Hi, my name is Valerie Dromey and I’m an Irish veterinary student who has come across the pond to do three weeks’ work experience in the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital clinic during the World Equestrian Games–and what an experience it has been!  Horses are athletes and, like any athlete, there have been one or two that have acquired various ailments. The equine competitors at WEG have an army of caretakers doing all that they can, save wrapping them in cotton wool, to keep them sound and in good health for the big day. However, in a competition like this so many challenges are faced that inevitably, some horses will not perform to their full ability or won’t perform at all. 

The stress of travel alone can potentially cause jarring, lameness, shipping fever, dehydration, and even colic. This is the first time WEG has been held outside of Europe, so for most equine competitors this means a grueling journey is endured just days before performing on the world stage. With anywhere between 10-24 hours spent in a plane (depending on departure loacation), 42 hours in quarantine (70% in Cincinnati), and the final trip to Lexington, one should add jet lag to the litany of challenges the horses’ health has faced. Upon arrival at the Kentucky Horse Park, horses are examined by the veterinary team to assess how the horses have coped with the travel. Rood and Riddle is providing free blood sample testing, which has provided invaluable information on horses’ health status