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Hoof conformation and performance in the racing Thoroughbred in M acau
Author(s) -
Cust ARE,
Anderson GA,
Whitton RC,
Davies HMS
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/avj.12012
Subject(s) - hoof , zoology , confidence interval , veterinary medicine , medicine , anatomy , biology
Objectives To investigate associations between race performance and hoof–ground angle ( HG ), pastern–hoof angle ( PH ) and mediolateral hoof angle ( ML ) of the left forelimb. Methods A total of 1570 starts were recorded from 636 horses, and meetings were equally divided between sand and turf tracks. HG , PH and ML were measured on each starter in a race, over a 3‐month period, using a Finnegan hoof gauge ( T allahesse A sia Holdings Ltd, H ong K ong) and digital photographic images. Race performance was recorded as win or place (1st–3rd). Results There was no association between the probability of winning or placing and gauge HG , photographic HG or photographic ML . There was a significant negative association between PH and the probability of winning on the turf track. On the turf surface, the odds ratio of winning for each 1° decrease in PH was 1.06 (95% confidence interval 1.01–1. 12). There was no association between the probability of winning or placing on the sand track and PH . Conclusions and clinical relevance Direct measures of hoof conformation ( HG and ML ) were not related to racehorse performance in Macau. Lower PH was associated with better performance on a turf track. Further investigation into factors affecting PH and why it is related to performance are warranted. This study demonstrated that PH was associated with performance on a turf track. This information may be useful in the management and selection of Thoroughbred racehorses.