Beginning Jan. 26, veterinarians for The New York Racing Association will administer Lasix to horses on race day.
“This important integrity measure will eliminate the need for private veterinarians to enter horses’ stalls on race days,” NYRA president and CEO Charles Hayward said.
Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...#ixzz1BbyucUvh
First rule: Try always to do what's right for the horse. The people part will work out. -- Josh Pons, Merryland, 2007
I like it. Step 2 is keep them out 365 days a year. Run it like Hong Kong...only track vets can administer drugs on or at the track. If the horse needs extensive care....take them off track grounds.
Everyone come home sound
Originally Posted by Rick1323
What would I do without my private vet?! So, if one of my horses colics, I have to wait for a state vet to come to treat them?? Not long ago, I had a horse fighting a leg infection, without consultation from my vet on a daily basis, he surely would have had to been put down. Financially, it just is not feasable to send a "horse that needs extensive care" off track grounds. Responsible vets are not the problem in racing, they are needed, as any responsible animal owner knows.
Well, I interpreted it to mean that a private vet couldn't enter the stall of a horse that was racing that day, not that all private vets are banned from the backside on racing days. But maybe you guys are right.
First rule: Try always to do what's right for the horse. The people part will work out. -- Josh Pons, Merryland, 2007
Okay.....you can bring in your vet. But you can't race that horse for let's say...60 days.
Everyone come home sound
Why? Just wouldn't race him THAT day if he had an ailment that required the attendance of his private vet. Practically speaking as well as a rule for "integrity."
Why would you punish someone for treating their horse in their stall that colicked or had a leg injury (lets say he kicks the back of his stall and fractures a pastern?) He obviously isn't going to race that day.
No offense, really, but this isn't brain surgery or even anything very new. Just NYRA not wanting to lose entries because of scratches due to sloppy vets and trainers (there are plenty of them and then there is legit time constraint if a private vet maybe does get tied up with an emergency and can't get to the Lasix shot on time, etc.)
I was half kidding. 60 days is too much, but a day isn't long enough. If it is really an "emergency", the horse shouldn't be allowed to race for a week or two at least.
Frankly I am against private vets completly. We need to reduce the onging med competition that is going on. I will tell you honestly that vet bills are one of the biggest reasons I don't currently own any horses. I knew that a lot of what I was paying for had nothing to do with "maintence". I would be perfectly happy to pay a track vet for real maintence meds. Especially if it created a fair playing field.
Everyone come home sound
Just get rid of race day meds, and require all meds used in training to be purchased at an on track pharmacy, and that vet bills be deducted from owner's account (which would have to be owner funded in many cases, ha) so the track... can keep track. Like a depository of vet bills for review by anyone at anytime. See who is using what.
It's tough. Many owners select trainer based on winning only, and others review vet bills (ask to see several owner invoices with names redacted) and references before signing on.
Just heard this on Roger Stein's show:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/mo....html?r=sportsOOPS!
On Wednesday, New York Racing Association veterinarians began administrating Lasix to all race-day runners to improve the integrity of the sport and to help reduce the amount of late scratches for horses who didn't receive their injection in the proper time before a race. It didn't take long before NYRA hit a problem when E Z Passer was ordered a late scratch Friday from the seventh race because someone forgot to give the 4-year-old filly her Lasix in time. The NYRA said she was accidentally skipped over, but said it had ensured this won't happen again after adding another safeguard.
Too late; that's already happened. All there is is Lasix, and now that we have state vets administering that to make sure that there are no screwups, . . . uh, never mind.
Or pneumonia. One of my horses got sick this summer and was diagnosed (by a private vet--oh my!) with a mild touch of pneumonia. She was off about 30 days or so and spent that time at the track under the care of her trainer and her private vet. Why? Because moving sick horses can stress them especially when they are young and have respiratory problems. Stressed horses can get much worse or even die. Incidentally 3 months after the diagnosis, she debuted and won first time out which I like to think is our reward for taking care of her when she needed it.
Expecting the track vet to be the primary medical treater for your horse is like expecting the same of a school nurse for your kid. Sure they've got their purposes but maintaining health on a day to day basis shouldn't be one of them.
Last edited by Pronzini; 01-30-2011 at 10:29 AM.
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