£375,000 invested in equine healthcare at the University of Surrey
Leading equine research programme receives funding from Horserace Betting Levy Board
From helping racehorses retire safely to helping horses with respiratory conditions – these are some of the research areas that are set to benefit from a funding boost at the University of Surrey thanks to a new £374,000 investment from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB).
Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine will use the investment for two four-year scholarships that will research aspects of racehorse health and wellbeing. The scholarships will also provide research training for the next generation of equine veterinary researchers.
The two scholarships will target two separate research programmes that both look into the health of racing horses.
The first of which looks at why some racehorses are at risk of bleeding into their lungs during racing.
The second looks at investigating the gut microbiome of racehorses, exploring changes with age and its impact on retraining and rehoming of retired racehorses.
The aim of this would be to provide an evidence-based foundation for policymakers and carers to promote healthy ageing and long-term welfare for retired racehorses.
Professor Chris Proudman is a professor of veterinary clinical research at the University of Surrey, at the vet school at the university.
He says that he hopes the result of the research will provide a trickle down effect to all horses in the country.
"This will benefit every horse, pony and donkey in the UK"
"So this is this is like the situation with Formula One racing. You and I, our cars, we benefit from some of the discoveries, the innovation that goes into Formula One racing cars in just the same way.
The discoveries we make and the science that we're doing, this will benefit every horse, pony and donkey in the UK"
The funding is being provided by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, who Chris was very quick to point out, already invest a lot of money into the care of horses.
"They take a levy, so it effectively a small tax from bookmakers, all betting outlets and that money is recycled into veterinary training and veterinary research. Over the last 30 years, they've invested more than £50 million."
However Chris also added that due to the expectation on the horses during racing season, racing does come with health risks to the horses.
"We're asking these animals to perform as elite athletes. And just as human elite athletes suffer injuries, so it can happen with horses as well."
Why Surrey?
The obvious answer as to why Surrey is a great place for this research is to the number of race courses within the county, however Proudman says that people and facilities within the university also provide a boost the research.
"Within the university we have a lot of interrelated skills which we can bring together to look at various aspects of disease. So for example, one of my colleagues, Professor Kamelan Jeeva Ratnam, he has a fascinating strand of research using artificial intelligence to interrogate ECG (electrocardiogram) tracings. These record the electrical activity of the heart muscle and identify when this is becoming abnormal so that it can be caught."
As well as within the university, due to all the nearby racecourses, there are plenty of places where racehorses are bred and trained. A resource that Proudman says the research done at the university is able to benefit from.
"So there are a number of of stud farms where thoroughbred racehorses are bred that contribute data to my projects, contribute biological samples, and they they are really enthusiastic to help understand the the factors that influence the health of young foals."