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- [DeletedUser] April 2011
- G-Mac September 2009
- GEN August 2012
- H-BOMBER February 2014
- jesteress February 2014
- Jordan June 2011
- kam October 2009
- Rodent December 2010
- TheDiva April 2011
- TheFunkster April 2011
- TheTenthTenor July 2012
- Tivers September 2010
- wedge June 2011
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Big improvement on it's first preparation :shock:
The horse seems to be going well with it, which goes to show that there is not just one type of proceedure that works on breathilng problems, but several.
Determined by the complaint/problem in the first instance.
IRISH ACTION was a TAP winner during the week as was a few minor place getters including COBBLE LANE 2nd.
Apparently he was not 100% happy with the result and recommended the horse be kept to shorter distances this prep.
Wilson...... I am glad you have asked this because I wanted to know the answer to this myself.
Apart from Funkster's spot on answer, you really want to know about the success rate then you need to talk to those in the best position to comment... trainers! And then trainers who have had enough surgeries done , not 1 or 2.
A few trainers happy to give their opinion are
Ross Price - had numerous 'Ahern procedures ' ( palates) done over last 20 years. Horses improved and successful on the racetrack 75% .
Bruce Watkins - Last 4 years only - approx 12 horses and 75% improved and successful on the racetrack
Peter Daly - Last 20 years - more than 75% of some 50 horses.
Frank Maynard & Gary Delane ( Frank last 20 or more years) Gary last 12 years.
Michael Campbell with his Railway winner & several others worth a call.
There are in fact plenty who have had success with this procedure ( in last 4 years now 120 individual winners of 330 races in West.. and increasing weekly)
But make no mistake these trainers know the importance of POST OPERATIVE TRAINING PROTOCOLS! Without these you will usually be less successful!
Also in fairness to some trainers who have been less successful, this surgery like any procedure probably suits some training methods more than others.
The reason for this would be time and cost related ( As I know the protocol myself)
6 weeks off after surgery.. then 10 to 12 weeks before racing... 2 trials then 3-4 runs and another 6 weeks in paddock (lung rest) and then training and back to 'normal racing'.
Unfortunately to do all this to win a provincial maiden is not cost effective. This is just a COMMON SENSE approach by these professional trainers.
And what about the lesser horses? Try a tongue tie/ blinkers some medication for lungs and hope to win a race!
The sucsess rate of this specific operation has been worked out to 75% and and these are WINNERS %'s. These trainers score these numbers because they are also some of the most experienced with these breathing issue horses. Newer trainers can eventually achieve the same with experience in the protocol's aforementioned.
This is the reason why I have lots of literature and info on the procedure.
We have had 2 winners with the operation so far, out of 3 in the stable and the other one has only been done recently. :thumbup:
according to the trainer (Brian Lucas) it was a tieback performed by Dr K Rose, whom is another Ascot based vet but does not practice or do the Ahern Procedure on the palate area.
GEN
it (the op) didn't help him today :roll:
According to accounts in the Australian press, the Australian stewards have approved a policy that will require Thoroughbred trainers to report any surgery undergone by horses in their care.
The decision was reached during the stewards annual National Policy Conference, held in Melbourne this week.
There was a rumour So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) had had a throat operation, and in the finish, we made it our business to find out, Racing Victoria Limited Chief Steward Terry Bailey told the Herald-Sun.
But we don't want a repeat of that occurrence. Trainers need to be more conscious of the punter. Now they will be required to report any sort of surgery, whether it be upper respiratory or even any sign of lameness or gait dysfunction.
Any horse, any time, if something?s happened, we believe the customer has the right to know.
Stewards questioned So You Think's trainer Bart Cummings after it came to their attention that the 2009 G1 Cox Plate winner had a surgical procedure to correct a throat problem during the off season at the beginning of 2010.
Cummings insisted his charge was fit for his return in the GR2 Memsie S., and So You Think proved him right with a handy victory.
The new policy must now be approved and implemented by Australia?s major racing clubs.
Race 4. Trainer Mr W. Maumill $200 ARR.140(a) for failing to report that EARL OF VASSE had undergone throat surgery.
Which is the throat operation concentrating on the palate (pharangeal) area of the horse.
As from the 25th of May there was now 126 Individual winners of 340 races & over $6.1million dollars in stake money
THis = 90 races in 11 months (to May) or average 2 winners and $31,250 / week in WA.
This is very remarkable for a lot of reasons, one of them is most of these horses were buggered and were heading for retirement or the outer country tracks or just being sent around as another also ran.
Owners are saving/making money, horses are having a full racing life, punters are now informed officially of this operation and have a betting choice and trainers are keeping horses that they have spent a lot of man hours on, in the stable longer.
Win win situation for every body, WINNING !
how many of these horses involved in the statistics shown above have already won races prior to having the operation? should the surgery be credited for the win?
do we have any clinical studies that show the surgery actually clinically works? V02 max stuff?
if the surgery is done, what is the % of horses that do not win a race after the aherns?...
and are the horses that win after the op mainly sprinters that can hang in there for 1000 - 1100 before the depleted blood 02 levels make them hit the wall early? grand jardin stops pretty quick these days...
i guess the animal has to be good enough, or 'worth' the expense of operating on, therefore they are likely to win a race after the op anyway?..
procedure is good in theory, just nice to get some quality data from another angle.
I have data on the Ahern Procedure.....45% had won prior to surgery.. 55% HADN'T .......were maidens!!!
As to whether the surgery is credited with winning!, track gossip seems to centre around 2 things
1) Apparently! there are trainers who despite knowing that their horse will win races seem wish to have a throat procedure performed anyhow!.. extraordinary!! A little like 'self mutilation syndrome?.
2) any horse that gets in Dr Aherns backyard doesn't leave without surgery. I believe a significant number do... and aside from this, by the time most horses are examined by Dr Ahern (often after multiple examinations by other vets) their trainers are usually well aware that their horse has a significant problem anyway!
I personally have had 3 horses knocked back for surgery by Tom as he was sure that there would be no improvement in those pariticlular horses.
The throats had presented as good in all areas.
It seems "if it ain't broke! he can't fix it"
Blood O2 levels. Would be fantastic to do, but they need to be done at institutional level.. which is difficult given most Institutions at best totally ignore this avenue of work! Ask at your local Institution!
Danny Beau (an ex patient) at 1000M 56.19 and 1200M 1min.80 flat would have been interesting to do!
Distance post operatively. It has often been said that horses are ?more? likely to compete over 'longer distances' following an ?Ahern? than preop.
Which I also have keenly followed post op's for my own digestion'
One story of Welcome Knight a noted 1000m wonder and nut case in SA but following a TAP Won the Railway (1600m) and a few other graded races!! Also recently Attadale. Insurgency (noted here previously) and others unnamed all stepped up in distance.
Also Grade winner at 2 miles in UK (third World ranked stayer that year) plus GD winner at 3 and half miles over fences! Also in WA, Bunbury/ Pinjarra Cups only staying races not won by an Ahern horse. At least 4 Geraldton Cups.
(yes! I have lots of saved data, records and stats on this procedure) :oops:
"The animal has to be good enough, or 'worth' the expense of operating on, therefore they are likely to win a race after the op anyway?..'"
Yes this is one obvious criteria for any surgery!!! If its too slow will you remove a chip... nurse a tendon?
Equally, some horses need surgery so they can be assessed! ...Some of those are maidens/unraced.
on another matter, would this lead to future surgical intervention to enhance a perfectly normal animal with no anatomical anomalies to improve performance?!!!... can this ever be achieved? hmmmmmwwwwaaaaa!! (dr evil style laugh with little finger at corner of mouth)
Surgery to improve performance if anatomically correct... can't fix it if it ain't broke!
Not even for One million dollars :quiet:
or
One hundred billion dollars :quiet:
Sir Hallowell is a throat operation recipient....AHERN PROCEDURE
HAAGEN a winner last week as seen here with M K Aho sweet talking him to the line, had the Ahern Procedure ( the TAP) 12 months ago and was only prepared but not raced in that time.
Many thanks to Dr Ahern for his post OP assistance AND for his OP :wink:
(photo D Wyer)
LISETTTA trained by P Jordan
There has been 50 more winners added to the May the 25th 2011 tally posted on here.
NB: These are mostly horses that were going no where and headed for the scrap heap, quite a remarkable feat, imho.
is another winner with a wind operation (TAP)