Part 1: Trainer's Record Keeping Requirements

Welcome to Part 1 of On Track's Series: Trainer's Responsibilities Under HISA. 

Today, we'll be focusing on record keeping and reporting obligations under HISA's rules.  

#1.  Trainers are required to maintain a record of medical, therapeutic, and surgical treatments and procedures for every Covered Horse under his or her control.

The records are not required to be submitted to HISA unless requested.  Under HISA, treatment means:

(1) the administration of any medication to a Horse by a Trainer or his or her designee; and

(2) specifically excludes medications or procedures administered by a Veterinarian or that Veterinarian’s employees.

This rule is focused on medical, therapeutic, and surgical treatment records, not training records. 

#2. Recordkeeping Requirements for Horses Shipping Into HISA Facilities to Race or Work Off the Vet’s List from Non-HISA Facilities

If a horse is not stabled at a facility under HISA’s jurisdiction (which would include facilities in Louisiana, Texas, and West Virginia) for the full 30 days prior to a race or workout for purposes of removal from the veterinarians’ list, the trainer shall obtain a record of medical, therapeutic, and surgical treatments and procedures for that horse for the previous 30 days.

For example, a horse stabled at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas for a full 30 days prior to a race or workout for the purposes of getting off the vet’s list would be subject to this rule. This horse’s trainer would be required to obtain its medical, therapeutic, and surgical treatment and procedure records from the prior 30 days. Trainers are not required to submit these records unless HISA requests them, just collect them.

→Note: For horses shipping in to race or work off the vet’s list after 60 days (layup) from a facility that is not under HISA’s jurisdiction, trainers must also obtain the last 30 days of rehabilitation activities (in addition to medical, therapeutic, and surgical treatments and procedures). 

The purpose of requiring this information is to help HISA understand what factors are associated with the high rate of catastrophic injuries that occur in horses soon after return from layup. For that reason, the information will be treated anonymously.  In other words, the trainer, horse, and layup/rehabilitation facility will not be disclosed.

You can learn more at HISA's Handbook for Trainers by clicking HERE. 

Questions? Comments?  Reach out to us as we navigate these new rules together.  

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