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Vetting Your Horse

Pre Ride Vetting

At some larger rides there may be a farriers inspection and this should be completed before prsenting your horse to the vet. It is the riders responsibility to make sure the horse is well shod or if barefoot, feet are well cared for. However if there is a last minute problem, you can ask the farrier to reshoe if needed but you will have to pay for this and wait for the farrier to be available.

Please ensure that the vet sheet is completed on both top and bottom sections of the form before going to vet. The grey sections titled "vet inspection" are for the vet writer to fill in.Make sure you declare any odd action your horse might have ,any current lumps /bumps /injuries.
You need to go to the vet steward at the time you are given and hand over your vet sheet.You will not see it again until the end of the ride. You need to be wearing your numbered bib, and your horse should be presented in head collar or bridle, no other tack.
Please tell the vet if your horse is likely to be difficult, e.g. might kick, which affects the safety of others.
The vet will check the horse's heart rate. This needs to be fewer than 64 beats per minute to start. They should then ask you to trot up your horse away from the vet about 30 metres and return in trot. Please try to get your horse to trot out straight and at a steady pace otherwise you may find yourself having to run again! Try to stay at the side of your horse,so the vet can see his normal action.
They may also check your horse for 'lumps and bumps'. They may check in the mouth and around the areas that tack fits.
They will check the horses legs and feet. They may check the horses hydration, by pinching the skin.
Remember each vet will have there own way of doing things, so there will be some variation within the vetting routine. It is well worth familiarising your horse with strange men looking at him! 
If all OK, (it usually is), you can go and tack up.
If there should be a problem other than lameness/high heart rate, the vet will call for the TS (Technical steward) to discuss. The technical steward is the experienced official who is knowlegable about the rules and is responsible for the application of these on the day, as well as working out the placings.
Post Ride Vetting

As before - horse in head collar /bridle only.
Vet will take horse's heart rate over 1 minute. Usually if horse is fit it should have returned to somewhere near original resting heart rate by now.
Trot up as before.
Will give check over for lumps and bumps; no penalties for these though. Horse must be sound and have heart rate 64 or below to pass the post ride vetting.
Vet can do other tests if they feel this is necessary.
As before if there is a problem other than lameness, TS will be called over.
All the vets observations will be written up on the horses vet sheet and this will be passed back,by vet runner, to TS for points to be worked out.