Additional security measures implemented for the thoroughbreds of the Stampede Chaperone

CALGARY – Citing safety concerns for horses in plow races, the Calgary Stampede announced Thursday additional measures for its competing animal health verification program

called Fitness to Compete. perform a check on each thoroughbred horse before his driver can decide to use it every day on the race team.

What's new this year, how veterinarians like Erin Thompson Shields collect and collect data from a horse during the checkup.

By checking the Thoroughbrand team of driver Jordie Fike, She used a long yellow wand to record each horse

Each horse is equipped with a microchip, says Thompson Shields.

When she checks the heart rate and gait of a horse, she uses microchip technology to update her data. shared database. All veterinarians on Stampede lands have access to data

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Si she or one of her colleagues does not think that a horse is fit enough for the competition, they will tell the owner of the horse and the driver to hold him back.

Each animal is also controlled upon arrival at the park for infections and diseases and receives a cardiovascular examination.

"Every night we use the chip to confirm that the horse is the same horse as the", said Thompson Shields

adding that part of the Fitness to Compete program limits the frequency with which a horse Horses that have run four days in a row must have two days of rest, while those who have run only three days in a row can compete with one day of rest.

Daily tests are designed to avoid injuries on the track. "

" Your goal would be to identify a limp that could put a horse in a situation where he could be tired on the track and endanger him for a rupture injury.Our ultimate goal is to have no injuries on the track. "

If a horse owner disagrees with the decision of a vet to rest a horse on a given night," that happens but in the end of the day, Respect our decision. It's almost as if the referee had the last word and they know it.

"Fortunately, even though they are competitors, they work together. So, there is never a day when a horse is used and it is not appropriate – they exchange horses, they lend each other horses.

Fike says that preventive measures are useful when he selects his team.

The Calgary Stampede said in a statement that about 500 to 700 thoroughbred charlatans were participating each year in the event.

At last year's Stampede, a thoroughbred horse was euthanized after fracturing one of his hind legs during cart heat races