A two-day workshop concerning the safety and soundness of the Thoroughbred racehorse, will be held on Monday, October 16, and Tuesday, October 17, at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky.
Three dozen individuals representing a cross-section of the breeding, racing and veterinary community have agreed to participate in the "Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit", which is sponsored by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
The first morning session will be open to the public. There is no admission, but a voluntary donation to Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation will be accepted.
The open session will be followed by a closed round table discussion and subsequent breakout groups. Monday afternoon, each group will give a 30-minute presentation on their ideas. Participants will meet in a closed session again Tuesday to develop and recommend definitive action plans.
The open session will include panel discussions and presentations by the following participants:
* Dr. Rick Arthur and Dr. Larry Bramlage, “Trends in Thoroughbred Racing by the Numbers”
* Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, “Joint Trauma and Osteoarthritis (DJD) — A Major Cause of Attrition in Thoroughbred Racehorses”
* Dr. Michael “Mick” Peterson, “Extending the Careers of Racehorses Through Engineered Racing Surfaces”
* Dr. Sue Stover, “Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injuries” and “Race Surface Preliminary Findings”
“To gain further public insight, we propose that anyone with suggestions is welcome to submit a one- to three-page summary of their ideas,” the Foundation's Ed Bowen said. “We will provide these summaries to the participants prior to the summit.”
Summaries should be sent in Word or WordPerfect to khix@jockeyclub.com no later than October 1.
“Horses are the core of the racing industry, and their safety and soundness is paramount to the industry’s success,” said Dell Hancock, chairman, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. “We hope our findings also benefit horses of all breeds and disciplines.”
To learn more, please visit: http://www.jockeyclub.com/mediaCenter.asp?story=254A Jockey Club press release was used as the primary source of this post.