Page 27 - March 2007 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper The Game, March 2007 27
Special Advertorial Feature
Health & Nutrition 2007
Glossary of Horse Racing Terminology:
BURSA - a sac containing synovial fluid (a natural lubricant). The purpose is to pad orcushionandthusfacilitatemotionbetweensofttissueandbone. Most commonly occurring where tendons pass over bones.
BURSITIS - Inflammation in a bursa that results in swelling due to accumulation of synovialfluid. i.e.“Cappedhock”isinflammationofthebursaoverthepointofthehock.
The Eyes Have It
By Eleanor LeBlanc
Have you ever gone to bring in a horse and have its paddock-mates start tearing around in an upset manner, supposedly because you’re taking their good buddy away? Maybe their behaviour has less to do with friendship and more to do with the fact that you’re removing the horse who has the best vision in the herd, the one who’s most competent at keeping watch for scary, long-toothed dangers.
The eyesight of a horse, like ours, is very much individualized. Various research studies have concluded that horses can see a narrow range of colour: they can distinguish between red and blue, with yellow and green being more difficult to identify. The ability to pick out yellow or green seemed to depend on the horse himself and not necessarily on the depth or brightness of colour. Some horses definitely have better vision than others, and eyesight acuity diminishes with age, just as it does with us.
Of all land mammals, horses have the largest eyes. Because they are situated on either side of the head, they allow horses to have a wide, circular view of what’s going on around them. Horses have both monocular and binocular vision, which means that they can either concentrate on
one thing on each side of their heads, or they can focus both eyes on one particular subject. A grazing, relaxed horse will primarily use his monocular vision to keep tabs on his surroundings, but if something suddenly warrants his attention, he will raise his head and look down his nose in order to engage his binocular vision. Horses, however, have a blind spot directly in front of their foreheads and behind their heads, so if a rider in the tack can’t see a horse’s eyes, then the horse can’t see the rider either. Horses have limited night vision and their eyes don’t have the ability to quickly readjust from light to dark which is why it’s sometimes difficult to convince a horse to load into a dark trailer or to enter a dark arena or shaded starting gate.
In racing, trainers often have reasons to use blinkers in order to inhibit a horse’s wide field of vision. Blinkers are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and allow as little or as much vision as the trainer feels is necessary. They can be attached to a hood or to a bridle and can improve concentration, convince a horse to travel in a straighter line, minimize distractions, and can sometimes help a horse relax and keep the animal focused on the business at hand.
“We trust Integricare products for all of
our horses. Tri-Acta has proven to be
a very effective joint care supplement.”
Josie Carroll, trainer of 2006 Queen’s Plate winner Edenwold Owners – The Saparas of Winsong Stable
www.integricare.ca
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