Ohio approves Cornell Collar

The Ohio State Racing Commission has approved the use of the Cornell Collar on racehorses. In a statement, the commission provided rules for the device:

Effective immediately, the Cornell Collar has been approved for use in Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing in the State of Ohio. The Cornell Collar is a throat support device which research indicates can assist those horses known to suffer displacement of the soft palate during running. The Ohio State Racing Commission has approved the use of the Vet-Aired Cornell Collar in pari-mutuel races for horses with this condition.

The use of the Cornell Collar in races shall be subject to the following conditions:
The trainer must submit to the judges or stewards a letter from a licensed veterinarian, certifying that the use of the Cornell Collar is justified and appropriate for use on the given horse;
The trainer, in consultation with that licensed veterinarian, will be responsible for the proper placement of the Cornell Collar;
An equipment change must be lodged by the trainer with the judges or stewards prior to the horse racing in the Cornell Collar;
Another equipment change must be lodged with the judges or stewards should the trainer seek to remove the Cornell Collar;
Only the original Vet-Aired Cornell Collar is approved for such use; and
An appropriate notification to the public disclosing that a horse is racing with the use of a Cornell Collar must be noted in the official track program and scrolled on track television monitors prior to each race in which such a horse participates.

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