Emergency Preparedness for Eventing

In general, event horses are subject to tendon and ligament injuries, lacerations and trauma, hyperthermia (overheating), hypoxia (low oxygen), tying-up, electrolyte depletion, exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, and other speed-related problems.
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Successful eventing horses possess unique traits and temperaments. They must be supple and well-mannered for dressage, strong, bold, and aggressive for the cross-country phase, and fit and balanced for stadium jumping. Kent Allen, DVM, of Virginia Equine Imaging, discussed the triathlon of equestrian sports–eventing–during the in-depth emergency care session at the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif.

In general, event horses are subject to tendon and ligament injuries, lacerations and trauma, hyperthermia (overheating), hypoxia (low oxygen), tying-up, electrolyte depletion, exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, and other speed-related problems.

For eventing, the FEI (Fèdèration Equestre Internationale) is the worldwide rule maker, and the Technical Delegate, Veterinary Delegate, and the Ground Jury with its President execute specialized duties for the organization. The Veterinary Delegate acts in cooperation with Ground Jury members, who serve as judges at the competition. The jobs of the Veterinary Delegate are to advocate for the horse, determine if horses are "fit to continue" in soundness and metabolic health; implement passport control, medication control, and advice; attend to necessary paperwork; and plan for emergencies.

While an event veterinarian should be ringside at all times, this is often difficult since there might be multiple rings or phases going on at any given moment. It is important to know drug and medication information to comply with United States Equestrian Federation (national governing body, USEF) and FEI regulations. If unsure of a drug rule, the event veterinarian should contact the USEF office so they only give accurate information to a competitor

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Written by:

Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.

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