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.

  • "Not striding out freely"; a term often used by jockeys to describe a horse that is uncomfortable and restricted in its action.  It usually indicates a low-grade lameness that is apparent under the pressure of galloping but may not be apparent in trotting.

  • 'Scratchy Action'; a term often used by jockeys to describe a horse that is stiff and uneven in its action.  Similar to 'not striding out freely, but may imply more stiffness and lack of fluidity in the action.

  • 'Stiff'; refers to a fairly generalized lack of ease and fluidity in the horses movement.  It is often associated with muscle soreness or generalized arthritic changes in older horses.

  • 'Jarred Up'; refers to the joint pain and inflammation experienced by horses after galloping on a relatively firm surface.  It often affects the fore fetlock joints. The problem may resolve in a few days with appropriate rest and treatment or be sign of the onset of osteoarthritis of the joint.

  • Lame; is generally used when the horse is obviously favouring a leg and often implies a more significant injury or effect on performance than the descriptions given above.

  • 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