The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is developing protocol designed to improve the relationship among owners, trainers, and veterinarians in horse racing.

Scott Palmer, VMD, director of the New Jersey Equine Clinic and chair of the AAEP Racing Committee, said discussions led to the realization that more could be done to improve the owner-trainer-veterinarian relationship in a way that would "improve horse welfare, reduce the cost of veterinary services, and improve the business model of racing."

Palmer discussed the initiative during the University of Arizona Symposium on Racing & Gaming in Tucson Dec. 7. Much of it centers on communication.

"The classic owner-trainer relationship in its simplest form is a hierarchical relationship with the owner at the top," Palmer said. "The owner hires the trainer, and the trainer hires the veterinarian. The veterinarian, however, bills the owner, occasionally with the bill being first reviewed and approved by the trainer. In this hierarchical relationship all communication between the owner and veterinarian is filtered through the trainer