Current through September 9, 2024
(a)
License. All veterinarians
referred to in this section shall be licensed to practice in the state of
Connecticut by the state board of veterinary registration and examination, and
shall be licensed by the commission.
(b)
Commission veterinarian. The
commission shall appoint at least one veterinarian who shall be designated
commission veterinarian and who shall carry out such duties as may be imposed
upon him by the commission. The commission veterinarian and his assistants
shall be responsible for all testing of horses. They shall make reports to the
commission at such time and in such manner as the commission may
prescribe.
(c)
Association
veterinarian. Each association shall employ a veterinarian to carry out
the duties hereafter enumerated in this section. The association veterinarians
shall be employed and paid by the association at whose track the services are
rendered.
(d)
Treating
veterinarian.
(1) Only veterinarians
who have obtained a license from the commission to practice veterinary medicine
at an association plant may treat horses at such plant. No veterinarian will
receive such a license unless approved by the state veterinarian of the
Connecticut department of agriculture.
(2) No veterinarian licensed to practice on
the grounds of any association shall furnish, sell, or loan any hypodermic
syringe, hypodermic needle or other device which could be used for injection or
other infusion into a horse of a drug, stimulant, or narcotic to any person
within the grounds of a racing association where race horses are lodged or kept
without first securing written permission from the judges. Only one-time
disposable syringes and infusion tubes are authorized for use in the treatment
of race horses on the grounds of the association.
(3) The association and commission
veterinarians shall not prescribe or treat or otherwise administer medication
of any form to horses stabled on the association grounds except in eases deemed
by the association officials to be emergencies.
(4) No owner or trainer shall employ any
veterinarian who has not been duly licensed in accordance with these rules and
regulations. The association shall warn off all unlicensed veterinarians. The
veterinarians shall make daily reports to the commission veterinarian and to
the judges of all horses under treatment by them and the medication given. Any
violation of this rule shall be immediately reported to the commission and the
judges.
(5) Every veterinarian who
shall prescribe or use any medication or treatment which contains a drug or
drugs, which he has reason to believe are of such character as could affect the
racing condition of a horse in a race, shall, at the time of such prescribing
or use, deliver to the judge of the commission and the trainer of the horse
under treatment, a written statement setting forth the name of the horse and of
the trainer, and the fact that such medication or treatment, as the case may
be, contains a drug, stimulant or narcotic which, in the opinion of the
veterinarian, is of such character as could affect the racing condition of the
horse in a race.
(e)
State veterinarian. All veterinarians enumerated in this section
shall abide by the regulations and inquiries of the state veterinarian of the
Connecticut department of agriculture.
(f)
Requirements of association
veterinarian.
(1) He shall be present
in the paddock to inspect all horses, and shall inspect or observe all horses
after the finish of a race, and shall perform such other duties as shall be
prescribed from time to time by the judges. If a horse is in ice or has a
freeze on his legs at the time of the pre-race examination, he is subject to be
scratched from the race.
(2) Each
entry shall be given a pre-race examination on the day of the race for which
entered, reasonably in advance of post time. The pre-race examination shall be
made by an association veterinarian who shall make such examination as is
necessary to determine the entry's fitness to race, and who shall report to the
judges that any horse is not in fit condition to race.
(3) All bandages shall be removed by the
groom and the entry exercised outside the stall sufficiently for the
association veterinarian to determine the condition of the entry's legs, feet
and general condition. He shall report any finding of unsoundness of a horse to
the judges.
(4) The association
veterinarian shall maintain a list to be known as the "veterinarians list" upon
which he shall enter the name of any horse which he considers unfit, unsound or
not ready for racing. Any horse, the name of which is on the "veterinarians
list", shall be refused entry until the association veterinarian removes its
name from the list. A trainer may appeal to the judges any decision to place a
horse's name on the "veterinarians list."
(5) A known bleeder is a horse which bleeds
twice within six (6) consecutive calendar months in any racing jurisdiction. A
known bleeder shall be barred from racing in Connecticut unless the bleeding
incidents arose from injury or minor afflictions which, in the opinion of the
association veterinarian, will not recur.
(6) A horse placed on the "veterinarians
list" for bleeding must remain on the list for a minimum of fourteen (14)
calendar days.
(7) The
"veterinarians list" as defined herein shall be binding on the tracks under the
jurisdiction of the commission.
(8)
The association veterinarian shall inspect bandages just prior to the
participation in a race of the horse on which they are used. They may order
their removal and replacement if they see fit to do so. Should there be any
circumstances in their use that indicates fraud, it shall be reported to the
judges, who after an investigation, shall report all the facts to the
commission for such action as it deems appropriate.
