Out of the Starting Gate

Follow the journey of Dr. Jennifer Selvig as she experiences the ups, downs and surprises of life as a new equine veterinarian.

Doing your civic duty March 26th 2009 By Jennifer Selvig, DVM

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Wouldn’t it be nice to think that you, as a veterinarian, after how many years of education and training, might have some actual clout when it comes to civic matters? Especially those that involve animals? As it seems, I will probably have the chance to find out if this is the case in the coming weeks.

 

No one who knows me would ever accuse me of not having enough opinions. In my experience, almost everyone has opinions on just about everything, but some people choose to share them with the world, and others choose to remain silent, depending on the issue. I want to leave this world knowing I was someone who stood up when I had something important to say on an issue.

 

The “issue” I’m referring to now is that of adding casino gaming machines to the two racetracks in Minnesota: Canterbury Park, the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse track where I have made a significant portion of my living for the last two years, and Running Aces Harness Park, the newly installed harness track situated far enough north of the Twin Cities to be out of my general driving radius. The creation of these “Racinos” has been on the table in Minnesota before, but this time, we need it to pass.

 

To be perfectly blunt, racing in Minnesota probably won’t survive much longer without the support of casino gaming. Not only do I find this a shame because I enjoy horse racing, but of course, I want to be able to continue making my living doing something I love to do, which is practice veterinary medicine on racehorses. Now, I also love working on sport horses – eventers, hunters, jumpers, dressage horses, polo ponies, etc. But I truly have a passion for racehorses, so I want these tracks to stay in business. Luckily, Minnesota is currently experiencing a rather significant budget crisis.

 

For most people, a budget crisis isn’t lucky. But we’ve been handed a wonderful opportunity to plug the creation of Racinos as a fabulous way to generate revenue for the state. What could be better than good old voluntary taxation? There are 11 other states benefiting from Racinos today. We’re trying to convince our lawmakers that Minnesota should take advantage of this revenue source. But, even better for people like me, the benefits for the horses of Canterbury and Running Aces would be unbeatable: bigger purses, which lead ultimately to better-quality racing and better care for the horses overall; more jobs for racetrackers like myself; and more funding for retirement, rehabilitation and retraining programs for ex-racehorses. So why is there so much opposition toward what seems like a win-win situation?

 

Let me back up. In order to gain enough support to pass a bill that allows racinos to exist, our group must secure the support of at least three of five key individuals: our state House of Representatives majority and minority leaders, our state Senate’s majority and minority leaders, and our governor, Tim Pawlenty. We don’t have that support yet. What’s holding us back? First and foremost, the casino lobby in our state is very strong. Currently, casino gaming machines are only allowed on Native American land. There are many of these casinos in our state and their revenue is largely untaxed. They fear their share of the gambling pie will be reduced with the creation of two additional casinos. The state’s agreements with the Native American nations have not been conducive to the creation of non-Native American casinos. In addition, many oppose additional gambling opportunities on moral grounds. However, one “positive” on our side is that gambling already occurs at Canterbury and Running Aces in the form of poker and other card games, as well as pari-mutuel betting on live races and simulcasts. This makes our proposition less offensive than creating an entirely new gambling establishment.

 

So, that’s the back-story. Where do I fit in? I have agreed to be part of a team that will visit individuals and groups of representatives and senators at the Minnesota State Capitol, and basically “lobby” for the bill to pass by trying to educate key politicians on the benefits the Racinos will provide. Coincidentally, the Racino bill was authored in part by the guy who happens to be the representative for my district. That means I don’t need to try to convince him – I need to convince those who aren’t being so cooperative.

 

Our effort is being led in part by the Minnesota Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), a chapter of the national HPBA, which is dedicated to the betterment of horseracing and horsemen across the country. The Racino group held a “town hall” kind of meeting a couple of weeks ago at Canterbury Park to inform anyone interested of how to get involved in a grassroots movement to get these Racinos going.

 

The key in our fight is “grassroots.” We’re not using an army of hired lobbyists to get the job done – we’re relying on the citizens of Minnesota to tell their representatives that they want these Racinos. Polls have shown in years past that the Racino idea is overwhelmingly popular, yet we haven’t been able to get a bill passed to allow for their creation. In this time of budget crises and businesses in trouble, it’s now or never. So I just couldn’t stand by and do nothing – after all, my job is intimately connected to the success of the racetracks too!

 

I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to visit the lawmakers at the Capitol and give them some additional reasons for supporting the Racino bill. Anyone concerned about equine welfare should be supportive of this movement – it has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for Minnesota racehorses and ex-racehorses, and I want the lawmakers to see that there is more at stake than just the ailing state budget.

 

Unfortunately, my brief experience with how the legislative process works in Minnesota has not been overwhelmingly positive. A month or two before I graduated from veterinary school, I sat in on a hearing at the Capitol involving a bill that would remove certain procedures – equine teeth floating, animal chiropractic and animal artificial insemination, among others – from the official “practice of veterinary medicine.” That would mean any Tom, Dick or Harry could perform any of those procedures without any formal training, certification or experience. Many articulate and compassionate veterinarians were allowed to speak at the hearing, but unfortunately, were not taken seriously. The legislators present had clearly already made up their minds on the issue, and were not about to be swayed by those with even the most stellar qualifications.

 

Thankfully, that bill never passed. Lobbyists and other attorneys working with the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine and MVMA were able to win that fight in the end. We successfully passed a bill that requires non-veterinarians to receive proper training before floating teeth. The new laws opened animal chiropractic to human chiropractors, but only after those individuals took courses on animal chiropractic. It was a success for veterinary medicine, and the animals that will be affected for years to come.

 

The Racino bill is a different type of effort, but one I feel I must be a part of. Grassroots efforts have led to some of the most sweeping decisions in our nation’s history. Some consider the end of the Vietnam War a grassroots effort – if not for the protests of millions of Americans making their voices heard, it may not have happened. Whether you personally find that decision right or wrong, it proves that making your opinion known can make change happen.

 

“Change” has been a popular theme in politics lately. I urge every one of you, veterinary students and new graduates alike, to keep yourselves current on whatever issues are affecting veterinary medicine – and your livelihood – in your state, and call for change when it’s needed. California veterinarians recently escaped having to charge taxes on their services. Let people know how you feel! Educate your owners about issues they might not understand. Some people oppose the Racino because they believe racing is cruel and inhumane to horses. I try to educate my owners about this topic, and why racing 2-year-olds can actually benefit them in their racing careers if executed judiciously. Many horse owners believe their veterinarians are universally against horse slaughter. Educate them on this issue, and the issue of unwanted horses. Explain the dangers of non-veterinarians floating teeth and administering sedatives. Explain how a human chiropractor with no animal training could do serious damage to a horse. Explain why you think they shouldn’t purchase vaccines at a large farm supply store instead of you, their veterinarian. When it comes to politicians, you can educate them, too. Just because someone was elected to a public office doesn’t mean he or she is an expert in all fields. He or she has a profession, too – and it involves listening to experts who know more about specific situations than he or she does. Politicians need facts to make good decisions. When animal welfare or our profession is on the line, it is our job to step in and give them those facts.

 

Grassroots efforts can effect sweeping change. Get involved. I’ll keep you all posted on how it goes up here in the still-freezing north!

 

If you want to take a look at the Web site that was created for the Racino effort, go to http://www.mn-racinos.com/.

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