Some study recommendations for Lay Judge Clinic candidates:
- OCTRA Rulebook NOTE: some amendments pending from Feb. 2018 AGM
- AERC Rulebook and Guidelines for Control Judges,
- By Dr. Art King: “Recognition and Management of Fluid and Electrolyte Changes in Equine Athletes”,
- CODE OF PRACTICE: for the care and handling of Equines. Gov’t Canada: National Farm Animal Care Council. Available from: Equine Canada, (613) 287-1515 or inquiries@equinecanada.ca,
- AAEP Grading system for equine lameness,
- Herd behaviour in horses. (The link is a Google search.) Understand how powerful their instincts are. Helps to understand the ‘buddy-horse’ conundrum,
- know body condition score, horse health check, ( Code of Practice-an invaluable resource )
- recognize early warning signs of :
- Synchronous Diaphragmatic Flutter (SDF),
- Myopathies–cramps, ‘tying-up’, azoturia, Exertional Rhabdomyolysis,
- Laminitis
- Have a BASIC understanding, NOT necessarily a thorough knowledge of :
- Exercise physiology,
- Anaerobic VS Aerobic metabolism,
- Electrolyte balance/imbalance,
- Dehydration,
- Colic (a very general term) in the horse,
- Vision, they see differently than people do.
Remember, the emphasis of the Lay Judge Clinic is to focus on the health and welfare of the competitive distance horse. A good Lay Judge will be able to recognize what is normal and what is NOT normal in the horse, and make the correct referral to the Veterinarian. A complete and thorough knowledge of all rules and regulations for all of the OCTRA disciplines is not the priority of the upcoming Lay Judge Clinic, but certainly something you can strive to learn on your own. Timing and heart rate parameters are, of course, very important to know.
Should anyone attending the Lay Judge Clinic have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me anytime: sarahtiller@live.com I am here to help and if I don’t know the answer I can advise on where to find it.
Please get those registration forms in!
Good Luck to all and see you April 8th,
Dr. Sarah Tiller 🐎
