8/3/2019 Scone Equine Hospital December 2011 BLUEBLOODS
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BUYING yearlings is exciting. It is the beginningof an
adventure. As with any adventure itis important to be prepared and
to haveaccurate information before you put your hand up.This
preparation obviously includes pedigree analysis:the type of racing
the horse will be suited to andexamination of the type and
conformation of the horse.It may also include engaging a
veterinarian to evaluateand interpret Repository Radiographs sales
x-rayson your behalf. Since their introduction in 2003, salesx-rays
have become an integral and valuable part ofthoroughbred yearling
and weanling sales in Australia
and New Zealand.
A set of sales x-rays consists of 34 images of the majorjoints
of all four legs. They are taken no earlier than sixweeks before
the sale and must be in thesales companys repository four daysprior
to the sale. If a yearling hashad invasive surgery, a surgical
reportmust also be submitted. Viewing ofradiographs is restricted
to registeredveterinarians, and the sales company keeps a recordof
how many times a horses radiographs are examinedand by whom.
The introduction of sales x-rays has allowedyearling buyers to
know more about the horse they
are purchasing, but it is not aguarantee. The interpretation
of radiographs is complicated. It requires significantexperience
and is usually not as simple as pass or fail.Horses are individuals
and the importance of particularx-ray changes will often vary from
horse to horse,depending on the physical type of the animal, its
stage
of maturity, what sort of racing it will do, and how itwill be
trained.
There are some specific joint lesions which havebeen shown in
Australia and US studies to be closelyrelated to poorer racing
performance. If these specificpoor prognosis lesions are seen on
the x-rays,your veterinarian will advise you of them and explainthe
risks. In the case of other x-ray changes, yourveterinarian will
discuss with you your plans forthe horse and how the combination of
its physicalconformation, training and the x-ray changes may
affect
it. The veterinarian will usually provide the buyer witha risk
rating for the horse based on these discussions.
When buying any yearling, information from salesx-rays is only
one factor in the decision, and x-raysshould be considered as part
of the whole pictureof the horse. Lameness is the major cause of
poorperformance in racehorses and a major cause ofmany horses not
getting to the track in the first place.Early information on
potential problems can helpwith the design and management of the
horses trainingand racing program. Sales x-rays examined by
aveterinarian who understands both the science and thebuyers
requirements provide the opportunity to makeinformed decisions on
this subject.
VETERINARY
SALE X-RAYSare a valuable tool for buyers
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X-ray of a bone cyst in a stifle.
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