Horses are cows, said veterinary researcher N. Edward Robinson, BVetMed, PhD, MRCVS, Matilda R. Wilson Chair in Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University.

Well, what Robinson actually said was that the “racehorse and modern dairy cow have several things in common.” Both have been genetically selected for performance via a small number of popular sires, performance relies on only one or two organ systems, and their productivity relies on a team comprised of the owner, trainer, support staff, and veterinarian.

Unlike the dairy industry, however, the racing industry continues to receive much less funding for research into the complex and intricate relationships between management and disease.

“It is not difficult to understand why society chooses to fund food production, but modern society also expects humane treatment of animals used for entertainment so it is incumbent on the racing industry to find ways to support investigations of disease in its hard-working athletes,” wrote Robinson