Doug Corey, DVM, of Adams, Ore., presented the conditions surrounding emergency care at rodeos during his in-depth emergency care presentation at the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention in San Diego, Calif. He emphasized that the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) has led in the creation of many welfare guidelines to ensure safe procedures, rules, and standards for livestock care. Not many injuries occur in rodeo, but PRCA requires that a veterinarian is on-site, both during the approved rodeo events as well as during "slack" competition held before or after a scheduled performance.

Corey recommends conducting a meeting with all involved to discuss handling of an injured animal and formulate a written step-by-step procedure for handling injured stock. It is also helpful to practice procedures, such as loading an injured horse, in order to test equipment and decide where a vet should be located during a performance. Communication devices, such as cell phones or two-way radios, should be organized and tested in advance. There should be clarification as to who makes the decision to bring a veterinarian into the arena. The group should create a supply list and determine the optimal location for the vet vehicle. Figure out who will pay for veterinary services, and who will determine when a horse needs transport to a clinic. Transport conveyances should be well-equipped to allow restraint and safe transport.

Before the performance the rodeo vet should peruse livestock pens to check for injuries and problems, and it is sensible to contact the judges, livestock contract personnel, pickup men, and handlers to make sure all people are in agreement on emergency procedures. Corey stressed that during a performance the veterinarian's attention should be directed to the arena and not to other nonemergency situations elsewhere on the grounds