Methven swabbing facilities upgrade

[Chief Stipe]

Methven swabbing facilities upgrade

Category: News

Date: 14/09/2023

 

The RIB has identified opportunities for on-track swabbing facilities to be improved in some locations to ensure the integrity of the process meets a high standard.  Appreciating that not all clubs have the financial means to implement significant and potentially costly changes, some clubs have responded accordingly and have been working with the RIB to improve facilities as time and money permits.  The Racing Safety Development Fund (RSDF) is available to assist with financial support where the criteria is met.  Up to $50k will be available on application to match the financial commitment of the clubs for on-track safety initiatives which includes the swabbing facilities. https://www.communitymatters.govt.nz/racing-safety-development-fund/

An impressive effort to rebuild the swabbing facility at the Methven Trotting Club (MTC) was recently completed in time for spring 2023 racing.  The photographs depict what is now an excellent facility. Cameron Grant has led this work saying ‘it was really good for the Methven Trotting Club to work with both the Racing Integrity Board and Racing Safety Development Fund to have a new swabbing facility at Methven racecourse which allows us to retain group status races by having the right facilities and a fit for purpose building that won’t have to be touched for many years to come. We at Methven have seen the need to develop our facilities, and with our centennial coming up in 2027/28 racing season we have planned to replace our entire stabling block in the foreseeable future, this will tick animal health and safety needs and assure Methven that racing will remain there for the next 100 years and more!’

Congratulations to Cameron and the MTC and thankyou to all the clubs who are working towards improvements of their swabbing facilities.

Methven Trotting Club swabbing facility photos.

Click on each photo to view the upgraded facilities.

Photo 1  Photo 2  Photo 3  Photo 4  Photo 5 Photo 6  Photo 7  Photo 8  Photo 9

Mike Clement Chief Executive Racing Integrity Board

[Chief Stipe]

One point - why have sawdust in the box?  Wouldn't a better solution be a rubber washable floor so that the box can be decontaminated after each horse has exited the swab box?

 

[the galah]

4 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

One point - why have sawdust in the box?  Wouldn't a better solution be a rubber washable floor so that the box can be decontaminated after each horse has exited the swab box?

 

Maybe its a psychological thing to make the horse feel more comfortable about having a pee?

Some horses(and humans) consider splash back. 

I've always thought they should have the regulations/rules that apply to swabbing displayed on the wall somewhere in the swabbing box.

I say that because of a couple of experiences i had a few years ago..One time our horse being swabbed took an awful long time(hours) to have a pee and i asked at what point they would take blood if he didn't pee. I was told a certain time frame,which i checked out the next day. It turned out i was given misleading/incorrect information.

Also i once experienced a time when they swabbed one of our horses after it won the last race one night. The race had been delayed and was not run until 11 o'clock.The horse had won the week before as well and was swabbed then and they had also taken blood earlier in the night off him.The swabbing people told me they would take blood if he didn't pee very quickly. Because of all that and my previous experience, i insisted they wait until the full timeframe allowed was up before they did so,(to annoy them like they seemed to go out of their way to do to me). The swabbing steward was not happy and said he would have to take advice,but then the horse had a pee 2 minutes later anyway.

So the rules and rights of those being tested should be properly displayed in the swabbing area in my opinion.

Edited September 26, 2023 by the galah