foal growth study

Kentucky Equine Research (KER) is seeking Thoroughbred breeders to participate in a research project into the link between foal size and subsequent soundness and performance in the racehorse. The project is an expansion of a pilot study conducted by Dr. Joe Pagan of KER, in which data was collated from 318 foals from six commercial Thoroughbred farms detailing the relationship between weight and height of foals and spring radiographs. (Click here for a piece on Dr. Pagan and his foal growth study by T.D. Thornton). The foals were weighed and...

A Kentucky-based study that links foal growth measurements and radiographic findings to sales and racing performance has yielded intriguing findings in its just-completed pilot phase. Researchers now want to go global with it, and are seeking the help of Thoroughbred breeders worldwide to deepen the data pool. "One of the things that we're hoping to discover is a way of understanding if foals are high-risk for developing problems," the study's director, Dr. Joe Pagan, told TDN. "We want to have a way that we can identify at-risk foals earlier in...