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The smoke from the Canadian wild fires has drifted south causing havoc.

Training was cancelled at Saratoga and Belmont on Wednesday and Thursday and racing at Belmont on Thursday was cancelled.  The Canadian tracks are all closed and in the US Delaware is also closed.

The Air Quality Control Index has to drop below 150 before racing can resume and this is being monitored by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) who issues the directives regarding things equine.

The NYSGC has issued an interesting directive with the fundamental point being to do what is best for the horses (and we would add the jockeys to that).  It is worth reading as it could be something that can affect us in Australia in the fire season.

"Office of Veterinary Affairs Scott E. Palmer, VMD
Equine Medical Director
June 7, 2023

Air Quality Protocol
Particulates in the atmosphere can build up in both horse and human respiratory systems
causing serious health problems including irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract. Poor
air quality can irritate pre-existing conditions, including asthma in people and recurrent
airway obstruction, or heaves, in horses, as well as Exercise-Induced Pulmonary
Hemorrhage. High concentrations of smoke and particulates can cause persistent cough,
nasal discharge, and wheezing, and increased effort to breathe and can alter the immune
system.

To that end, we advise interested parties to review:
• UC Davis guidelines for horses exposed to wildfire smoke.
• Equestrian Canada's Guidelines for Equine Competition and Training during
Extreme Environmental Conditions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes an air quality index (AQI), which
considers the amount of particle pollution, ground-level ozone, and toxic gases (carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide) in the air. The AQI varies from location to
location and changes throughout the day.

Effective immediately:
While the AQI is under 150:
• Horsepersons should monitor their horses for signs of respiratory inflammation
and contact their attending veterinarian to evaluate horses exhibiting coughing,
respiratory distress, nasal discharge, or fever.
• It is otherwise safe to exercise or race horses at these AQI levels.

Once the AQI reaches 150:
• The chief veterinarian of the racing association at which training or racing is
conducted shall contact the stewards or presiding judges and track management
to advise them of the presence of an elevated AQI.
• The chief veterinarian, stewards or presiding judges, horsepersons, jockeys,
drivers, outriders, and racetrack management shall collectively determine
whether to cancel racing.
• The steward or presiding judge and equine medical director retains authority to
unilaterally intervene, as they determine circumstances warrant.

Provided that:
If the AQI is between 151 and 200:
• No horse will be allowed to workout or race unless their attending veterinarian
certifies that the horse will not be adversely affected by the elevated AQI.
• If an entered horse evidenced a respiratory issue, the horse must be declared
unfit and scratched without penalty.
o Under present practice, the horse would be placed on the Veterinarian's
List when scratched.
• Horses declared fit to race must be closely scrutinized before and after racing to
ensure that they are not experiencing clinical signs of respiratory distress.
o Pre-race examinations of association veterinarians should include
auscultation of the lungs and airways.

If the AQI reaches 201: No racing or training may be conducted.

Thank you for your efforts to provide the best possible care for your horses. As stewards of
the horse, we must do what can to ensure their health and safety.

Scott E. Palmer, VMD, ABVP
Equine Medical Director
New York State Gaming Commission"