205 CMR 3.26 - Racing Veterinarian

(1) The racing veterinarian(s) shall be employed by the Association.

(2) The racing veterinarian shall:

(a) be directly responsible to the official veterinarian;

(b) be a graduate veterinarian and be licensed to practice in this jurisdiction;

(c) be available to the racing secretary and/or judges each racing day at a time designated by the judges, to inspect any horses and report on their condition as may be requested by the judges;

(d) inspect any horse when there is a question as to the physical condition of such horse;

(e) recommend scratching a horse to the judges if, in the opinion of the racing veterinarian, the horse is physically incapable of exerting its best effort to win;

(f) be present in the paddock as required by the official veterinarian;

(g) observe each horse in motion during a warm-up mile, during the post parade, during the running of the race, and following the race until the horse has exited the race track;

(h) inspect any horse which appears in physical distress during the race or at the finish of the race; and shall report such horse together with the racing veterinarian's opinion as to the cause of the distress to the judges and to the official veterinarian;

(i) refrain from directly treating or prescribing for any horse scheduled to participate during racing veterinarian's term of appointment at any recognized race meeting except in cases of emergency, accident or injury;

(j) refuse employment or payment, directly or indirectly, from any owner or trainer of a horse racing or intending to race in this jurisdiction while employed as the racing veterinarian;

(k) be authorized to humanely destroy any horse deemed to be so seriously injured that it is in the best interests of the horse to so act;

(l) inspect all of the horses in a race prior to their starting and after the finish of a race; and shall observe the horses upon their leaving the track;

(m) with approval of the official veterinarian, place horses on the Bleeder List; and

(n) with approval of the official veterinarian, place horses on or remove them from the Veterinarian's List.

Notes

205 CMR 3.26

Amended by Mass Register Issue 1356, eff. 6/9/2017.