Off to the Races - Horse Racing Alberta

G7
Dr. Greg
Andrews
Veterinarian
No horse can run, let alone win, without the care and expertise of a
farrier and veterinarian. For three decades, Dr. Greg Andrews has been
part of the Alberta racing scene. When a horse is hobbling, or ailing,
his phone is ringing with calls from trainers across the province.
The relationship between trainers and vets is a balance between respect
and interference. “I think we have a lot of input with respect to the
horse’s legs and feet and what needs to be done to protect them,” he
says. “But we don’t interfere in the actual training of a horse unless
we’re asked for an opinion. We are advisors, not decision makers. The
trainer has to balance our input with a number of other opinions and
schedules, and that’s his job.”
Dr. Andrews hopes the next five years will bring improvements in
diagnosis. “MRIs and bone scans are going to get better and that’s
going to help us give better answers to trainers and owners,” Greg says.
“But, as a vet, I will continue to speak for the horse.”
Dr. Greg Andrews
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