R.C.S.A. § 12-574-A31
Veterinarians
Cite as Conn. Agencies Regs. § 12-574-A31
(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 he 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 or a narcotic 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 stewards. 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 stewards 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
stewards.
(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 steward 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 a 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 stewards. 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 being 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 tile entry's fitness to race, and who shall report to the stewards any horse
that 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 findings of unsoundness of a
horse to the stewards.
(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 he refused entry until the association veterinarian removes its name from the
list. A trainer may appeal to the stewards any decision to place a horse's name on
the "veterinarians list." This list shall be posted on a bulletin board in or near
the racing secretary's office.
(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 reoccur.
(6) A horse placed on the veterinarian's list for bleeding must remain on the list for
a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days.
(7) The veterinarian's 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. He may order their removal and replacement
if he sees fit to do so. Should there by any circumstances in their use that indicates
fraud, it shall be reported to the stewards, who after an investigation, shall report
all the facts to the commission for such action as it deems appropriate.
(9) Shoeing. Every horse entering the paddock to race shall be inspected as to its shoeing,
and a notice forthwith posted in a conspicuous place close to the paddock and in another
conspicuous location in the grandstand, easily visible to the stating the type of
shoes with which the horse is shod and whether with or without caulks and on which
feet, or is shoeless as to any of its feet.