The veterinarian who examined an emaciated former racehorse after it landed in a 91原创 ditch in December of 2008 said the chances of recovery were not good, even if 鈥淏uddy鈥� had been taken to a veterinary hospital as he suggested.

Dr. Antonio Cruz, a veterinary surgeon who specializes in treating horses, was testifying Monday at the Surrey Provincial Court trial of Mark Marohn, a former 91原创 veterinarian who was charged with causing an animal to be in distress and failing to provide 鈥渘ecessaries鈥� for an animal after an RCMP officer said the underweight horse was being used by Marohn to tow his car out of a ditch.

Called by the SPCA to assist with the extraction of a horse from a ditch, Cruz said he arrived at the scene to find a crowd of people, including police and fire officials.

鈥淥bviously there was something going on beyond a horse in a ditch,鈥� he said.

Buddy was lying on his right side in the ditch, a few metres north of a blue car that was 鈥渁lmost鈥� off the road, Cruz said.

The former racehorse was covered in a blanket.

On removing the blanket, Cruz said he observed Buddy had lost a 鈥渟ignificant鈥� amount of weight.

鈥淭he horse was in poor body condition,鈥� Cruz said.

Its ribs were showing, its neck was thin, the neck bones were prominent and muscles that should have been convex were concave, Cruz said.

On a scale from one to nine, where one is extremely emaciated and nine is extremely overweight, the horse was a 鈥渙ne or a two,鈥� Cruz testified.

The horse鈥檚 heart was beating at twice the normal rate, he was hyperventilating and his body temperature was below normal, enough to be considered 鈥渉ypothermic.鈥�

Buddy was trying to eat grass without raising his head and wasn鈥檛 trying to stand.

鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 really making any effort to get up,鈥� Cruz said.

鈥淎s a general rule, horses do not like to be lying down.鈥�

He said Buddy appeared 鈥渆xhausted.鈥�

Before the fire department lifted the horse from the ditch using a sling and a tow truck, Cruz said he sedated Buddy at the request of the firefighters.

Once Buddy was on solid ground, Cruz and the other people at the scene spent two-and-a-half hours trying and failing to get him to stand up.

鈥淭he horse would not make efforts with the rear end particularly,鈥� Cruz said.

He said he discussed transporting Buddy to his veterinary hospital with the SPCA officer at the scene, but conceded it likely wouldn鈥檛 have made much difference.

鈥淭he potential outcome for the horse was guarded to poor,鈥� he said.

Instead, Buddy was euthanized at the scene.

鈥淭he decision was made by the SPCA constable to humanely destroy the horse,鈥� Cruz said.

He could not diagnose exactly what caused the emaciated condition of the horse, saying it could be anything from 鈥渋nappropriate intake or malnutrition,鈥� cancer or chronic infection.

鈥淚n your opinion, was the horse suffering?鈥� Crown prosecutor Liane O鈥橤rady asked.

鈥淵es,鈥� Cruz replied.

Asked by O鈥橤rady if the horse could have moved the car if he鈥檇 been wearing a proper harness, Cruz said he was unable to say.

Marohn tried to challenge Cruz鈥檚 credentials as an expert witness, saying the witness was a specialist in surgery, not internal medicine for horses, but Judge Reginald Harris ruled that the doctor had sufficient experience in all areas of treating horses to qualify.

The trial was expected to continue today (Tuesday).

The trial of Marohn鈥檚 estranged wife Carol Schoyen-Marohn, who is charged with the same offences in connection with the Dec 2008 incident, is scheduled begin on Sept. 26 of this year.

Schoyen-Marohn鈥檚 trial had to be postponed because she suffered a stroke.