Cover image courtesy of Scone Equine Hospital
From 2025, Magic Millions, Inglis, and New Zealand Bloodstock will move to the globally accepted Havemeyer grading system to assess laryngeal function in post-sale endoscopic examinations. The Havemeyer 7-point system was created in 2003 and is widely used globally as the standard test for post-sale scopes.
“Based on the advice we’ve been given; we think it’ll be embraced by both buyers and vendors. The Havemeyer system is used universally in Europe and America, and veterinarians have a lot of confidence in the system,” said Magic Millions’ Barry Bowditch.
Barry Bowditch | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“This will provide clarity for everyone. The change was recommended to us by some of Australia’s leading veterinarians and all three sales companies discussed the matter after getting expert advice from Australian and international veterinarians. It’s only a slight change that will give more clarity and confidence to everyone.
“All three companies decided we should all move to the same system (for scoping) to have unity across the board. We all sell into the same marketplace, and it makes sense.”
“All three companies decided we should all move to the same system (for scoping) to have unity across the board. We all sell into the same marketplace, and it makes sense.” - Barry Bowditch
What is roaring?
Buyers looking to reduce risk with regards to ‘roaring’ have been able to use post-sale endoscope results. And in Australia and New Zealand, all sales companies have been using the Lane-Bain Fallon 5-point grading system which was first described in 1993 by Dr Geoff Lane at the Bain Fallon Proceedings.
The ‘roaring’ test is done to ensure that buyers are purchasing a horse who can breathe and looks for signs of Laryngeal hemiplegia which is damage to the nerve operating the muscles responsible for movement of the cartilages of the larynx (throat). It is most commonly seen on the left side of the throat. The side of the throat collapses and, in worst case scenarios it will close, especially at speed, resulting in the roaring sound as air is restricted in its flow through the windpipe.
Gallery: Images courtesy of Tamworth Equine Veterinary Centre
Dr Geoff Lane devised a system of grading that showed the collapse of the throat at rest with Grade 1 and 2 being normal, Grade 3 noted as Intermediate, and Grades 4 and 5 being abnormal.
Grades 4 and 5 will ‘fail’ the scope and will result in the sale being cancelled, but Grade 3 is the murky ground where some buyers look walk away from a horse as being too high a risk.
The Havemeyer 7-point grading system
Developed in 2003 by international veterinarians, the Havemeyer grading system is considered to be the universal grading system to evaluate resting laryngeal function. The key difference is that the Havemeyer test splits the Lane-Bain Grade 3 into two sections being Intermediate Low (risk) and Intermediate High (risk).
“The change is based around getting unity and consistency with the three sales companies. We were approached by both Magic Millions and Inglis who originally tabled the idea of the change based on feedback from Australian veterinarians,” said James Jennings Director of Operations at New Zealand Bloodstock.
| I | Normal | 1 | Normal |
| II.1 | Normal | 2 | Normal |
| II.2 | Intermediate (low) | 3 | Intermediate |
| III.1 | Intermediate (high) | 3 | Intermediate |
| III.2 | Abnormal | 4 | Abnormal |
| III.3 | Abnormal | 4 | Abnormal |
| IV | Abnormal | 5 | Abnormal |
Table: Grading scales for assessment of laryngeal function
“We addressed it with our New Zealand Veterinary Association and the response was that the (H) system gives greater accuracy and clarity, so we were on board with the adoption of this system. There is significant research that supports the seven-point (H) system over the old five-point system, including a study that looked at 5000 yearlings. The statistics out of that study lay the foundation for the adoption of the (H) system.
“It also takes away some of the stigma around grade 3 terminology that the research shows statistically shouldn’t be there. Buyers can now look at horses who they used to put a line through, and these horses have just as much a chance of getting a result as other gradings.”
“Buyers can now look at horses who they used to put a line through, and these horses have just as much a chance of getting a result as other gradings.” - James Jennings
Inglis Premier Yearling Sale study
A study done in 2022 by BJ Ahern, A Sole, K de Klerk, LR Hogg, S A Vallance, FR Bertin, and SH Franklin looked at all yearlings who went through the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from 2008 to 2011, which consisted of 1244 horses.
The study found that significant differences in career earnings between ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ graded horses, but the real key was when they looked at the two Intermediate classifications under the Havemeyer system. This splits up the old Lane-Bain Grade 3 horses into two sections.
Of the horses in the study, 806 were rated ‘normal’ (Grade 1 or 2) which equates to 65 per cent of horses in the study. These horses had a median of 17 race day starts with the highest earning individual in the study having prizemoney of $7.9 million. The horses rated ‘Intermediate Low’ number 324 horses (26 per cent) had the same number of median starts at 17 with the highest earner winning $756,000 but the median earnings between both groups was similar at $20,000 and $23,000 respectively.
Very few horses at the sale were rated ‘Intermediate High’ being only 8 per cent of horses in the study (96 individuals) but their median starts and earnings dropped off to 12 and $13,000 respectively. The best performing horse in this group earned just over $290,000. Under the old system, these horses would be rated the same as the ‘intermediate low’ horses but there is a significant difference between the two groups.
Of the 18 horses who failed the scope (on both the Lane-Bain and Havemeyer scales), they also had a median of 12 starts but with a smaller range and with median earnings of $1,000. The highest earning horse in this group earned just over $100,000, which is still not to be sneezed at, but in terms of risk, this group have under-performed.
Conditions of sale regularly updated
Inglis concurred with their peers on making this change. “Our conditions of sale are reviewed regularly, more than annually, to provide a set of conditions that are optimal for the conduct of sales,” said Inglis CEO Sebastian Hutch.
“The scoping process is evolutionary, and veterinarians are learning all the time. These changes are part of their feedback to us, and we think this is a more suitable and more effective approach to take. We were happy to take the advice given to us by experts on the matter.
“The scoping process is evolutionary, and veterinarians are learning all the time. We were happy to take the advice given to us by experts on the matter.” - Sebastian Hutch
“Our understanding is that it’ll be a net positive for all participants. The feedback we’ve had from the majority of vets has also been positive. Inevitably there will a period of transition with some education involved as with any change.”
