The Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation, which met Tuesday, will reduce the number of days a horse must be on the vet's list for unsoundness from 14 days down to seven. The rule change, first reported by Paulick Report, was announced during the meeting by Dr. George Mundy and will take effect immediately.
“Our whole mission is to have the same rules all over. This aligns with HISA and it helps the owners and trainers with these horses, if there's a realistic timeframe for them to get off the vet's list instead of being on the list too long,” Charlie O'Connor, Chairman of the Veterinary Procedures and Data Review Committee which deliberated the change, told the TDN. O'Connor said that the vote among the committee was unanimous.
“We all wanted this to happen,” O'Connor continued. “The Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation wants to listen to everybody and we want to be there to help people and not to hinder people. We listened to a lot of people, we took notes and we took our time about deciding. When we created this new committee to help horses get off the vets list quicker, this was on top of our agenda to get this straightened out. I think it's a good thing. We're trying to have one rule for everyone. We're trying to be the leaders in doing that and it should be the same in every state.”
The report notes that the horse must sill be approved to work by the trainer's attending veterinarian and must also meet the state vet's requested diagnostic imaging requirements.
Mundy also revealed that the KHRGC will not continue on with a pilot program through the Kentucky HBPA meant to obtain a third-party veterinary opinion in cases of regulatory vet scratches. The news comes following several office-hour sessions held by Mundy to discuss concerns on the backstretch regarding vet scratches.
In place of that pilot program, Mundy noted that the KHRGC would instead turn its attention to a proposal which would allocate up to $500,000 to help subsidize the cost of advanced imaging for vet scratches through the Equine Drug Research Council.
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