How do we make sure this never happens again?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Why would tracks pay a vet to do nothing virtually all of the time?

Gee ... so horses who break legs during morning training hours can be euthanized appropriately, rather than suffering?

I'll put you in the, "No, tracks are not responsible for having a vet on the premises during training hours" category, I guess. Even though they are required to have a horse ambulance readily available. Weird.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Riot

Gee ... so horses who break legs during morning training hours can be euthanized appropriately, rather than suffering?

I'll put you in the, "No, tracks are not responsible for having a vet on the premises during training hours" category, I guess. Even though they are required to have a horse ambulance readily available. Weird.

Why wouldn't the vet who cares for the horse 365 days a year be responsible for that? You really think that the horse ambulance and track vet are similar issues?

So the track should pay a vet to do virtually nothing on the odd chance that the practicing vet and every other private vet happens to be busy at that very moment that a horse breaks down?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Why wouldn't the vet who cares for the horse 365 days a year be responsible for that? You really think that the horse ambulance and track vet are similar issues?

So the track should pay a vet to do virtually nothing on the odd chance that the practicing vet and every other private vet happens to be busy at that very moment that a horse breaks down?

Gee. It appears that would have been a good thing for this poor horse. What number of horses do you think it should apply to?

Again, the question is, should a track have a horse ambulance and vet available on-track during training hours or not? I guess Chuck says no. I would say yes.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Riot

Gee. It appears that would have been a good thing for this poor horse. What number of horses do you think it should apply to?

Again, the question is, should a track have a horse ambulance and vet available on-track during training hours or not? I guess Chuck says no. I would say yes.

An ambulance for horses is parked at the track. You don't have to pay the ambulance. It just sits there until needed. Paying a track vet to do the same is stupid when each horse and trainer have a regular vet that provides this service. Just because a vet dropped the ball here and didn't have anyone covering for him doesn't mean we need track vets sitting around doing nothing until a horse breaks down and his/her vet isn't available and no other vet responds to a call for help.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Paying a track vet to do the same is stupid when each horse and trainer have a regular vet that provides this service.

So you say it's the private practices' fault they were not physically on the premises (even though that's who responded as soon as called and euthanized the horse).

Okay. So again: what hours do you say a private practice has a responsibility to physically be on the track premises?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Riot

So you say it's the private practices' fault they were not physically on the premises (even though that's who responded as soon as called and euthanized the horse).

Okay. So again: what hours do you say a private practice has a responsibility to physically be on the track premises?

Let's get this straight ok? If the person who ultimately euthanized the horse was on the premises when the horse was injured this would not be a story.

If Dr. X was my vet and he took Sundays off then I'm quite sure Dr X would have not only made arrangements to have another vet cover for him BUT would make sure his clients knew as well. Obviously the vet in question called another vet that put the horse down. This is not in question. What is in question is why that vet (the responding one) did not answer the call for a vet or from this trainer specifically when the horse was originally injured? Everyone at every track knows when the siren/horn comes on and the call for a vet to come to the track comes what is going on.

Does a private practice have a responsibilty to physically be on the premises OR have someone else there during racing/training hours? Of course they do.