Osteochondrosis and Racing Performance in Standardbred Horses

Osteochondrosis (OC) is a common developmental orthopedic disease affecting various breeds including Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. How OC affects future racing performance is somewhat unclear, regardless of breed. To determine if yearling Standardbreds with OC have fewer starts and lower race earnings, researchers at the University of Illinois reviewed fluoroscopic radiographic findings from 819 yearling Standardbreds over a two-year period. For each horse, osteochondrosis status of key joints (stifles, hocks, front and rear fetlocks, and knees), number of starts as a two and three year old, and earnings from those starts were recorded.

Results indicated that there was no difference in the number of starts for two and three year olds that were diagnosed with OC and those that were not. Similarly, no differences in earnings were noted between horses with OC and those without. While young horses with OC might be managed differently than those with no signs of the disease, specifically with regard to nutrition, the results of this study indicate that in Standardbreds radiographic diagnosis of OC in yearlings does not correlate with subsequent racing performance.

This study was presented at the 2011 Equine Science Society Symposium in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The proceedings from this symposium are available from the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.