Vet Clinic Scratching, 101 Learn when to make a bet your horse can live with.
What’s true for poker is also true for running racehorses. When a horse seems a little “off” on race day, the tempta- tion can be overwhelming to run the horse anyway. As a racetrack vet, I’m asking—no, begging—you to stop and reconsider. Deciding to scratch a horse from a race can be a complex call you have to make under duress. So how do you know the difference between a horse that just has the pre-race jitters and one who just might collapse on the track? Let me take you behind the curtain, so you can see some of the criteria veterinarians use to call a scratch. 1. Is the horse nervous or acting out of character? The best racehorses in the world are the ones who
I
seem relaxed but alert before a race. Look in their eyes—you can actually see they are smarter than their competition. If they are sweaty, unusually nervous, scared of people or other horses, or just plain difficult to handle, consider the behavior a red flag that some- thing might be medically wrong. Horses never say no—it’s not in their nature. They don’t have the words, so this is their way of telling you something is out of the ordinary. 2. Is the horse refusing to get in the gate? When a generally compliant horse won’t get in the gate,
that’s usually a pretty good signal it doesn’t feel well. If your horse is consistently this nervous before races, even when well, then you have to ask yourself: Does this horse really have what it takes to be a good racehorse? 3. Does the horse have a temperature? Horses with fevers have an infection somewhere in the
body. Usually, that will result in labored breathing. It’s also possible he could have a major skin, joint or internal infection. If you can’t get to the bottom of it before race time, it’s better to err on the side of caution. 4. Has this horse had an injury in the last two months? If your horse has had a cannon bone or tendon prob- lem, serious hoof problems, shin soreness or any kind of condition that has made it limp in the last eight weeks, scratch him now; running him is a fool’s errand. You won’t win, and you will run a very high chance of seri- ously—even permanently—injuring your horse.
believe it was Kenny Rodgers who said a gambler knows when to hold ‘em, and knows when to fold ‘em.
5. Is the horse’s white blood cell count high? This is the smoking gun that says the horse’s body is
working hard to fight a serious infection. If your horse has an elevated count, I wouldn’t walk him across the track, let alone run him. 6. Is the horse eating well? Has he recently lost weight? There is no good reason a competitive racehorse should be losing weight, period. If your horse is suddenly eating less or refusing food, don’t chalk it up to nerves. It could be that he’s not fit to run. 7. Is the horse’s coat suddenly looking poor? A healthy horse’s coat should be glossy and supple. If your horse’s coat is inflamed or scaly, it might be due to a mild allergic reaction to a bug bite or a seasonal allergen. But in many cases, it can be caused by a serious condition, like rain rot or ringworm, or another disease—ask your vet for his opinion. To learn more about how your horse’s hair coat can be a window to his overall health, check out my video. 8. Does the horse run well on this track’s surface? I know I’m going to catch some criticism for this, but I’m just going to say it. I haven’t seen a horse yet that wins every race on polytrack turn around and win all of his races on dirt. Think about this before you enter a race, and don’t switch your horse back and forth on surfaces unless you want to court injuries. It’s hard to scratch a horse—you can hear the crowds
groaning and grumbling all the way to the backside of the track. Next time the horse you’ve bet on gets scratched, just remember the owner is making the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the horse. It’s those kind of sacrifices that make horse racing a better sport.
The developer of LubriSyn joint supplement, Steve Allday is a special contributor for Paint Horse Racing. To comment on this article, email
feedback@apha.com. Visit the LubriSyn website to learn more.
PAINT HORSE RACING JULY 2013 5 Presented by
By Steven Allday, D.V.M.
APHA FILE PHOTO
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50