THE Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board recently hosted a seminar entitled ‘Preventing bone injuries in the Thoroughbred – Science and Practicality’.

Staged in The Club at Goffs, the event featured a presentation by the internationally renowned Professor Chris Whitton, and it attracted a large following of vets, trainers and industry experts.

Speaking afterwards Lynn Hillyer, the IHRB chief veterinary officer and head of anti-doping, commented: “As part of the IHRB’s relentless focus to minimise the risk of racing-related injury, this was a fantastic opportunity to bring Professor Chris Whitton to Ireland and allow him to present some of his valuable insights into how bone injuries occur in thoroughbreds.

“It was encouraging to see such a big crowd in attendance, with trainers from both Ireland and the UK as well as so many renowned veterinary surgeons, who all engaged with questions at the end of the presentation.”

New Zealand native Whitton, who was on a whirlwind tour of Europe, presented his research to an audience of over 100 guests. His expertise and research provided attendees with valuable insights on mitigating bone injury risks and promoting the long-term health and success of their horses.

Implementing these practices not only enhances equine welfare but also offers economic benefits and reinforces the integrity of the racing industry.

The seminar began with the topic of injury prevention, looking at adapting the skeleton to what it must do. Limiting the accumulation of damage, maximise bone repair and learning to monitor and adapt training as necessary.

He also looked at complexity of workload/injury associations and the multiple pathways to injury. He then went on to look at progressive training, comparing two-year-olds with older horses.

He spoke at length about rest periods and looked at where we go wrong with bone repair.

Professor Whitton presented his research on the limits of the equine skeleton and the factors affecting impact on skeleton. He identified the early detection of bone fatigue. He maintains that there needs to be a change in culture, “Every gallop uses up fatigue life and that Intense campaigns need time for repair and Injuries should be a learning experience.”

For those who couldn’t attend the seminar, the full recording will be available on the IHRB website next week.

Web: ihrb.ie