Trade Zone - Health Issues: Young Horses in Race Training

The early training period at the track can be more stressful if a young horse has not had proper handling and experience
Photo by Bill Denver

Health Issues: Young Horses in Race Training

February 24, 2007

By Heather Smith Thomas

Dr. Roger Clymans works with many of the horses stabled at Philadelphia Park racetrack. He said one of the more important things for these horses is vaccination, and it helps if they have been vaccinated several weeks before they come to the track, so they have a chance to build immunity—especially with respiratory diseases.

“It’s like when kids go to school; they are suddenly exposed to a lot of things,” Clymans said. “Young horses encounter more viruses and different strains of the viruses when they come to the track, so prior vaccination is a good idea.”

With 2-year-olds there’s always a certain amount of viral infection, coughing, and snotty noses. “It’s like when you get a cold; if you can rest and get a few days off, it’s usually uneventful and you soon get over it,” he said. “But if you are stressed on top of it or have to go out and work, it can become
a lot worse. If you can avoid stressing these horses, they get over the respiratory problems more quickly, with less chance for complications.”

Many people buy young horses at a sale, then ship them right to the track.

“The stress of going through the sale lowers their immunity,” he said. “It’s better if they can
spend a couple weeks at a farm (where they could get over the fever and snots) before they are shipped to the track."

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