A ground-breaking study has found that the future success of a racehorse can be detected in the animal’s gut when it is just one month old.
The recent veterinary study, which was co-authored by a number of eminent vets including our own Charlie Pinkham, analysed faecal samples, measuring the bacteria in the digestive systems of more than 50 thoroughbred foals from 5 stud farms across the country within the first four weeks of their life to assess the range and abundance of bacterial species in their gut. The study found that the greater diversity of bacterial species a foal had in its gut at just four weeks old directly correlated to its future health, and its success on the racecourse.
The study data showed that gut bacterial community structure in the first months of life predicts the risk of specific diseases and athletic performance up to three years old. Foals with lower faecal bacterial diversity at one month old had a significantly increased risk of respiratory disease in later life. Surprisingly, athletic performance up to three years old was positively associated with higher faecal bacterial diversity at one month old and with the relative abundance of specific bacterial families.
“Foals with the highest levels of gut bacterial diversity at four weeks old went to be ranked four times higher for prize money earnings than foals with the lowest levels of gut bacterial diversity,” said Prof Chris Proudman, the study lead author and professor of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Surrey.
For the first time, this study demonstrates a relationship between early-life gut bacterial communities and subsequent athletic performance that has implications for athletes of all species including humans
The full research study, entitled ‘Early-life gut bacterial community structure predicts disease risk and athletic performance in horses bred for racing,’ has been published as an open access article in Science Reports and is available to read here.