The Official Veterinary Examination
The following information is provided to help
customers better understand the procedures by which the Hong Kong
Jockey Club attempts to manage the suitability of horses to race.
A brief description of the veterinary problems
that commonly result in horses being issued with official veterinary
examinations is also provided. The descriptions and explanations
are necessarily brief however interested readers are suggested to
follow the links provided to obtain more detailed information.
1. When is an Official Veterinary Examination requirement
issued to a racehorse?
An OVE is issued by the Chief Stipendiary Steward
or an Official Regulatory Veterinary Officer whenever;
-
A horse returns an unacceptable racing performance
that may have been attributable to a veterinary problem.
-
A significant veterinary problem is identified
during the examination of a horse sent for a clinical examination
after racing.
-
The Veterinary Regulation Department is advised
by the Veterinary Clinical Department of the diagnosis of a
significant injury or medical condition in a horse.
2. Why are Official Veterinary Examination requirements issued?
OVEs are issued to, as far as possible, ensure
that;
-
Unacceptable racing performances are investigated
so that any veterinary problem that may have contributed to
the poor racing performance may be identified and treated if
possible.
-
A horse identified as suffering from a condition
that may impact on its racing performance has that condition
investigated, treated and that the horse demonstrates its suitability
to race to the satisfaction of an Officer of the Veterinary
Regulation Department.
3. What is the procedure for conducting an OVE?
-
Once the trainer has been notified that a
horse under his care has been issued with an OVE requirement,
he will arrange a clinical examination of the horse by his stable
veterinary surgeon.
-
On completion of the examination, the trainer
and stable veterinary surgeon will work out a management plan
for the horse.
-
When the trainer and his veterinary surgeon
are satisfied that the horse is fit to race again, the trainer
will arrange for the horse to undergo the OVE.
-
An officer of the veterinary regulation department
will review the treatment records and inspect the horse on the
day prior to the test to confirm that it is in a suitable condition
to undertake the test.
-
On the day of the test the officer of the
veterinary regulation department will observe the horse during
a gallop or barrier trial and then re-exam it about one hour
after the gallop to ensure that the horse has pulled up well
form the gallop.
-
If the horse passes the OVE it may enter
to race again. If it fails the examination, it will be
referred back to the trainer and stable veterinary surgeon for
further investigation.
Relatively minor injuries and illnesses may require
a 'no gallop' OVE which requires that the horse only undergo a clinical
examination by an officer of the veterinary regulation department
prior to entering to race again.
COMMON VETERINARY CONDITIONS THAT MAY BE
MENTIONED IN RACING INCIDENT REPORTS
LAMENESS
There are a number of terms used to describe
lameness. These usually reflect the severity and nature of the lameness.
-
Inflammation; the process by which the body
responds to injury and is an essential part of the healing process.
The signs of inflammation are heat, pain, swelling, redness
and loss of function. Sometimes the body may over-react
to injury and the inflammatory process causes further tissue
damage. Anti-inflammatory treatment may be required to
'normalize the inflamed structure.
-
The application of the suffix 'itis' to the
name of a structure means inflammation of that structure.
For example, Carpitis is inflammation of the horses' carpus
(the knee in common horse terminology), Tendonitis is inflammation
of the tendon, Sesamoiditis is inflammation of a sesamoid bone
etc.
The following abbreviations will be used to designate
the affected leg in OVE reports.
-
LF=Left Fore
-
RF=Right Fore
-
LH=Left Hind
-
RH=Right Hind
-
BF=Both Fore
-
BH=Both Hind
Lame
Occasionally a horse will be reported as simply
lame. This most often occurs when a horse has been examined
after a race and has been found to be lame. There may not
be sufficient time or equipment available to establish an exact
diagnosis.
These horses will be referred the stable veterinary
surgeon for a comprehensive lameness examination and, if a diagnosis
is made, the OVE report will be updated to provide more information.
Tendon Injuries (Tendonitis)
Tendons are strong cable like structures that
transmit the pull created by a contracting muscle to bones to produce
movement. They are composed of collagen and elastin fibres
and are very strong but have only limited elasticity or stretch.
Tendons in the horses' legs are subject to tremendous
forces. They have a relatively poor blood supply and when
injured heal very slowly by the formation of scar tissue.
The scar tissue has virtually no elasticity. This means that
an injured tendon is very prone to re-injury under the stresses
of full training and racing.
The tendon most commonly injured in racehorse
is the superficial digital flexor tendon of the forelimb. This tendon
runs down the back of the cannon and transmits the pull of the muscle
behind the forearm to the bones of the foot.
Getting a horse back to racing after a tendon
injury requires a great deal of skill and hard work. Often
a serious tendon injury will result in the retirement of the horse
from racing.
Suspensory Ligament Injuries (Suspensory Desmitis)
Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that bind
bones together and stabilize joints.
The suspensory ligament runs from the to |