A rule change by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation that takes effect Tuesday is designed to make the sport safer. That’s according to Dr. George Mundy, the interim equine medical director for the corporation. The former rule required private veterinarians to examine horses three days before they were entered in a race. The new rule changes that to 72 hours after the entry.
“If they enter on Saturday for the next Saturday, the exam is then done prior, like mid-week, before the horse would run. So it's really another set of eyes, and inserting that critical safety protocol.”
Mundy said the rule change gives vets a better chance to find problems after final pre-race workouts.
“So you're doing two things. You're evaluating the horse after that speed work to see, quote, how they came out of it. But you're also then doing it prior to the next speed event coming in.”
Mundy said 85 percent of critical failures in horses come from pre-existing injuries, and the best indicator of that is lameness.
