BTC steps in to ensure horses' safety

In view of potential health concerns for horses at their stables, the Bangalore Turf Club has adopted stringent precautionary measures to ensure their safety.

The famed turf club currently houses close to thousand horses and has upwards of 400 people tending to their daily requirements.

“We have looked into it and we have done all that we can to ensure the safety of the horses,” Hari Mohan Naidu, managing committee member and former chairman, told DH.

“Very few people can go in and out of the club, and those who do enter have to go through a thermal scanner. The horses themselves are walked and fed in accordance with what the doctors and the trainers have decided. There are always some complications when it involves livestock but we are tackling it well for now.”

Lokanath Gowda, the president of the Karnataka Trainers’ Association, acknowledged the threat faced by the horses, but maintained that the BTC was doing a remarkable job.

“The health of our horses is of utmost importance and at a time like this, we find it hard to treat them as well as we normally do. While colic is a big issue, other problems like laminitis (inflammatory condition of tissues) can definitely occur,” he admitted.

“In any case, we would have rested them for about ten days after the season so that’s fine, but by now they’d be on the course doing hard work. That’s not possible and it probably won’t be for a while. That’s a concern.”

Speaking about some of the measures the BTC has taken, Lokanath said: “BTC has been exceptional at a time like this. They have provided passes for us trainers so can we travel each day to the club and care for the horses. Not many other clubs in the country are doing what the BTC is doing. They even covered the BMC (Basic Monthly Costs) last month and might even do it for the next month. They’re very proactive, and it’s good."

Vinod Sivappa, the BTC chairman, said he would sent out a release on Monday, highlighting the club's measures to protect horses.