Track Veterinarians See Progress in Equine Health, Safety

The racing industry is making significant progress in identifying causes for equine injuries, two vets agree.
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Veterinarians said Dec. 7 the racing industry is making significant progress in identifying causes for equine injuries, and they urged patience despite persistent negative public perception in regard to catastrophic injuries in racehorse and welfare issues.

Veterinary issues and equine welfare were among the topics discussed during the University of Arizona Symposium on Racing & Gaming. High-profile catastrophic breakdowns within the last six years have led to many advances, but the industry sometimes has trouble getting that message across to the public.

"Horse welfare is good business for horse racing," said Rick Arthur, DVM, equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board. "The public expects us to do best by these horses."

Scott Palmer, VMD, director of the New Jersey Equine Clinic, noted how the Equine Injury Database was launched about three years ago but just now is producing a critical mass of information. Still, there is a long way to go

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Tom LaMarra, a native of New Jersey and graduate of Rutgers University, has been news editor at The Blood-Horse since 1998. After graduation he worked at newspapers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania as an editor and reporter with a focus on municipal government and politics. He also worked at Daily Racing Form and Thoroughbred Times before joining The Blood-Horse. LaMarra, who has lived in Lexington since 1994, has won various writing awards and was recognized with the Old Hilltop Award for outstanding coverage of the horse racing industry. He likes to spend some of his spare time handicapping races.

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