Thoroughbred — Chapter 27: Commission Veterinarians, Official Veterinarians and Other Veterinarians

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27.01  The Commission Veterinarians shall be those veterinarians appointed by the Registrar from time to time to officiate at thoroughbred race meetings.  Any decision with respect to the Registrar’s appointment of a Commission Veterinarian is not subject to appeal.

27.01.01 The Official Veterinarians shall be those veterinarians appointed by the Associations and approved by the Registrar to officiate at extended race meetings. At the discretion of the Registrar, the duties of the Official Veterinarian may be assumed by the Commission Veterinarian. Any decision with respect to the Registrar’s approval of an Official Veterinarian is not subject to appeal.

27.02  During the period of their employment the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian shall not, without the approval of the Registrar, diagnose, treat or prescribe for any horse, for compensation or otherwise, except in case of emergency when they may do so without compensation of any kind except out of pocket expenses.

27.03  Any horse scratched or that is determined to be unfit to race by the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian or a licensed Veterinarian may be placed on the Veterinarians’ List for a minimum of seven (7) days. Horses that have received an intra-articular fetlock injection will be placed on the Veterinarians’ List for 14 days. Any horse that has been placed on the Veterinarians’ List may be required to work one half (1/2) mile at the discretion of the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian. Any horse that has been on the Veterinarians’ List twice in a 30 day span may be required to work one half (1/2) mile to the satisfaction of the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian, no matter how long the horse has been on the Veterinarians’ List or turned out. 

27.04  A Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian shall be continuously in the paddock from the time the horses enter the paddock until they leave, and all horses shall be inspected by him/her. If in their opinion, any horse is not fit, sound and ready for racing, he/she shall recommend to the Stewards that it be scratched and the Stewards shall take such action as they deem fit.

27.05  A Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian shall inspect all horses at the starting point of each race. If in their opinion, any horse is not fit, sound and ready for racing, he/she shall recommend to the Stewards that it be scratched and the Stewards shall take such action as they deem fit.

27.05.01  A Commission Veterinarian and/or Official Veterinarian shall inspect all lead and outrider ponies on a regular basis (no less than monthly) during each meeting, after advising the person/s in charge. If, in the opinion of the Commission Veterinarian and/or Official Veterinarian, any pony is not fit, sound and ready for its work purpose, they shall recommend to the Stewards that the pony not work and shall only return to work when, in the opinion of the Commission Veterinarian and/or Official Veterinarian, it is fit and sound.

27.06  A Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian shall as quickly as possible inspect all horses regarding soundness which have been involved in a race or otherwise and he/she shall take appropriate action required in the examination of such horse/ horses.

27.07  If in the opinion of a Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian an injured horse should be destroyed, he/she shall destroy the horse quickly, humanely, and out of sight of the public unless any delay will prolong the suffering of the horse.

27.08   A Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian shall keep a list to be called the Veterinarians’ List (otherwise referred to as the Vets’ List) upon which shall be entered the name of any horse which any Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian considers unfit, or not ready for racing. During the time a horse’s name is on such list, it shall not race in Ontario. A horse on the Veterinarians’ List may be entered to race and/or nominated in a stakes race, provided it is eligible to race by post time. Only a Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian shall remove a horse’s name from the Veterinarians’ List and shall do so only when, in their opinion, the horse is fit, and ready for racing. 

27.09   Removal of Horse from the Veterinarians’ List: 

  1. A horse that has been placed on the Veterinarians’ List without the requirement for an examination, official workout and/or diagnostics, may be removed after 7 days, or such other number of days, as directed by the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian.
  2. A horse that has been placed on the Veterinarians’ List with the requirement for an examination and/or diagnostics may be removed from the Veterinarians’ List if the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian is satisfied that the horse is fit and ready for racing.   
  3. A horse that has been placed on the Veterinarians’ List with the requirement for an official workout may be removed from the Veterinarians’ List upon the satisfaction of all the following:  
    1. A trainer and private veterinarian, after observing the horse jogging, must co-sign and file a statement that the horse is fit to perform an official workout. If the statement satisfies the Commission Veterinarian, the official workout must occur within 4 days after the statement is dated, or a new statement will be required.
    2. Any additional diagnostics requested when the horse was placed on the Veterinarians’ List must be produced by the trainer and any diagnostic criteria must satisfy the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian before requesting permission to work the horse.
    3. An owner or trainer must apply to a Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian for permission to work at least 24 hours in advance of the official workout.
    4. The horse must be examined by a Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian immediately prior to the official workout and be declared fit to proceed with the official workout.  
    5. A horse cannot perform the official workout if it has received an intra-articular fetlock injection in the last 14 days.
    6. The horse may be required to perform the official workout under supervision of a Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian and demonstrate that the horse is fit to race.  
    7. A blood sample may be collected from the horse following the official workout.
    8. If at any time before, during, or after the official workout, the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian identifies a horse as lame, the horse may be placed on the Veterinarians’ List for an additional 28 days and further diagnostics may be required.

27.09.01  A horse scratched from the official race program by a veterinarian and/or placed on the Veterinarians’ List is prohibited from participating in an official workout within two days of having been placed on the Veterinarians’ List without the permission of an Official Veterinarian or Commission Veterinarian or the Stewards. 

27.10  A Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian shall observe the horse so examined standing in its stall, walking and trotting. Provided, however, the horse shall be trotted on a racing-strip or worked on a racing-strip if requested by either the Veterinarian or horseperson.

27.11 The Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian shall inform the trainer or person in charge of the horse, as soon as reasonably possible, after an examination, that their horse is to remain on the Veterinarians’ List or when it may be removed from this list. 

27.12  In the interest of equine health, a Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian may examine any horse on the Association grounds, regardless of entry status. The Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian will advise the trainer or person in charge of the horse, as soon as reasonably possible, that the horse was examined and the results of the examination.

27.13  A veterinarian shall maintain and keep the records required pursuant to the Rules for not less than two clear years and shall make such records available to the Registrar, Stewards or their delegates upon request.

27.14  The records maintained and kept by a veterinarian shall include the name of the horse, the names of the owner and trainer, the date of the administration or prescription of the drug, substance or medication, and its nature.

27.15  Deleted.

27.16.01  A veterinarian shall:

  1. Determine from the trainer or owner what drugs, substances or medications are being administered to the horse before prescribing or administering any drug, substance or medication and shall maintain that information in his or her records;
  2. Determine from the trainer or owner prior to prescribing or administering any drug, substance or medication to a horse if the horse is or will be entered to race during the period of time in which any drug, substance or medication may affect the performance of the horse or could result in the issuance of a certificate of positive analysis, if an official sample were tested for that drug, substance or medication, or metabolite or derivative of that drug, substance or medication;
  3. Advise the trainer or owner:
    1. Of the detection limit for any drug, substance or medication identified in the Schedule of Drugs, as amended from time to time, published by the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency and the circumstances which would or could alter that detection limit set out in the Schedule of Drugs, including those related to condition of the horse, dosage, method of administration, format in which the medication is administered, or other circumstances;
    2. If no elimination guideline is provided for in the Schedule of Drugs, an estimate of the withdrawal time based upon the veterinarian’s professional opinion, after carrying out such research as is required for him or her to form a professional opinion, and shall maintain a copy of that advice in his or her records;
  4. Advise the trainer or owner of the potential or anticipated results of the administration of the drug, substance or medication on the horse and shall maintain a copy of that advice in his or her records; and
  5. Advise the trainer or owner of any potential or anticipated side effects of the administration of the drug, substance or medication, including any that may result from interaction with any other drug, substance or medication that the veterinarian knows, ought to know or has reason to believe is being administered to the horse, and shall maintain a copy of that advice in his or her records.
  6. Report to the Commission, in the required form, within 24 hours of any time a horse receives an intra-articular fetlock injection.

27.16.02  A veterinarian may comply with the requirements with 27.16.01(c), (d) and (e) if he or she provides the advice to the trainer in writing at least once every calendar year and there is no reason to provide the advice in writing again during that calendar year. The veterinarian, in deciding that there is no reason to provide the advice in writing again, shall take into account the health and safety of the horse, the integrity of racing, his or her knowledge of the practices and procedures of the trainer and the trainer’s employees, his or her knowledge and experience with the drug, substance or medication, and such other factors that the veterinarian, acting reasonably, considers relevant.

27.16.03  A veterinarian may comply with 27.16.01(a) and (b) if he or she obtains the required information from a bona fide representative of the trainer or owner who has been designated by the trainer or owner to act on his or her behalf and the veterinarian has no reason to believe otherwise. A veterinarian may comply with 27.16.01(c), (d) and (e) if he or she provides the advice to a bona fide representative of the trainer or owner who has been designated by the trainer or owner to act on his or her behalf and the veterinarian has no reason to believe otherwise.

27.16.04  A veterinarian shall only examine or treat a horse, or prescribe or administer a drug, substance or medication if he or she is in compliance with the requirements of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, including, but not limited to, the Minimum Standards for Veterinary Facilities in Ontario, as amended from time to time.

27.17  A veterinarian may be held wholly or partially responsible if any drug, substance or medication administered or prescribed by him or her is a cause for:

  1. The issuance of a certificate of positive analysis under the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations under the Criminal Code (Canada);
  2. An excess level of total carbon dioxide for purposes of the Rules; or
  3. The detection of the antibodies of erythropoietin or darbepoetin for purposes of the Rules, or
  4. A violation of Rule 15.38.
  5. A violation of Rule 15.40.01 or
  6. A violation of Rule 15.40.02.

and, if held wholly or partially responsible, may be subject to a monetary penalty and/or suspended by the Stewards.

27.18  Deleted.

27.19  When a horse has been pulled up during a race it must fulfil the following conditions before it is eligible to be entered to race:

  1. Have a recorded work;
  2. Must meet the conditions of Rules 27.03 and 27.08.

27.20.01  A veterinarian who dispenses a drug or medication shall label the container in which the drug or medication is dispensed with the following information:

  1. Name and strength of the drug or medication;
  2. Date and quantity prescribed;
  3. Name and address of the dispensing veterinarian;
  4. Name of the horse for which it is prescribed;
  5. Name of the trainer of the horse;
  6. Directions for use; and
  7. Detection limit determined in accordance with Rule 27.16.

27.20.02  In the event that a drug or medication is to be dispensed to multiple horses from a single container, such container shall be marked “BARN USE”, and will be exempt from items (ii) and (iv) above and replaced by a log, to include the following information:

  1. Name of the horse for which it is prescribed; and
  2. Date and quantity prescribed.

27.21   A veterinarian who owns, in whole or in part, a horse shall not treat another horse that is entered in a race in which the veterinarian’s horse is entered. If the veterinarian has treated or otherwise provided veterinarian services for a horse that is entered in a race after the horse was entered, the horse owned by the veterinarian, in whole or in part, is not eligible to race and shall be scratched.