italy 22 10 4

Netherlands 21 6

Spain 21 7 4

Sweden 25 12/6 0

RATES OF VAT ACROSS EUROPE (%)


BUSINESS

EVERAL trainers interviewed inBritain and Ireland had their stablenumbers reduced when ownersstarted feeling the pinch financiallyand left the racing industry. Newowners have entered the industry

filling the void in some yards but generallythese new owners have migrated to the biggeryards.

When owners disappeared, some left behindmonths of training bills or even horse(s), whichhad to be looked after by the trainers who hada duty of care. This puts the spotlight on howtrainers can be protected from a lot of theproblems they had to deal with and whetherthe trainers themselves or the racing authoritiesare responsible for putting protective measuresin place.

UNITED KINGDOMTrainers in the UK have the most protections. The Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) andNational Trainers Federation (NTF) jointlyapproved a training agreement has been inplace for many years but was revised in March2013 due to several issues, includingunrecoverable debts caused by the effects of the2008 financial crisis, according to RupertArnold, chief executive of the NTF. The writtencontract, which can be viewed on both theROA and NTF websites, assists in recoveringdebts in court and sets out terms at the start ofthe owner/trainer relationship. It is a rule ofracing (BHA Rules of Racing Manual CSchedule 4 and Manual E Schedule 4) that anagreement must be in place before a horse canbe entered in a race. The agreement does nothave to be in the form of the ROA/NTFpaperwork but disciplinary action may betaken against any owner or trainer who fails tohave a document.

According to Arnold, the agreement is seento be a fair balance between the interests of all

There are several parts of the racing industry worldwide thathave been standardised in the last few years. However, oneaspect that differs among nations is the relationship betweenowners of racehorses and their trainers. It is true to say thatsome owner/trainer relationships have taken a battering sincethe worldwide economic crisis hit in 2008. WORDS: ROISIN SHANAHAN

Sparties. The main points of the contract includethe weekly/monthly basic training fee with alist of additional expenses that may occur suchas horse, trainer, and staff transport to the racesas well as variables such as veterinary andfarrier care and schooling and gallops fees (ifapplicable).

Once a trainer has sent the contract to theowner, the trainer is entitled to rely on theterms even if the owner has not signed andreturned it, as long as he or she has hadopportunity to read it and hasn’t raised anyobjections. Owners need to have one contractper trainer.

Unless a different arrangement has beenagreed upon, the trainer invoices monthly andthe owner will pay all amounts owed bymonthly direct debit or by monthly paymentfrom a Weatherbys account. Either way, anowner is expected to pay within a month ofdelivery of all invoices for fees due. If paymentdoes not fully clear a debt or if invoices remainunpaid after a month, daily interest may becalculated, under the Late Payment ofCommercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.Alternatively, if an owner does not accept thecharges on the invoice, he or she has 21 days tonotify the trainer.

The most important feature of the agreementis a contractual lien allowing the trainer to sella horse to repay a debt. Once an invoice goes

unpaid for over a month, a trainer can, aftersending a recorded letter to the owner’s lastknown address, dispose of one or more of theowners’ horses after 21 days. Trainers who sellhorses outside of public auction under thesecircumstances must obtain two qualifyingvaluations, with sale price and higher valuationultimately consistent with one another. Saleproceeds can be applied to all unpaid invoices,the keep of the owner’s horse(s) during theperiod of retention under the lien, and otherreasonable expenses. The trainer will accountto the owner for any surplus and is notpermitted to take a commission from such asale.

If an owner disputes a debt then his horsemay not be sold by the trainer, provided theowner has paid the amount in question to ajoint account of the ROA and NTF while adispute resolution process is worked through.Both the ROA and NTF can provide the partieswith a list of mediators experienced inbloodstock matters.

IRELANDThere has been arecommended agreementin Ireland but it is not compulsory beforehorses can race. Michael Grassick at the IrishRacehorse Trainers Association (IRTA)confirmed that they have been asking Horse


Owner Traineragreements

across Europe


OWNER/TRAINER AGREEMENTS


Racing Ireland (HRI) for several years to makethe agreement a condition of a trainer’s licence.Grassick does know of a few trainers who haveasked new owners to sign an agreement, butthe general feeling among them is that anowner can refuse and go down the road toanother trainer who does not ask for a signeddocument. Many trainers are not comfortablewith the idea of sending an agreement toexisting owners.

HRI offer an optional agreement to be signedby both parties that is implemented for accountpayments, according to its chief executive BrianKavanagh. The document in HRI’s new ownerbooklet covers the terms and conditions of thetraining agreement, which it states shouldinclude details of basic training fees per horse;additional expenses, such as transport to/fromthe races or schooling grounds, veterinaryexpenses, clipping fees and additionalsupplements; retaining fee for yard jockey orCurragh training fees (if applicable);commission on sale or purchase of a horse;method of invoicing; and most importantly, thepolicy regarding non-payment of accounts.

Previously a trainer tried to recoup moneyowed to him but was advised to get a courtjudgment against the owner before the TurfClub would look at getting involved in thedispute. This is a lengthy and costly processthat may not have the desired outcome.Owners can also be put on the HRI forfeit listand there are several on this list, some of whomeven owe money to HRI.

Grassick would like to see agreement acrossall sectors of the Irish racing industry on acontract, but this is difficult because theAssociation of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO)does not represent the vast majority of ownerswithin Ireland, and neither are all trainersmembers of the IRTA. According to AidenBurns, AIRO manager, there has been no desirefrom his members to change from the informaltrust-based agreements, and he does notbelieve owners would favour a compulsoryagreement.

Future PolicyHRI are currently working on a new“Horsecard” – similar in size to a credit card –which will afford some protection to trainers.The Horsecard accompanies the horse to theraces with its Weatherbys passport. If an ownerhas an unpaid training bill, the trainer can holdonto the Horsecard when horses go home, withtheir passports, for a break. According toKavanagh, HRI have advanced this ideaconsiderably and are currently engaging withthe BHA, as the introduction of such a schemewould have to cover both Britain and Irelanddue to the single studbook and free movementof horses between the jurisdictions.

Owners have previously been able to get aduplicate passport to get around trainers whohold onto a horse’s passport for security, andowners have also been known to send theirstock to another trainer after a spell, despite

still owing money to the original trainer. TheHorsecard is hoped to remedy this problem, ashorses will not be permitted to run without it.

FRANCEThere is no officialagreement in Franceprovided by France Galop, although theAssociation des Entraineurs de Galop (ADEG)provides examples of contracts and advisesmembers to have a training agreement withtheir owners. From there it is up to theindividual trainers then to decide whether ornot to follow through.

Becoming a racehorse owner in France is amore difficult process than in England orIreland. Prospective owners undergo athorough approval process by France Galop,which ensures an owner’s financial capacity tomaintain a racehorse with stabling and trainingcosts, as published annually by ADEG.

Owners provide extensive financial detailson a form available from France Galop and thatis forwarded first to the Ministry of the Interiorand then the commissioners of France Galop,with investigations carried out under thecentral direction of judicial police. Eachmember of partnerships and syndicates mustbe approved by France Galop. Proof must begiven of all net earned income from theprevious year, sent with a cheque to cover filingfees and registration, which costs differentamounts for residents and non-residents ofFrance. A prospective owner is required toshow a net income of anywhere from €18,000to €75,000, depending on if they’re seekingsole or syndicate ownership and where thehorse is to be trained, whether in Paris oranother training centre. If a person isunsuccessful in his or her bid to become anowner, part of the fees are refunded.

France Galop have a dedicated departmentspecifically for owners, but it is the trainer withwhom owners will have the most dealings.Therefore the association recommends thatboth parties define beforehand theirresponsibilities as well as set out basic – whichincludes stabling, feed, and daily training – andadditional training fees. Trainers should advise

owners whether additional costs such as vetand farrier are separate or included in theweekly or monthly price.

Late or non-payment of bills by an ownerwill incur penalties of 1.5% – the statutoryinterest rate per month of delay – from duedate until date of actual payment. This comesunder Article 1153 and follows the Civil Code.A trainer can also apply to have an owner puton the defaulters list (liste des oppositions)under Article 82 of the Rules of Racing, andFrance Galop will withdraw authorisation foran owner’s horses to run. However, accordingto several trainers, this is a complicated processand does not always work in the trainer’sfavour.

The pre-checks of owners does nothing toprotect trainers from non-payment of fees.According to the French Trainers’ Association,this system wasn’t designed as a protection fortrainers. In fact, some trainers believe it mayactually be a deterrent to those who might beperfectly acceptable owners but prefer not toshare their personal finances with FranceGalop.

Also, these pre-checks that are meant topreserve the integrity of French racing have notprevented owners from defaulting on theirtraining fees. Anecdotally, there are plenty oftrainers who have not been paid, and it is ahuge problem within the sport. Some ownersalso withhold payment until a horse winsmoney on the track.

The situation is getting worse due to anincrease in VAT rate, from 7% prior toDecember 2012 and rising to 20% in January2014. This coupled with the world economiccrisis has meant that many trainers have endedup taking ownership of horses, a situation thathas been replicated in Britain and Ireland.

GERMANYUnlike France, Germanydoes not have rigorouschecks for owners entering the industry. The only stipulation is that they provide the Direktorium für Vollblutzucht und Rennen(German Racing Authority) with a copy of theirpassport.

There are no official owner/traineragreements in place although according toRüdiger Schmanns (pictured), director ofracing at the Direktorium, they do haverecommended but non-compulsoryowner/trainer agreements. Mario Höfer hasadmitted that only a few trainers have writtenagreements with their owners.

Similar to other parts of Europe, there hasbeen a decrease in ownership in Germany,especially in small- and medium-sized yards,due to the recession. Some but not all ownerspay their trainers through their Direktoriumaccounts. Schmanns has admitted theDirektorium currently has no measures toprotect trainers from debts they may be leftwith, nor are there any plans to review thesituation. n

“Becoming a racehorseowner in France is amore difficult processthan in England orIreland. Prospective owners undergo a thor-ough approval process byFrance Galop”



INDUSTRY

ETF visit Swedenfor AGM and tosee site of newracecourse

Main: The new training ground.

Below: Studying plans of the new

racecourse and training grounds

Below right: The new racecourse site

AGM ISSUE 44_Jerkins feature.qxd 16/12/2013 12:44 Page 1


ETF AGM

HE 2013 ETF AGM was held in Stockholmfrom the 22nd to 24th November, withrepresentatives from all

major European countries in attendance.On arrival, guests were taken for a

private tour of Benny Andersson’s ABBAmuseum, followed by dinner at the HotelRiva.The following morning, they were taken

to see the site of the new racecourseoutside Stockholm, where building is dueto commence in spring 2014. The site iscurrently grassland and will act as both aracecourse and training centre. Two racingsurfaces will be laid – one sand track andone grass course. On paper, the track lookssimilar to the old Nad Al Sheba course inDubai.

The AGM was held during the afternoonand subjects discussed included trainingagreements across Europe and VATregulations and how they are affectingtrainers. Both subjects are covered in detailwithin this issue of European Trainer.An updated schedule of differing rules

from country to country was presented todelegates. It remains a goal for the ETF tosee more Europe-wide agreement betweengoverning bodies to simplify thebureaucratic process for trainers. One sucharea that needs addressing is the waytrainers are paid prize money from foreigncountries.Delegates also discussed the differing

pieces of headgear that trainers can declare

and felt that it was wrong to use headgearthat can be altered by a jockey during arace. Clarification was also sought on thedifferent tongue ties at the trainer’sdisposal.Jim Kavanagh showed delegates plans

for the ETF website which will providetrainers with a portal of information aboutracing regulations across Europe.Criquette Head-Maarek was re-elected to

serve as Chairman, with Christian von derRecke and Max Hennau each re-elected asVice Chairman and Jim Kavanagh asTreasurer for a further three-year term. n

TAGM ISSUE 44_Jerkins feature.qxd 16/12/2013 12:44 Page 2

ADVERTORIAL


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STAKES SCHEDULES ISSUE 44_Jerkins feature.qxd 16/12/2013 11:42 Page 1

ADVERTORIAL


According to research “up to 93% of horses in training

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A 28-day course of treatment for ulcers can cost over

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Horses are designed to trickle-feed, grazing for up to 18

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Live. The result today is a feeder that allows the horse to

eat naturally at ground level, that controls how much the

horse can eat (by a variable size rubber mesh) thereby

mimicking the natural grazing pattern of ‘little and often’,

that only needs to be filled once daily and that can be

removed easily from the stable for cleaning and filling.

Dust/fines fall through a hole in the bottom plate thus

preventing inhalation of dust into the nostrils.

For more information contact or visit

www.harmonyfeeder.com

Eco ComfyRide is anenvironmentallyfriendly ridingsurface, produced tothe highest quality.ComfyRide is madeup of a variety ofdifferent sized woodfibre particles whichare designed to locktogether givingminimal kick back and movement with useand is virtually dust free.

It’s an easy to install, low maintenance andlong lasting surface, offering consistent footing and great ride whatever the weather: itis free draining and does not freeze or blowaway easily, so it is the ideal choice for allseasons. It is an all-round, versatile ridingsurface!

By using seasoned wood our product lasts

much longer than other natural wood basedsurfaces. Compared to fresh woodchips,seasoned wood has a far lower moisture andsap content which have a significant impacton the speed of degradation. Therefore byusing ComfyRide your surface will last up to50% longer before you have to top up –ComfyRide has been produced to last!

With over 10 years experience in producing riding surfaces, we have worked

with and supplied anumber of high profilecustomers, includingthe world renownedGallops at Lambourn.We are continuallylistening to ourcustomers andimproving our productto better suit theirrequirements. By doing

this we have identified the ideal blend, sizeand type of wood to ensure the perfectbalance between performance and longevity.

ComfyRide is delivered in bulk and offers a great cost effective alternative toexpensive manmade surfaces.For more information: Tel: 01202 593601Email: [email protected]

Comfyride – the high quality riding surface

The award-winning Harmony Equine Feeder


STAKES SCHEDULES

RACES

Races are divided by distance and the relevant surface is indicated

as follows:

AWT - All Weather Track D - Dirt T - Turf

European counties covered in this issue are: France, Italy and

United Kingdom. The indexes also include Grade 1 races from

North America as well as major races from Japan, Australia and

the United Arab Emirates. Races highlighted in purple indicate the

race is a Breeders’ Cup win and you’re in race.

CLOSING DATES

Closing dates for all Irish races are set for domestic entry dates.

Please check International entry dates with the relevant issue of

The Racing Calendar. The Italian authority (UNIRE) do not publish

closing dates for Listed races but we have been advised to set

race closing dates ten days in advance of the race.

COPYRIGHT

Under Copyright law, no part of this publication may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means. This

includes but not limited to; photocopying for commercial

redistribution and or facsimile recording without the prior

permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be

addressed to the publisher.

DISCLAIMER

Whilst every effort has been made to publish correct information,

the publishers will not be held liable for any omission, mistake or

change to the races listed in all published indexes.

STAKES SCHEDULES


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STAKES SCHEDULES

Country Track Race Name & (Sponsor) Breeders Cup Class Race Date Value Age Surface Metres Furlongs ClosingUAE Jebel Ali Jebel Ali Sprint 07/03/2014 AED 500,000 3+ D 1000 5 03/03/2014UAE Meydan Meydan Sprint L 08/03/2014 $175,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1000 5 03/03/2014UAE Meydan Al Quoz Sprint Gr 1 29/03/2014 $1,000,000 NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1000 5 17-Jan-14

UAE Meydan Al Shindagha Sprint Gr 3 13/02/2014 $200,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 1200 6 10-Feb-14UAE Meydan Mahab Al Shimaal Gr 3 08/03/2014 $200,000 NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 1200 6 03/03/2014GB Doncaster Cammidge Trophy (williamhill.com) L 29/03/2014 £37,000 3+ T 1200 6UAE Meydan Dubai Golden Shaheen Gr 1 29/03/2014 $2,000,000 NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 1200 6 17-Jan-14AUS Randwick Darley TJ Stakes Gp 1 12/04/2014 AUS$2,500,000 3 T 1200 6 17/02/2014

JPN Hanshin Hanshin Cup Gr 2 23/12/2013 $1,687,000 3+ T 1400 7 05/11/2013UAE Meydan Al Fahidi Fort Gr 2 23/01/2014 $250,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1400 7 20-Jan-14UAE Abu Dhabi HH The President Cup L 16/02/2014 AED 185,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1400 7 10-Feb-14UAE Meydan Meydan Classic L 27/02/2014 $125,000 NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1400 7 24-Feb-14GB Wolverhampton Lady Wulfruna L 08/03/2014 £45,000 4+ AWT 1400 7GB Lingfield Park Cleves St L 22/03/2014 £37,000 4+ AWT 1400 7

FR Deauville Miss Satamixa L 29/12/2013 €52,000 3+ 1500 7.5

JPN Nakayama Asahi Hai Futurity St Gr 1 15/12/2013 $1,832,000 2 No G T 1600 8 05/11/2013UAE Meydan Al Maktoum Challenge Rd 1 Gr 2 09/01/2014 $250,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 1600 8 06/01/2014UAE Jebel Ali Jebel Ali Mile Gr 3 24/01/2014 AED 575000 SH 3 + NH 4+ D 1600 8 20-Jan-14UAE Meydan Cape Verdi Gr 2 30/01/2014 $200,000 NH F&M 4yo+ SH F&M 3yo+ T 1600 8 27-Jan-14UAE Meydan UAE 1000 Guineas L 06/02/2014 $250,000 NH 3F SH 3F AWT 1600 8 03/02/2014UAE Meydan Firebreak St Gr 3 13/02/2014 $200,000 SH-bred 3+ & NH-bred 4+ AWT 1600 8 10-Feb-14UAE Meydan UAE 2000 Guineas Gr 3 13/02/2014 $250,000 NH 3yo SH 3yo AWT 1600 8 10-Feb-14UAE Meydan Zabeel Mile Gr 2 27/02/2014 $250,000 NH 3yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1600 8 24-Feb-14UAE Meydan Burj Nahaar Gr 3 08/03/2014 $200,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 1600 8 03/03/2014GB Doncaster Doncaster Mile L 29/03/2014 £37,000 4+ T 1600 8UAE Meydan Godolphin Mile Gr 2 29/03/2014 $1,000,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 1600 8 17-Jan-14AUS Randwick Doncaster Hcp Gp 1 12/04/2014 AUS$3,000,000 3+ T 1600 8 17/02/2014

USA Gulfstream Park Donn H Gr 1 08/02/2014 $500,000 4+ D 1700 8.5USA Oaklawn Park Apple Blossom H Gr 1 11/04/2014 $500,000 4+ F&M D 1700 8.5 29-Mar-14USA Arlington Park Hatoof 16/08/2014 $75,000 3 F T 1700 8.5 25-Apr-14

UAE Meydan Al Rashidiya Gr 2 30/01/2014 $200,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1800 9 27-Jan-14USA Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Turf H Gr 1 08/02/2014 $300,000 4+ T 1800 9UAE Meydan Balanchine Gr 2 20/02/2014 $200,000 NH F&M 4yo+ SH F&M 3yo+ T 1800 9 17-Feb-14UAE Meydan Jebel Hatta Gr 1 08/03/2014 $300,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1800 9 03/03/2014UAE Meydan Dubai Duty Free Gr 1 29/03/2014 $5,000,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 1800 9 17-Jan-14USA Gulfstream Park Florida Derby Gr 1 29/03/2014 $1,000,000 3 D 1800 9USA Oaklawn Park Arkansas Derby Gr 1 12/04/2014 $1,000,000 3 D 1800 9 29-Mar-14

UAE Meydan Al Maktoum Challenge Rd 2 Gr 2 06/02/2014 $250,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 1900 9.5 03/02/2014UAE Meydan UAE Oaks Gr 3 27/02/2014 $250,000 NH 3F SH 3F AWT 1900 9.5 24-Feb-14UAE Meydan Al Bastakiya L 08/03/2014 $250,000 NH 3yo SH 3yo AWT 1900 9.5 03/03/2014UAE Meydan UAE Derby Gr 2 29/03/2014 $2,000,000 NH 3 SH 3 AWT 1900 9.5 17-Jan-14USA Arlington Park Beverly D. St F&M Turf Gr 1 16/08/2014 $750,000 3+ FM T 1900 9.5 25-Apr-14

UAE Jebel Ali Jebel Ali Stakes 10/01/2014 AED 500,000 SH 3 + NH 4+ D 1950 9.75 10-Jan-14

GB Lingfield Park Quebec St L 21/12/2013 £37,000 3+ AWT 2000 10 16-Dec-13JPN Hanshin Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai St Gr 3 21/12/2013 $834,000 2 T 2000 10 05/11/2013UAE Meydan Dubai Millennium Stakes L 20/02/2014 $200,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 2000 10 17-Feb-14UAE Meydan Al Maktoum Challenge Rd 3 Gr 1 08/03/2014 $400,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 2000 10 03/03/2014GB Lingfield Park Winter Derby Trial L 22/03/2014 £37,000 4+ AWT 2000 10UAE Meydan Dubai World Cup Gr 1 29/03/2014 $10,000,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ AWT 2000 10 17-Jan-14AUS Randwick Queen Elizabeth Stakes Gp 1 19/04/2014 AUS$4,000,000 3+ T 2000 10 17/02/2014USA Arlington Park Arlington Million XXXI Turf Gr 1 16/08/2014 $1,000,000 3+ T 2000 10 25-Apr-14USA Arlington Park Armerican St Leger St L 16/08/2014 $400,000 3+ T 2000 10 25-Apr-14USA Arlington Park Secretariat Stakes Gr 1 16/08/2014 $500,000 3yo T 2000 10 25-Apr-14

UAE Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Championship Gr 3 16/03/2014 AED 370,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 2200 11 10-Mar-14

ITY Naples Unire L 22/12/2013 €41,800 3+ T 2250 11.25

UAE Meydan Dubai City of Gold Gr 2 08/03/2014 $250,000 NH 4yo+ SH 4yo+ T 2400 12 03/03/2014UAE Meydan Dubai Sheema Classic Gr 1 29/03/2014 $5,000,000 NH 4yo+ SH 4yo+ T 2400 12 17-Jan-14AUS Randwick AJC Australian Derby Gp 1 12/04/2014 AUS$2,000,000 3 T 2400 12 17/02/2014AUS Randwick Austalian Oaks Gp 1 19/04/2014 AUS$1,000,000 3 F T 2400 12 17/02/2014

JPN Nakayama Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) Gr 1 22/12/2013 $5,200,000 3+ T 2500 12.5 05/11/2013

CAN Woodbine Valedictory S Gr 3 15/12/2013 CAN150,000+ 3+ AWT 2800 14 27-Nov-13UAE Meydan Nad Al Sheba Trophy Gr 3 01/03/2014 $200,000 SH-bred 3+ & NH-bred 4+ T 2800 14 24-Feb-14

UAE Meydan DRC Gold Cup Gr 2 29/03/2014 $1,000,000 NH 4yo+ SH 3yo+ T 3200 16 17-Jan-14

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European Trainer IS

SU

E 44 – W

INTE

R 2013

Publishing L

td

Understanding how teeth affect performance

Are trainers feeling the squeeze with VAT?

The healing power of water

Work riders under the rainbow

PETER FAHEYThe trainer with the gentle touch

www.trainermagazine.comEuropean ISSUE 44 – WINTER 2013 £5.95

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE THOROUGHBRED

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European Trainer - Winter 13/14 - issue 44

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Transcript of European Trainer - Winter 13/14 - issue 44