• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.309-314
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to estimate effects of the condition of racetrack on racing time in Thoroughbred racehorses, using 148,865 racing records for 8,189 heads that collected from KRA(Korea Racing Association). The results obtained were as follows. Based on moisture contents, the condition of racetrack was classified into Heavy, Good, Soft, Yielding and Sloppy. The condition of racetrack for last 12 years was 40.7%, 34.4%, 14.4%, 8.7% and 1.8% for Heavy, Good, Soft, Yielding and Sloppy, respectively. The frequency of heavy condition for racetrack was the highest and those of Yielding and Sloppy were relatively low. On the other hand, the frequency of heavy condition for racetrack was increased in spring and winter, whereas frequency of sloppy racetrack was increased in summer. The frequency of good condition was the highest in autumn. The regression coefficients of moisture contents in racetrack for racing time by racing distance ranged from －0.068~－0.162 seconds and the racing time was faster in sloppy condition than other track conditions. The time differences between Heavy and Sloppy ranged from －1.47~－3.41 seconds by distance.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 1991

Getah virus is known as a causative agent of recognized febrile illness of horses characterized by fever, rash and edema. A serological survey indicated that hemagglutination inhibition antibody against Getah virus was detected in 34% of 464 racehorses from Korean Horse Affairs Association and 57% of 262 ponies from Cheju island, respectively. Several field strains of Getah virus isolated were from the racehorse that have been shown fever and febrile signs in 1989. The field isolates produced cytopathic effect in Vero, MA-104, BHK-21 cell cultures. Especially, they multiplied to the highest titer($10^6TCID_{50}/0.1ml$) in Vero cell cultures. When day-old mice were inoculated with field isolates by the intracerebral route, they showed a typical paralysis sign and died within seven days after inoculation. The guinea pig exhibited skin rash and edema, and died with neural signs after inoculation with the field isolates. In the cross neutralization test and indirect immunofuorescent assay, the field isolates were proved to be closely related to the Sakai strain of Getah virus antigenically.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.11-26
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• 1991

The effects of intra-articula. sodium hyaluronate(SH) and polysulfated glycosaminoglycan(PSGAG) on degenerative joint disease of the carpus were compared each other In 20 racehorses. Ten horses were dosed with intra-articula. injection of 20mg SH(2 times/2 weeks interval) and ten horses were dosed with intra-articular injection of 250mg of PSGAG(4 times/1 week into.val). Synovial fluid analysis and clinical examination were made to evaluate the effects of the drugs on degenerative joint disease at before injection and 2 weeks after the last injection, respectively. Appearance and mucinous precipitate quality oi synovial fluids of the group injected with 58 and PSGAG were improved by 40～50% and 60～80%, respectively. The chemical values of alkaline phosphatase, lactic dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, total protein, A/G ratio and glucose of synovial fluid in the group injected with PSGAG were more clearly returned to the normal values than those of the group injected with SH. Relative viscosity and total white blood cells of synovial fluid were returned to the normal walues after the treatments in both groups. Clinical symptoms(swelling, heat and pain on carpal joint, and lameness) of the horses in the group injected with SH and PSGAG were disappeard by 56～67% and 67～80%, respectivelty. Conclusively, the PSGAG was superior to SH in the effects on treatment of the degenerative joint disease in the horses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1525-1531
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• 2015

Using next-generation sequencing, we conducted a genome-wide scan of selective sweeps associated with selection toward genetic improvement in Thoroughbreds. We investigated potential phenotypic consequence of putative candidate loci by candidate gene association mapping for the finishing time in 240 Thoroughbred horses. We found a significant association with the trait for Ral GApase alpha 2 (RALGAP2) that regulates a variety of cellular processes of signal trafficking. Neighboring genes around RALGAP2 included insulinoma-associated 1 (INSM1), pallid (PLDN), and Ras and Rab interactor 2 (RIN2) genes have similar roles in signal trafficking, suggesting that a co-evolving gene cluster located on the chromosome 22 is under strong artificial selection in racehorses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1609-1613
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for racing performance traits of thoroughbredracehorses, using a total of 58,124 racing records of 4,200 horses at Gwacheon Racing Park collected from January 2002 to December 2006. This study measured start one furlong time, last three and last one furlong times, and the resulting furlong time averages were 14.2 seconds, 39.9 seconds and 13.9 seconds, respectively. Furlong time means a split time measured based on a 1/8-mile (or approximately 201 m) distance and finished time means total racing time measured from start position to finish line. In the shortest distance races of 1,000 m, the average last three and last one furlong time was fastest at 38.7 seconds and 13.6 seconds, respectively. The correlation between finished time and start one furlong time decreased as the race distance increased, and the same trend was recognized from the correlation between finished time and last three furlong time. In short distance races of 1,400 m or less, the starting ability was found to be an important trait. The average speed was highest at 56 km/h for a 1,000 m race and lowest at 53.2 km/h for a 1,700 m race. Heritabilities of the start one furlong time, the last three and last one furlong time were estimated to be 0.337, 0.245 and 0.210, respectively; and repeatabilities for them were 0.452, 0.353 and 0.309, respectively. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between the start and the last one furlong time were negative at -0.141 and -0.155, respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.309-315
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• 2018

Objective: This study aimed to test the expression patterns of ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1 (ERRFI1) before and after exercise and the association of non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of horse ERRFI1 with racing traits in Thoroughbreds. Methods: We performed bioinformatics and gene expression analyses for horse ERRFI1. Transcription factor (TF) binding sites in the 5'-regulatory region of this gene were identified through a tool for prediction of TF-binding site (PROMO). A general linear model was used to detect the association between the nsSNP (LOC42830758 A to G) and race performance. Results: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that expression level of ERRFI1 after exercise was 1.6 times higher than that before exercise. Ten transcription factors were predicted from the ERRFI1 regulatory region. A novel nsSNP (LOC42830758 A to G) was found in ERRFI1, which was associated with three racing traits including average prize money, average racing index, and 3-year-old starts percentile ranking. Conclusion: Our analysis will be helpful as a basis for studying genes and SNPs that affect race performance in racehorses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.728-735
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• 2017

Objective: This study was performed to reveal the molecular structure and expression patterns of horse glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM) genes whose products form glutamate cysteine ligase, which were identified as differentially expressed genes in the previous study. Methods: We performed bioinformatics analyses, and gene expression assay with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for horse GCLC and GCLM genes in muscle and blood leukocytes of Thoroughbred horses Results: Expression of GCLC showed the same pattern in both blood and muscle tissues after exercise. Expression of GCLC increased in the muscle and blood of Thoroughbreds, suggesting a tissue-specific regulatory mechanism for the expression of GCLC. In addition, expression of the GCLM gene increased after exercise in both the blood and muscle of Thoroughbreds. Conclusion: We established the expression patterns of GCLC and GCLM in the skeletal muscle and blood of Thoroughbred horses in response to exercise. Further study is now warranted to uncover the functional importance of these genes in exercise and recovery in racehorses.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2023

Fractures in the horse industry are challenging and a common cause of death in racehorses. To accelerate fracture healing, tissue engineering (TE) provides promising ways to regenerate bone tissues. This study aimed to evaluate the osteogenic effects of biphasic calcium phosphate collagen (BCPC) graft, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), mesenchymal stem cell (MSC), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments in horses. Four thoroughbred horses were included in the study, and, in each horse, three cortical defects with a diameter of 5 mm and depth of 10 mm were formed in the third metacarpal bones (MC) and metatarsal bones (MT). The defects were randomly assigned to one of six treatment groups (saline, BCPC, BMP2, MSC, PRP, and control). Injections of saline, BMP2, PRP, or MSCs were made at 1, 3, and 5 weeks after defect surgery. Bone regeneration effects were assessed by radiography, quantitative computed tomography (QCT), micro-computed tomography (μCT), histopathological, and histomorphometric evaluation. The new bone ratio (%) in the histomorphometric evaluation was higher in the BMP2 group than in the control and saline groups. Radiographic and QCT values were significantly higher in the BCPC groups than in the other groups. QCT values of the BMP2 group were significantly higher than in the control and saline groups. The present study demonstrated that BCPC grafts were biologically safe and showed osteoconductivity in horses and the repeated injections of BMP2 without a carrier can be simple and promising TE factors for treating horses with bone fractures.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.81.1-81.12
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• 2023

Background: The incidence of colic and the outcomes of colic surgery have not been surveyed in racetracks in Korea. Objectives: This study examined the incidence, mortality, and case fatality of colic and investigated the effects of age and sex after an exploratory celiotomy on the long-term survival rate (return to racing), subsequent racing performance, and career longevity. Methods: The incidence, mortality, and case fatalities of colic were examined over an 11-year period. The records of 40 horses that had undergone a celiotomy, after participating in at least one race and 75 race-matched control horses were analyzed. The racing performance and career length of the horses that returned to racing post-surgery were compared with a control group. Results: The annual incidence, fatality rate of colic, and annual mortality rate at Seoul Racecourse were 6.5, 2.8 per 100 horse-years, and 0.2 deaths cases per 100 horse-years, respectively. Of the 40 horses that underwent colic surgery, 26 (65%) returned to racing. The likelihood of returning to racing decreased with increasing age of the horses, and geldings had a lower probability of returning. While the performance in the five preoperative races between the two groups was not significantly different, a significant decrease in racing performance was observed after the surgery date (p < 0.01). Horses that underwent colic surgery did not show a significant decrease in career length. Conclusions: Surgical treatment for colic at the age of three and four years had a negative impact on the racing performance. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in career longevity between the two groups.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.464-467
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• 2023

The autonomic regulation of heart rate (HR) is an indicator of the body's ability to adapt to an exercise stimulus. However, there are no reports on this topic in relation to Jeju horses used for racing. The aim of this study was to analyze the HR responses of Jeju horses during race trials and to investigate the correlation between HR and performance in these horses. HR data were collected from 17 healthy 2- to 7-year-old Jeju horses wearing HR monitors during race trials. Pearson correlation coefficients was used to determine the significance of the association between the race trial time and HR. A significant inverse correlation was observed between the race trial time (performance) and both the maximal HR (HRmax, r = -0.69, p < 0.01) and HR reserve (HRR) (HRmax - average HR during the warm-up period, r = -0.63, p < 0.01) and between the HRR and HRmax (r = 0.73, p < 0.01). Horses with a lower average HR during the warm-up period and higher heart rates during the trial achieved faster race trial times. This study reports the first HR measurements in Jeju horses during race trials, providing new insights into the HR response of this breed to exercise. The use of a noninvasive remote HR monitor system allowed assessment of exercise responses in the field, and the results suggest that both the HRR during warm-up period and HRmax may be useful performance indicators in Jeju horses.