Updated: 1 August 2022
Originally Issued: 5 October 2018
Racing Victoria (RV) Official Race Day Farriers providing services on race days are required to monitor all horses and ensure that the shoeing of all runners complies with the Australian Rules of Racing, specifically AR 107, AR 206 and LR 47A, B and C and LR 85.
Farriers provide an important service at race meetings. All work done by farriers at race meetings is of interest to the public – whether it is done before a race, at the barriers or after the horse has competed. Currently the only notification of work done by farriers is when a horse is attended to by an RV Official Raceday Farrier.
The work currently performed by private farriers is not reported, which is unsatisfactory.
Accordingly, to ensure that information about any work done by private farriers on the racecourse on raceday is appropriately reported:
a. any private farrier seeking permission to attend to a horse on the racecourse on raceday must be licensed with Racing Victoria;
b. any private farrier that attends a race meeting for the purpose of attending to a horse on course must present to the Stewards on arrival on course and before attending to any horse;
c. any private farrier must present to the Official RV Raceday Farriers prior to attending to any horse on course. The Official RV Raceday Farrier may then accompany the private farrier when they attend to a horse;
d. all farriery work should be reported by the Official RV Raceday Farrier as soon as practicable to the Veterinary Services Team so the Stewards can be advised; and
e. any private farrier may not attend to a horse after it has entered the mounting yard prior to racing.
AR 107 Plates and tips
(1) The trainer is at all times responsible for ensuring that horses with race engagements comply with the following requirements from the time when they arrive on course, except where the Stewards permit otherwise:
(a) plates and tips must be made of an approved material capable of being forged or moulded into shape;
(b) tips must cover at least one third of the perimeter of the hoof;
(c) except in the case of approved therapeutic plates approved by the Stewards which may weigh up to 170g, plates and tips must not exceed 150g in weight;
(d) plates and tips must be securely and properly fitted and must not protrude beyond the perimeter of the hoof;
(e) plates must be secured by a minimum of 5 nails and tips by a minimum of 3 nails;
(f) heads of nails must not protrude more than 2mm from the surface of a plate or tip;
(g) forged or rolled toe and side clips are permitted provided those clips have blunt, rounded edges and do not exceed 15mm in height and 20mm in width;
(h) steel inserts are permitted provided they are level with the surface of the plate;
(i) bar plates are permitted, provided that the entire plate including the bar is in one piece;
(j) a bar may be welded or riveted to the plate provided that the surface of the bar is level with that of the plate;
(k) heeled plates or caulks are not permitted in flat races;
(l) cutting plates, grippers or any other form of plates or tips which, in the opinion of the
Stewards, may be dangerous, are not permitted;
(m) hoof pads must be of a material, design and weight approved by the Stewards.
(2) A horse cannot start in a race unless it is fully shod with plates or tips that meet the requirements of this rule, except that in exceptional circumstances the Stewards may permit a horse to run barefooted or partly shod.
(3) Prior to the acceptance time of any race a horse is entered in, a trainer must:
(a) obtain approval from the Stewards for the use of any synthetic hoof repair material, hoof pads or any non-standard, partial, modified and/or therapeutic racing plates or tips; and
(b) notify the Stewards of any change from tips to plates, or from plates to tips.
(4) To ensure compliance with the requirements for plating set out in this rule, the Stewards may engage a person (including a farrier’s supervisor) to inspect any horses presented for racing.
(5) If a mishap with a plate or tip occurs during a race, that must be reported by the trainer to the Stewards immediately.
AR 206 Horses must only race in approved gear
(1) Except for other gear approved by the Stewards for trackwork, for a race, official trial, jump-out or trackwork all gear to be used on a horse must be approved by the Chairmen of Stewards and listed in the National Equipment Register – Horses and Riders.
(2) Permission must be obtained from the Stewards prior to acceptance time for a race in order for a horse to race in any approved gear (including racing plates) listed in the National Equipment Register – Horses and Riders.
(3) If permission is obtained under subrule (2), then, unless approval from or instruction by the Stewards is provided prior to acceptance time for a subsequent race, that gear is to be used without variation in subsequent races in which the horse participates.
LR 47A Horses to be attended by licensed farrier
(1) Unless otherwise authorised by the Stewards, horses engaged to run in a race or official trial must arrive at the Course having been shod or plated by a licensed farrier or his or her registered employee.
(2) The Stewards may authorise exceptions under sub-rule (1) either:
(a) on an ad hoc basis; or
(b) by registering certain persons in accordance with LR 47D to shoe horses presented for races or official trials under such conditions or for such period of time as the Stewards see fit.
(3) Any horse that has been shod or plated under sub-rule (2) of this rule must be presented for inspection to the farrier’s supervisor, or any other person appointed by the Stewards, upon arrival at the Course.
(4) Any person who breaches any part of this Rule or who causes any part of this Rule to be breached may be penalised by the Stewards.
LR 47B Farriers’ licences
(1) An application to the Directors for the grant or renewal of a farrier’s licence must:
(a) be in the required form;
(b) provide information as required by the Directors; and
(c) be accompanied by the applicable fee as published in the Prescribed Fee Schedule.
(a) farrier
(b) visiting farrier; or
(c) visiting international farrier.
(1A) Categories: An application for the grant of a farrier’s licence may be made for the following categories of farrier:
(2) Subject to LR 47B(6), the Directors may from time to time prescribe educational qualifications and experience requirements which must be attained as a precondition to the grant of a farrier’s licence.
(3) The Directors without giving reasons may:
(a) refuse to grant a farrier’s licence; or
(b) grant a farrier’s licence subject to such terms and conditions as the Directors think fit, including but not limited to restrictions regarding duration or locality or both.
(4) The Directors may at any time revoke a farrier’s licence, including without limitation where the holder of the farrier’s licence:
(a) is not actively using the farrier’s licence; or
(b) ceases to meet the requirements to be granted a farrier’s licence in accordance with the Rules.
(5) All farrier’s licences expire on the 31 July next after issue, unless cancelled suspended or revoked.
(6) It is a precondition to the grant of a farrier’s licence that the applicant:
(a) is competent to hold a farrier’s licence;
(b) is trade certified with National Certificate III in Farriery or equivalent;
(c) is of good reputation and character and is a fit and proper person to hold a licence to shoe or plate racehorses.
LR 47C Farrier’s Apprentices (formally known as Farrier’s employees)
(1) A licensed farrier must not employ or retain in employment any person in connection with the performance of farriery on racehorses unless such person is registered by the licensed farrier in accordance with this Rule.
(2) An application for registration of a farrier’s apprentice must be made by a licensed farrier:
(a) in the required form;
(b) with such information as required by the Directors; and
(c) accompanied by the applicable fee as published in the Prescribed Fee Schedule.
(2A) Categories: An application for registration of a farrier’s apprentice may be made for the following categories:
(a) apprentice farrier;
(b) visiting apprentice farrier; or
(c) visiting international apprentice farrier.
(3) The Directors may from time to time prescribe educational qualifications and experience requirements which must be attained as a precondition for a person to be registered as a farrier’s apprentice.
(4) The Directors may in their absolute discretion:
(a) refuse to register a person as a farrier’s apprentice;
(b) register a person as a farrier’s apprentice subject to any conditions;
(c) revoke, cancel or vary the conditions of any registration.
(5) Term of registration: All of the registrations expire on the 31 July next after issue unless:
(a) revoked earlier in accordance to LR 47C(4);
(b) cancelled;
(c) suspended;
(d) disqualified; or
(e) otherwise provided for under the terms and conditions of an apprentice farrier registration.
LR 85 PLATES AND SHOES
(1) Approval and discontinuation of use of therapeutic plates and shoes:
(a) Unless otherwise approved by Stewards, permission to use therapeutic plates or shoes in a race must be obtained from the Stewards prior to acceptance time for the race.
(b) Unless otherwise approved by Stewards, permission to discontinue use of the therapeutic plates or shoes in a race must be obtained from the Stewards prior to acceptance time for the race.
(c) For the purpose of this rule, therapeutic plates include:
(i) glue-on (including Sigafoo and mustad), bar plates, concussion plates, tips and partial plates, and bonded-on plates;
(ii) any other therapeutic plate listed in the National Equipment Register;
(iii) synthetic hoof repair material;
(iv) hoof pads; and
(v) hoof cast material.
(d) If a therapeutic plate is damaged or cast prior to the start of a race, the Stewards may order the withdrawal of the horse from the race.
(2) Glue on shoes: Additional conditions for use for mustad race-glue shoes in Victoria:
(a) Earliest time of fitting: The shoes must be fitted no more than 48 hours before the race unless otherwise approved by the Stewards.
(b) Farrier to fit shoes: Except for horses from interstate or overseas which have been fitted with these shoes prior to arriving in Victoria the fitting of the shoes on all horses must be performed by a farrier registered with Racing Victoria.
(c) Inspection: The trainer must ensure that the horse shod with these shoes is inspected as soon as possible after arrival on the course on the day of the race by a farrier registered with Racing Victoria.
Shoe cast or damaged: If a shoe is cast or so damaged that it cannot be secured and needs to be removed, the Stewards must order the withdrawal of the horse from the race.
[deleted and replaced 9/5/22]