Breeders Cup Veterinary Regulation

Sound of Limb, while sound of mind, heart, and wind remain unexamined realms.

 

I, the most skeptical of veterinarians, am here to attest that the Breeders Cup runners who will make it to the races are sound of limb. No Mongolian Groomers will be allowed to run. Being sound of wind, heart, and mind are different matters. These horses were vetted by the best vetters in the business. Limb doctors, locomotion analysts all. All of the runners were vetted, and re-vetted. The word vet is derived from the word veterinarian, which represents thoroughness. And thorough these doctors are. The musculoskeletal examinations have not ended. The examinations were limited to the musculoskeletal system

I observed several examinations at the barns and on the track. A team of two or three doctors of veterinary medicine eyed and physically examined every horse at their barns. The only ones the doctors missed exercising were the horses that trained on the poly training track, mostly Euros and Chain of Love (JPN). On the main track, both licensed and unlicensed doctors greeted, identified, and examined every horse on their way to train, and on their way back. Some of the doctors are from elsewhere, and do not have a Kentucky license, so they are serving as consulting eyes. Each and every horse has been observed, scrutinized, examined, palpated, trotted, walked, and galloped before dozens of veterinarians a dozen times. The only miss was heart auscultation. I did not see any of the examining veterinarians listen to their patients’ hearts, which could have been easily accomplished.

Sound of wind, mind, and heart are matters that have not been scrutinized, save gate approvals, which all horses came with. The Euros will be allowed to decline to have an assistant starter in the gate with their horse and rider, and that will be the case for many. Cave Rock had a bit of gate trouble, almost too big to fit, especially with a husky starter. 

The Euros and Japanese attend to their horses’ state of mind in a near continuous fashion. Chain of Love has her own security barn along with her pony horse. Most days she walked, jogged and galloped twice or thrice around the smaller poly track only to rise up to the main track for a couple more laps. Chain of Love is full of wind and sound of mind. By my estimate she spends 10 hours each day out of the stall being walked, grazed, massaged, washed, and loved. She looks as sound of mind during stabling and conditioning as any horse in the championship. Content, a near perfect world for a stabled horse. The Japanese know to keep their horses happy. The Euros, likewise have their horses full of wind, strong of heart, and sound of mind.

                                            Hollie Doyle and Nashwa bonding agin

Gosden arrived with his riders to finalize the pair bonds between horse and rider. Hollie and Nashwa trained like a match made on the steppes. Mishriff and Lanfranco likewise appeared paired up in fine fashion. The team travelled well, according to sir John. 

The Appleby and O’Brien horses came out in their respective groups, fulfilling their social need to run and move together. These horses will by and large present at the starting gate sound of wind and mind, and full of turn of hoof. You will not see harsh restrained devices like the chained lip shanks and nerve lines the Americans have come to the paddock with, devices that do not favor the horse. These abusive crutches are being utilized overutilized to replace competent horsemanship. Hopefully, Americans can someday learn to favor the horse.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Gustafson graduated from Washington State University as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1979. He is a practicing veterinarian, animal welfare journalist, equine behavior educator, and novelist. The application of behavioral science to the husbandry of horses enhances optimal health, performance, soundness, contentment, and longevity. Behavioral, social, locomotory, and nutritional strategies enhance the prosperity, vigor, and health of stabled horses. Sid offers veterinary care, training, husbandry, and conditioning from the horse's perspective to achieve willing and winning equine partnerships with humans.