Guest Opinion: What Uniform Standards Are Track Vets Using To Make Final Decisions?

(Mystik Dan / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

What Is a “Flawless Horse?” Track Veterinarians Should Disclose How Horses Are Judged & Why Considered To Be Unsound

By Loren Hebel-Osborne:

Many of us on the breeding side of the business are asking hard questions too as we plan to breed mares, or not, for 2026.  Irrespective to the size of the budget, a shared reality by every breeder is that God/fate/nature still controls what comes out of the womb.  We can all breathe easy when one comes out correctly – straight legs, nice conformation, good shoulder and hip,  etc.   BUT all breeders share the reality that, in truth, most foals do not come out of the womb perfectly.  An off-set knee, an ankle that turns out, base narrow, base wide …. a myriad of scenarios – but almost none emerging “flawless.”

If form follows function … it stands to reason that those flawed individuals may not be “pretty movers” but they may also find a way to move through those flaws.  At the Sales, the physical conformation and an examination at the walk is a paramount piece of information when prognosticating the future and determining value/price.  As my husband and I often joke, it’s pretty easy to see a six and seven figure horse – not exactly kicking over stones for treasure.

With a conformation flaw, a breeder is likely already culling that one as not suitable for sale.  No way would that horse holds up to the scrutiny.  Often there is no way to correct a conformation flaw– either because it’s not correctable but also because it’s not allowed and any corrections are rightfully fully disclosed.

So what’s next for this horse with a flaw?  Like many, we often opt to race them ourselves. We take all the chances, make the same investments and often break/train with a “flawless” horse. It is our blind hope that our horse might just have some internal attributes of a great heart, a competitive spirit, and may be able to run through his less than perfect conformation to be competitive at some level of the game.   After all, a Kia and a Lexus both go 100 miles an hour but you probably know how fast you’re going in the Kia right?  Trainers note the truth and jockeys and riders chime in too- “Floats over the ground,” versus “hits the ground like a sewing machine.”   Even within the current debate about White Abarrio, regardless of who saw what – does he move like Sovereignty or Journalism?  I think we might all agree that answer is no.

So not just transparency is needed now for vet scratches but can we please know by what stick are horses are being measured?  Is there a standard?  Are all horses being judged against only the elite athlete?  How are regulatory vets considering a conformation flaw before they scratch or allow an individual to race?  OR is a conformation flaw now considered to be the unsoundness?

Will thoroughbred racing adopt similar policies of the American Kennel Club:  Violation of a breed standard –” A dog with a disqualifying fault may still compete, but if it receives three separate disqualifications for the same reason from three different judges, it becomes permanently ineligible for future events” (excerpted from AKC rules book REJ999)

I think the answers to these questions need also be included within the conversations surrounding the decline of foal crops too.  What are the unintended consequences for the sport and of course the animal. Do I even incur the expense to register the foal with the Jockey Club?   Who is the arbiter?  What flaws garner leniency? And ultimately is the risk going to be too high for breeders to have to meet that breed standard or otherwise will not be allowed to race.