Lexington veterinarian addresses critical role safety plays in equine industry

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The Kentucky Derby is less than a week away.

In the weeks leading up to the big day, there have been a number of reported injuries.

According to Keeneland’s Spring Meet statistics , there were 11 equine safety responses, and a total of three horse deaths between April 7th and April 28th.

Just last week, Derby contender Wild On Ice was euthanized following a workout injury at Churchill Downs.

At Park Equine Hospital, associate veterinarian Dr. Annie Oakes said she sees a lot of minor injuries. She said their team always pays close attention to detail, and they constantly pick up on subtle issues, which saves many horses from catastrophic injuries in the long run.

“In particular, the horse racing industry in Lexington, it’s really astonishing how good care the horses actually get that are in training and racing,” Dr. Oakes said.

She said being in Lexington is the “epitome of equine athletes.”

“We’re able to all work together to not only treat the horses here, but then we can follow up at the farms and it’s really nice to have that in a team,” she said.

Dr. Oakes said one of her favorite parts of the job is advocating for the horses.

Park Equine Hospital just received a brand new standing MRI machine for their horses. It helps them quickly treat horses, and it picks up on many small injuries.

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