scholarly journals Appraising the Welfare of Thoroughbred Racehorses in Training in Queensland, Australia: The Incidence, Risk Factors and Outcomes for Horses after Retirement from Racing

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Kylie L. Crawford ◽  
Anna Finnane ◽  
Ristan M. Greer ◽  
Clive J. C. Phillips ◽  
Solomon M. Woldeyohannes ◽  
...  

There is international public concern regarding retirement of racehorses, including the reason for retirement and the outcome for horses after racing. However, there are currently no prospective studies investigating these factors. A recent independent inquiry in Queensland, Australia, highlighted that the true outcomes for horses after retirement from racing are largely unknown. Furthermore, there are currently no measures to monitor the outcome for racehorses and their welfare once they have left the care of the trainer. This study investigated these gaps in knowledge through a weekly survey conducted over a 13-month period. We aimed to evaluate: (1) the incidence of retirement, (2) the reasons and risk factors for retirement and (3) the medium-term (greater than 6 months) outcomes for horses after retirement. Data were collected through personal structured weekly interviews with participating trainers and analysed using negative binomial and logistic regression. There was a low incidence of retirements, namely 0.4% of horses in training per week. The season and training track did not affect the incidence of retirement. Musculoskeletal injuries were the most common reason for retirement (40/110 horses, 36%). Involuntary retirements accounted for 56/100 (51%) of retirements, whereby musculoskeletal injuries, respiratory or cardiac conditions and behavioural problems prevented the horse from racing The odds of voluntary retirement, whereby the horse was retired due to racing form or impending injury, increased with each additional race start (OR 1.05; p = 0.01) and start/year of racing (OR 1.21; p = 0.03) but decreased with increasing percentage of first, second and third places (OR 0.94; p < 0.001). Medium-term follow-up (median 14 months, IQR 11, 18, range 8–21) revealed that most horses (108/110; 98%) were repurposed after retirement, almost half as performance horses (50/110; 46%). Horses that voluntarily retired had 2.28 times the odds of being repurposed as performance horses than those retired involuntarily (p = 0.03). Whether retirement was voluntary or involuntary did not influence whether horses were used for breeding or pleasure. The primary limitation of this study is that our results reflect retirement in racehorses in South East Queensland, Australia, and may not be globally applicable. Furthermore, we were unable to monitor the long-term outcome and welfare of horses in their new careers. It is vital that the industry is focused on understanding the risks for voluntary rather than involuntary retirement and optimising the long-term repurposing of horses. There is a need for traceability and accountability for these horses to ensure that their welfare is maintained in their new careers.

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 953-957 ◽  
Author(s):  
WEIZHU JU ◽  
BING YANG ◽  
MINGFANG LI ◽  
FENGXIANG ZHANG ◽  
HONGWU CHEN ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Mauri ◽  
Kevin Reuter ◽  
Maria I. Körber ◽  
Hendrik Wienemann ◽  
Samuel Lee ◽  
...  

Background: The aim of the present study was to analyze incidence, risk factors, and association with long-term outcome of postoperative delirium (POD) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).Methods: Six hundred and sixty one consecutive patients undergoing TAVR were prospectively enrolled from January 2016 to December 2017. POD was assessed regularly during ICU-stay using the CAM-ICU test.Results: The incidence of POD was 10.0% (n = 66). Patients developing POD were predominantly male (65%), had higher EuroSCORE II (5.4% vs. 3.9%; P = 0.041) and were more often considered frail (70% vs. 26%; P &lt; 0.001). POD was associated with more peri-procedural complications including vascular complications (19.7 vs. 9.4; P = 0.017), bleeding (12.1 vs. 5.4%; P = 0.0495); stroke (4.5 vs. 0.7%; P = 0.025), respiratory failure requiring ventilation (16.7% vs. 1.8%; P &lt; 0.001), and pneumonia (34.8% vs. 7.1%; P &lt; 0.001). Consequently, patients with POD had significantly longer ICU- (7.9 vs. 3.2 days P &lt; 0.001) and hospital-stay (14.9 vs. 9.0 days; P &lt; 0.001), and higher in-hospital mortality (6.1 vs. 2.1%; P = 0.017). Logistic regression analysis identified male sex (odds ratio (OR) 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–4.0); P = 0.012], atrial fibrillation [OR 3.0 (CI 1.6–5.6); P &lt; 0.001], frailty [OR 4.3 (CI 2.4–7.9); P &lt; 0.001], pneumonia [OR 4.4 (CI 2.3–8.7); P &lt; 0.001], stroke [OR 7.0 (CI 1.2–41.6); P = 0.031], vascular complication [OR 2.9 (CI 1.3–6.3); P = 0.007], and general anesthesia [OR 2.0 (CI 1.0–3.7); P = 0.039] as independent predictors of POD. On Cox proportional hazard analysis POD emerged as a significant predictor of 2-year mortality [HR 1.89 (CI 1.06–3.36); P = 0.030].Conclusion: POD is a frequent finding after TAVR and is significantly associated with reduced 2-year survival. Predictors of delirium include not only peri-procedural parameters like stroke, pneumonia, vascular complications and general anesthesia but also baseline characteristics as male sex, atrial fibrillation and frailty.


1999 ◽  
Vol 45 (4, Part 2 of 2) ◽  
pp. 241A-241A
Author(s):  
Veronique M Dayer-Zamora ◽  
S Reg Sauve ◽  
Wendy Yee ◽  
Albert Akierman ◽  
Julian Midgley

2021 ◽  
Vol 429 ◽  
pp. 118699
Author(s):  
Manel Akkari ◽  
Mariem Messelmani ◽  
Hajer Derbali ◽  
Malek Mansour ◽  
Jamel Zaouali ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 1065-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Fiorante ◽  
M. Fernandez-Ruiz ◽  
F. Lopez-Medrano ◽  
M. Lizasoain ◽  
A. Lalueza ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. S120-S121
Author(s):  
A.A.N. Giagounidis ◽  
S. Haase ◽  
V. Lohrbacher ◽  
M. Heinsch ◽  
B. Schuran ◽  
...  

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