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Animals
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Sports Medicine, Health, Welfare, Rehabilitation, and Aftercare of Racehorses
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Sports Medicine, Health, Welfare, Rehabilitation, and Aftercare of Racehorses

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Equids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2026) | Viewed by 5769

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ben Sykes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
BW Sykes Consultancy, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
Interests: horse; EGUS; stomach; ulcer; gastroenterology; pharmacokinetics
Dr. Amy Lovett

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Veterinary Science, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
Interests: equine internal medicine; EGUS; gastroenterology; endocrinology; neonatology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that we will be co-editing a Special Issue of Animals on “Sports Medicine, Health, Welfare, Rehabilitation, and Aftercare of Racehorses”.

Due to social licenses putting increased pressure on horse sports, and particularly racing horses, the health and wellbeing of horses under our care has never been more important. This Special Issue will focus on the science around optimizing the health, welfare, and wellbeing of racehorses within and after their racing careers. This intentionally broader scope encompasses the entirety of the racehorses’ career after it enters racing, with a focus on positive interventions intended to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. Its purpose is to broaden the conversation within the racing industry beyond a focus on optimizing performance and towards optimizing performance within an industry with the primary outcome of always protecting the health and wellbeing of its equine participants.

It is intended that this Special Issue will provide valuable additional scientific data to further the implementation of wellbeing-orientated outcomes. In doing so, it intends to provide a broad range of stakeholders within the racing industry with the information necessary to make evidence-based decisions relating to racehorse health and wellbeing.

Dr. Ben Sykes
Dr. Amy Lovett
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • racehorses
  • health
  • wellbeing
  • welfare
  • performance

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1143 KB  
Article
Stable Levels of Thiol-Oxidised Plasma Albumin, a Biomarker of Oxidative Stress, Is Correlated with Enhanced Performance in Australian Thoroughbred Racehorses
by Christopher James, Jordana Sheahan and Peter Arthur
Animals 2025, 15(24), 3580; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15243580 - 12 Dec 2025
Viewed by 672
Abstract
Thoroughbred race performance is influenced by genetics, training, recovery, and management, but decisions about race readiness are often subjective and lack validated physiological markers. This study evaluated thiol-oxidised albumin, a blood-based indicator of oxidative stress, as a potential biomarker of pre-race fitness in [...] Read more.
Thoroughbred race performance is influenced by genetics, training, recovery, and management, but decisions about race readiness are often subjective and lack validated physiological markers. This study evaluated thiol-oxidised albumin, a blood-based indicator of oxidative stress, as a potential biomarker of pre-race fitness in Australian Thoroughbreds. Seventy-five clinically healthy racehorses from seven stables were monitored across 216 competitive events (150 races, 66 trials). Blood samples were collected from the jugular at baseline, 48 h pre-race, and for each day up to 8 days post-race to examine levels of thiol-oxidised using the OxiDx test. At baseline, thiol-oxidised albumin levels were stable, but 24% of horses exhibited oxidative stress before racing, rising to 53% after three consecutive races. Thiol-oxidised albumin levels also remained increased for at least 8 days post-race. Statistical analyses were conducted in GraphPad Prism 10.6 using paired t-tests or repeated-measures one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s post hoc test, alongside a generalised estimating equation model to assess associations with ordinal variables; significance was set at p < 0.05. Reference change values were calculated to determine thresholds for biologically meaningful changes in thiol-oxidised albumin levels. Increased pre-race oxidative stress was significantly associated with poorer finishing positions and lower trainer-perceived performance but was unrelated to horse age or sex. Horses without oxidative stress were more likely to finish in the top three. These findings demonstrate that oxidative stress prior to racing is common and adversely affects performance. Thiol-oxidised albumin represents a promising objective biomarker to guide training and racing strategies, with implications for both performance and equine welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Medicine, Health, Welfare, Rehabilitation, and Aftercare of Racehorses)
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24 pages, 1481 KB  
Article
Sources of Environmental Exposure to the Naturally Occurring Anabolic Steroid Ecdysterone in Horses
by Martin N. Sillence, Kathi Holt, Fang Ivy Li, Patricia A. Harris, Mitchell Coyle and Danielle M. Fitzgerald
Animals 2025, 15(14), 2120; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15142120 - 17 Jul 2025
Viewed by 4384
Abstract
Ecdysterone controls moulting and reproduction in insects, crustaceans, and helminths. It is also produced by many plants, probably as an insect deterrent. The steroid is not made by vertebrates but has anabolic effects in mammals and could be useful for treating sarcopenia in [...] Read more.
Ecdysterone controls moulting and reproduction in insects, crustaceans, and helminths. It is also produced by many plants, probably as an insect deterrent. The steroid is not made by vertebrates but has anabolic effects in mammals and could be useful for treating sarcopenia in aged horses. However, ecdysterone is banned in horseracing and equestrian sports, and with no limit of reporting, the risk of unintended exposure to this naturally occurring prohibited substance is a concern. To explore this risk, pasture plants and hay samples were analysed for ecdysterone content, as well as samples of blood, faeces, and intestinal mucosa from horses (euthanized for non-research purposes) with varying degrees of endo-parasite infestation. The variability in serum ecdysterone concentrations between different horses after administering a fixed dose was also examined. Ecdysterone was detected in 24 hay samples (0.09 to 3.74 µg/g) and several weeds, with particularly high concentrations in Chenopodium album (244 µg/g) and Solanum nigrum (233 µg/g). There was a positive correlation between faecal ecdysterone and faecal egg counts, but no effect of anthelmintic treatment and no relation to the number of encysted cyathostome larvae in the large intestine mucosa. Certain horses maintained an unusually high serum ecdysterone concentration over several weeks and/or displayed an abnormally large response to oral ecdysterone administration. Thus, the risk of environmental exposure to ecdysterone is apparent, and several factors must be considered when determining an appropriate dosage for clinical studies or setting a reporting threshold for equine sports. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Medicine, Health, Welfare, Rehabilitation, and Aftercare of Racehorses)
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