foal

One other factor is that there will likely be fewer deaths because the foal crop is in serious decline, meaning fewer racehorses.

Field sizes are smaller as foal crops continue to decline.

Non-competitive purses and a sinking foal crop paint a tough picture.

The study concluded that the more diverse the gut bacteria in a four-week-old foal, the fewer health problems - particularly respiratory diseases - the horse suffered in later life.

Researchers also found a direct relationship between the number of different types of gut bacteria in a month-old foal and its performance on the racecourse when it was older.