A really great article in the TDN today, SALES VETTING: AGREE TO DIFFER,OR DIFFER TOAGREE? (Thoroughbred Daily News, By Chris McGrath), on the vetting process at sales. There's just so much more to employing a vet to evaluate horses than most people understand. The article offers an excellent introduction- education. Note the words of Dr. Scott Hay, who happens to be one of the most respected people in the business and one of our 'go to' vets. As he explains, it's rarely a 'pass or fail', it's about a vet having a relationship with a client, knowing their limits and helping them evaluate a horse property in terms of risk-reward.

 

So much goes into the process of selecting a racehorse, it's very complex, a lifetime to master and even then there are never any 'sure things' or guarantees with a living, breathing animal. Pedigree and work times (for two year olds), while grossly overrated by most buyers, certainly matter. So does movement, conformation, who raised and who is consigning the horse, how it behaves at the sale, and much more. Kenwood pride oursleves on having a top team of experts evaluate horses, and our vet is a key player in our process. As Dr. Hay explains in the article, it's rarely 'pass' or 'fail', it's both an art and a science selecting racehorses, there are no shortcuts and no automatic awners.

HRL