Sec.12-574-B24. Veterinarians

(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 be 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 of a drug, 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 judges. 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 judges 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 judges.

(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 judge 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 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 judges. 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 be 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 the entry's fitness to race, and who shall report to the judges that any horse 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 finding of unsoundness of a horse to the judges.

(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 be refused entry until the association veterinarian removes its name from the list. A trainer may appeal to the judges any decision to place a horse's name on the "veterinarians list."

(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 recur.

(6) A horse placed on the "veterinarians list" for bleeding must remain on the list for a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days.

(7) The "veterinarians 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. They may order their removal and replacement if they see fit to do so. Should there be any circumstances in their use that indicates fraud, it shall be reported to the judges, who after an investigation, shall report all the facts to the commission for such action as it deems appropriate.