Veterinary
TBA Veterinary Committee
The TBA Veterinary Committee, chaired by Joe Grimwade, meet on a quarterly basis. The Committee comprise of Richard Greenwood (TBA Veterinary Advisor), Paul Thorman, Richard Lancaster, Kirsten Rausing, Charles McCartan, David Ellis, Sidney Ricketts, the Dowager Duchess of Bedford and Louise Kemble. The Committee represent members on a number of high level veterinary committees, including the Horserace Betting Levy Board Codes of Practice Sub-Committee, the DEFRA Equine Industry Liaison Committee and the AHT Equine Industry Committee.
Over the past ten years the TBA has donated over £2 million to Veterinary research carried out at the Equine Fertility Unit and Animal Health Trust, the results of which have been of immeasurable benefit to the whole horse breeding community.
The TBA Veterinary Advisor continues to provide veterinary advice and guidance to our members.
Codes of Practice on Equine Diseases
Each year, the HBLB updates and publishes Codes of Practice on:
- Venereally transmitted bacterial diseases caused by the contagious equine metritis organism CEMO, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
- Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA)
- Equine Herpevirus (EHV)
In addition, the Codes of Practice include guidelines on Streptoccocus equi (Strangles)
The Codes of Practice set out minimum recommendations for the prevention of these diseases and for their control, should they occur. A copy of the Codes of Practice is sent to all members in November of each year.
To support the Code of Practice on venereally transmitted bacterial diseases, the HBLB approves laboratories for the purposes of testing for the CEMO, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. Please contact the TBA for a list of approved laboratories in Ireland or France.
Veterinary Research Funding
One of the key objectives of the TBA is to oversee the health and welfare requirements of the Thoroughbred horse, with particular attention to veterinary science in areas such as the improvement in practices associated with the breeding and rearing of Thoroughbred horses. In 2007 the TBA contributed £250,000 to veterinary research and associated activities.
Funding was divided between support for the Animal Health Trust’s Infectious Diseases Service and its Equine Genetics Research Gene Mapping Project, plus additional co-funding of specific research projects approved by the Levy Board’s Veterinary Advisory Committee, which have been further reviewed to provide direct benefit to the breeding industry.
At the direction of the TBA Council, who wished to target its veterinary support to address specific issues facing Thoroughbred breeders, there are currently three projects receiving funding from the TBA:
- Development of a diagnostic immunoassay for Larval Cyathostominosis at the Moredun Research Institute – in layman’s terms this project seeks to obtain a blood-testing technique to identify worm infestation. No direct method of detection currently exists and prevention methods rely on the administration of worming treatment and close pasture Management.
This project has been running for 12 months and is making good progress. The first half of this year was mostly dedicated to the collection of material: equine intestines from an abattoir for the harvesting of cyathostomin parasites. These parasites are required for the preparation of worm gene libraries. Once the gene libraries have been made, these will be screened with previously-generated antibodies to select out potential diagnostic antigens. The library screening will progress over the coming 12 months’.
A formal progress report will be submitted during the mid term of the project and this will be reviewed by the Levy Board’s Veterinary Advisory Committee who in turn will report back formally to the TBA.
Two further veterinary research projects were identified for support in 2007:
- Identification of EHV-1 CTL target proteins selected by MHC Class 1 Haplotypes, led by Dr Julia Kydd at the University of Nottingham. This will help the EHV-1 research community to develop novel vaccines and undertake molecular studies to identify viral peptides.
- Determination of SHMAPR live strangles vaccine efficacy, led by Dr Andrew Waller at the Animal Health Trust. If successful this will lead to the development of an urgently required vaccine that would provide immeasurable benefit, not only to stud farms but to the worldwide equine community.
Downloadable documents
- HBLB Codes of Practice 2008 [453.81KB] - downloaded: (196)
- NSFA Freedom From Infection Certificate [12.88KB] - downloaded: (178)
- NSFA Breeding Regulations [98.44KB] - downloaded: (222)
- UK Approved Lab List 2008 [94.06KB] - downloaded: (93)
- Ireland Approved Lab List 2008 [48.11KB] - downloaded: (90)
- French Approved Lab List 2008 [203.00KB] - downloaded: (111)
- Animal Health Trust Disease Report for the TBA covering the UK from August 2006 to August 2007 [74.96KB] - downloaded: (104)
- Boarding Stud Agreement Form 2008 [109.53KB] - downloaded: (164)