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May 5, 2008 7:18 pm US/Mountain
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CSU Research Aims To Reduce Injuries To Horses
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) ―
The death of a top race horse in the Kentucky Derby is something researchers at Colorado State University hope to help prevent in the future.
Eight Belles, a filly, fractured both front ankles right after placing second at the race and veterinarians euthanized her at the track. That prompted a nationwide discussion about the risks the animals face from aggressive training and breeding.
At CSU's Equine Orthopedic Research Center, one veterinarian is a pioneer in bone and joint surgery that is saving race horses. Another has tissue samples from 150 different horses, hoping to find an answer to the very common injury that Eight Belles suffered over the weekend.
"The fetlock joint is much like the human finger. We feel it is the weakest part of the racing thoroughbred," said Dr. Chris Kawcak, who studies fractured fetlocks at CSU. One finding suggests blood tests could help identify horses likely to fracture.
"There were actually some fairly striking changes in the blood parameters in those horses that fractured versus those that didn't," Kawcak said.
Kowcak said the racing horses are so fast and so big, that like a race car, there's very little margin for error. He said there's no question Eight Belles couldn't have recovered from her injury.
"I think any time this happens, we as an industry take a very critical look at what were doing and how were doing it," he said.
Kawcak said now, more than ever, new techniques help horses recover from an ankle fracture.
"Our techniques in being able to fix a lot of these animals have improved vastly," he said.
He said that's largely because of research funded and pushed by the racing community.
"You can criticize the trainers and the owners and the jockeys as much as you want, but they're the ones that have mandated that we become more aggressive in terms of how we manage these horses from a veterinary standpoint," he said. "They are gone over as well or better than some of the human athletes."
Kawcak said his research into ankle fractures is funded by thoroughbred racing's "Jockey Club." He said they are learning a lot from injuries like Eight Belles'. He points to the horse Barbaro, which fractured at The Preakness two years ago after winning the Kentuck Derby. A lot of what they learned working with Barbaro is now being applied to injured horses everywhere.
Some horse tracks around the country are changing from dirt to a synthetic track material called polytrack. It's hoped that will reduce horse injuries and deaths.
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