WEIGHT STUDY – FEED TO FAIL

Cecil Seaman & Co. LLC has conducted a study concerning young horses that fail to reach their potential at the racetrack. According to the study, the main problem is that overweight and obese horses make up a significant percentage of the entries in yearling and two-year-old sales.

In the mid 1980’s, Seaman discovered that many horses that had the same biomechanics (skeletal structure) experienced widely varied results at the track. Full brothers and sisters to millionaires, who had very similar height and structural measurements, performed quite differently. Many people claimed it is just lack of desire, or the “heart”, to perform. While that may contribute to the problem, other possibilities deserved examination.

Seaman collected data on the physical size and shape of over 44,000 yearlings and two-year-olds  during this thirty-year period. After extensive analysis, the one consistent attribute that could be identified in most of the under-performing horses was excessive weight.

The problem with weight begins very early. Small weanlings and yearlings are often overfed in the hope that they would grow faster and larger. This overfeeding tends to increase weight more then size, and can put young horses into the overweight or obese category.

The results of overfeeding young horses, according to Seaman’s study, are:

1) Overweight and obese horses make fewer lifetime starts, earning less than half that of underweight or ideal-weight horses. They tend to be ineffective at higher levels of racing, and thus are often relegated to races that offer low purse money.

2) The incidence of OCD lesions in overweight horses could be related to rapid growth brought on by overfeeding.

3) Weanlings and yearlings with offset knees have more problems when they are overweight, compounding conformation flaws.

4) Heavier horses place higher levels of stress on bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, which results in more unsoundness, and shorter racing careers.

Seaman believes that while extra flesh looks good in the sale ring, removing that extra weight is difficult, and sometimes even impossible, even with intensive training and attentive feed-management techniques. He believes buyers should avoid overweight horses at yearling and two-year-old sales.

Trainers should closely monitor the weights of their horses. Trainers in Europe often weigh their horses weekly and on race day, and in some countries race-day programs publish the weights of entrants for each event.

According to Seaman, to identify a horse of ideal weight, “Height, length of barrel and girth must be in the correct proportions. Ribs may be felt with little pressure. [There should be no] ridge down the back, no bulge at the tail head and no cresty or thick necks.”

His study, which correlates weight with career earnings, involved 44,310 horses measured at auction from 1970 through 2001 (52.2 percent colts and 47.8 percent fillies; 91 percent yearlings and 9 percent two-year-olds). The measurements were run against a growth curve from Dr. Tyznik of Ohio State that projected what the individual might look like when full grown.   Weights were calculated with a formula used by Texas A&M and other major universities in their weight studies.

A second study, measuring ideal weight of the race horse, was based off a study done by Seaman in 1993 that measured 51 horses within three weeks of winning a Grade I race.  After evaluating these Grade I winners and their weights, a scale was established for ideal racing weight.

To view the complete results of Seaman’s studies, along with comments and suggestions, click here or go to www.cecilseaman.com.

To contact Cecil Seaman & Co. LLC, call 859-293-0561 or e-mail cseaman@cecilseaman.com.

Last Updated: 8/12/2007 6:10 AM