How about we use Robinal instead? Or Premerin and La'Arginine.....why do people think we have to replicate racing from other countries? Really us Americans do a whole lot of stuff way different than other countries because we ARE different. People who own horses and dont like Lasix, dont use it then.

that's still medication honu. it's not whether it's useful or has a purpose, or even that we aren't in fact the only country that allows lasix-whether on raceday or in training.

a certain segment wants raceday medication banned. it doesn't matter if it would make a horse walk on water, they feel raceday use, regardless of merit, is wrong.


guess we may see how it'll shake out if it gets banned. if nothing else, it'll be interesting.

you can give a million reasons why it should stay, that means nothing.

Actually Premerin and La'Arginine are not given on race day....one is given 36 hours out and the 24 hours out.

FTFY

How do you know?

This makes no sense. Where was it said that all horses would incur lung tissue damage w/o lasix? Why are european shippers being held up as some sort of standard when they make up a miniscule number of the entire population?

Obviously of the 93% that bleed there is a wide variance between severe damage to very minor damage. Naturally it could be pointed out that lasix may be preventing much more severe damage by minimizing incidences.

Some people think Obama is one of our best presidents too. Most people are stupid. I have no idea why anyone would think this is a reasonable hypothesis because there is ZERO evidence tying lasix to fewer starts except a trend which was already going strong long befre lasix was being used.

The number of starts per year has been decreasing since 1960.

You and many others use "stats" to try to convince yourself that you are right but that ignores that there is no logical reason that lasix would lead to less starts and also ignores every other factor that has an effect. Ask yourself why horses started more in 1960 than they did in 1950. Ask youself why they started less in 1970 than 1960. Lasix has nothing to do with either question obviously.

Premarin is not going to go over with the PETA crowd considering where it comes from.

It is amazing what horses can do when they are not bleeding into their lungs.

Why, they can run to their best effort! :tro:

FTFY

No thanks. I have an evidence-based opinion on frusemide. Not an unsubstantiated, factually-opposed and rationally-bereft cultist dogma ;)

No problem.

Prove it.

I knew you'd come around.

Prove it.

Anything?

Anything at all?

Nope?

Glad I could help.

wouldn't matter to them.

oh, come now cannon. it's obviously connected. and i'm surprised no one has mentioned the fact we haven't had a t.c. winner since the 70's-i have no doubt that's also the fault of lasix. it's obvious, look at the stats. lasix started in the 70's, and that was when we had our last 3. it's far-reaching at that. look at england; has there been a triple winner in england since nijunsky II?
matter of fact, we started having energy issues in the 70's-i bet there's a tie-in with that as well. it's so obvious, just look at the stats.

besides, if you remove lasix, obviously all issues in racing will completely disappear. new fans will line up at gates nationwide, take out will be reduced, there will be no more cheating at all. horses will all do their very best without pernicious race-day meds that are ruining the sport (somehow), the number of starts will double...nay, triple. all of racings ills fixed in one fell swoop!! then we can lead all the others worldwide who allow training and race day use to the promised land.


lol
or not.

I am curious why you think this? From what I read here only 5% of the current thoroughbred industry's inventory really need lasix. Maybe another 25% should have it.

So we get rid of 30% of the stock. Wouldn't the market eventually adjust and owners/trainers be more careful what they add to their stable?
I am still convinced that if the lungs bleed beyond a certain level, the horse is doing something it shouldn't. And for a vet to allow that animal to compete is borderline criminal. And giving it a shot of lasix is animal cruelty.

really????????????????

Where are you getting the false statistic that "only 5% of horses need lasix?" That's not been said here at all, even by those that are trying to deny lasix is a therapeutic medication. It is factually false. The incidence of EIPH is documented to be much higher, and that has been repeatedly said here.

Oh: and horses are not inanimate "inventory", they are more properly and objectively labeled "live stock", with "stock" for short, but actually they are living creatures with lungs that bleed at high intensity exercise levels.

Please read the basic information page about Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage Kasept posted in the first link and first post of this thread, so you learn the basic facts about EIPH before you join the discussion.

EIPH is a horse problem, not a horse racing problem. It is not confined to Thoroughbred horses racing on the flat or over hurdles. It is not confined to North America. It is not confined to the Thoroughbred breed. It is a long-recognized medical problem, for which we have a therapeutic drug that helps.

Accusing vets of criminality for helping horses that suffer EIPH is ridiculous hyperbole, not to mention insulting. You can "believe" whatever you wish, such as dinosaurs walked the earth with humans and vaccinations cause autism, but that doesn't change the facts surrounding EIPH.

Here are some basic facts about Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage:
Again: if people want to eliminate all medication on race day, both illegal, legal and abused, and therapeutic, that's their choice.

But lying about the facts surround EIPH and furosemide simply to meet a political agenda is absurd, and factual lies should and will be called out by those that know better.

The astounding reveal of the factually-bereft position of the anti-lasix crew is that they have not once mentioned banning aminocaproic acid, carbazochrome, tranexamic acid, and conjugated estrogens that are given to try and stop bleeding. If you want to "ban" medications given for bleeding, why have you not mentioned these?

Vote on lasix ban today in Kentucky
 

By the way: today the Kentucky Racing Commission will try and ban lasix again. They will probably succeed today. Vote this afternoon.

A very sad day for horse racing. Most will be distracted by the post position draw for the Preakness.

Vote again this afternoon by KHRC
 

I'm hearing conflicting stories on if they are going to try and shove a vote through this afternoon, or not. This story from this morning says not, but the noon news here (Louisville based) and Lex Herald Leader says yes. Kasept, do you know? What do your contacts say?
--------

Proposed race-day drug ban resurfaces in Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's horse racing regulators were set to reconsider a proposal Wednesday to put the state that proclaims itself the "horse capital of the world'' at the forefront of banning an anti-bleeding drug on race days.

The proposed regulation being presented to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission would phase out race-day use of the drug furosemide in graded or listed stakes races in the Bluegrass state. It would apply to the Kentucky Derby starting in 2014.

A more sweeping proposed ban - aimed at completely phasing out use of furosemide on race days - failed on a 7-7 roll call vote at a tense commission meeting last month. The commission has since added a new member, Lexington horseman John Phillips.

Both versions would make Kentucky the first state to ban race-day use of furosemide, which is marketed under the brand names Lasix or Salix. The drug is used commonly to treat pulmonary hemorrhaging in racehorses.

The proposed ban remained divisive when it came up for discussion before the Equine Drug Research Council, an advisory group for the Horse Racing Commission. A motion to support the proposed regulation failed on a 3-4 roll call vote. The proposal was on the agenda for the Horse Racing Commission meeting later Wednesday.

The commission was not expected to vote on the new proposal Wednesday. A vote could come at its meeting next month, following an expected public hearing on the issue.

John T. Ward, the commission's executive director, said Lasix has become "the golden shot'' administered when horses race or work out. But he said there's a growing public perception that racehorses are overly medicated.

Ward, a veteran thoroughbred trainer, said the racing industry would adjust to the race-day furosemide prohibition.

"We will develop other protocols that are as good or better for the animal,'' he said. "The only way you can force change is to restrict something. ... We have never looked for the substitute that gives us better coverage than Lasix does.''

Furosemide is the only medication allowed to be given to horses on race day in the United States. Its use is banned in other countries because it enhances performance.

Opponents of the earlier proposal said the race-day ban would saddle Kentucky with a competitive disadvantage that would drive away trainers and horses. Kentucky racetracks already are struggling to keep up with competitors in other states where purse money is bolstered by slot machines and other forms of gambling. Kentucky lawmakers have refused to allow casino-style gambling at the state's racetracks.

Three-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert told the AP in an interview that the proposed ban would hurt racing and the horses. He said he gives Lasix as a preventative against bleeding.

"Once they bleed, they just keep bleeding and it's hard to really stop,'' he said.

Baffert said the horsemen who have problems with race-day use of Lasix could just stop administering the drug at those times.

But he said a ban on race-day use of the drug would put horses at a disadvantage if they bled.

"You don't know which ones are going to bleed,'' he said.

The new proposal being presented to the horse racing commission would gradually ban the use of furosemide within 24 hours of post time in any graded or stakes races in Kentucky. Those races draw top-notch horses because of the higher purse money offered.

The new version would begin on Jan. 1, 2013, when the ban would apply to 2-year-olds racing in any graded or stakes races in Kentucky. The prohibition would extend to 2- and 3-year-old horses competing in those races in 2014.

The Kentucky Derby, run the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, is for 3-year-old horses.

Then in 2015, the ban would apply to any horse entered to race in graded or listed stakes races in Kentucky.

The phase-in could reshuffle fields in some horse races in 2014, when the ban would apply to 3-year-olds but not to older horses.

Violations of the race-day drug ban would result in the horse being disqualified and forfeiture of their purse money.

"That is a heavy penalty to pay,'' Ward said. "The owner takes the hit for a lot of money.''

Violating trainers or veterinarians would face license suspensions and fines growing in severity for repeat infractions in a year's time.

Notably missing from the new version was an out-clause that would have the commission review the impact of the race-day ban during the phase-in period. The initial proposal called for a commission review of the ban in 2013.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz1v41LTTbk

Per Matt Hegarty Twitter Feed:

Matt Hegarty ‏@DRFHegarty
Vote to table discussion for a year fails 7-4.

1h Matt Hegarty ‏@DRFHegarty
Conway motion amended for ban on discussion of Lasix phaseout to one year; state language removed at Beck's request due to unenforceability.

1h Matt Hegarty ‏@DRFHegarty
Commissioner Tom Conway moves to ban any more discussion over Lasix phaseout for one year unless 4 or more states phase medication out.

1h Matt Hegarty ‏@DRFHegarty
KHRC will hold "town hall" meeting on Lasix phaseout either June 4, 5, or 6, exec. dir. Ward says.

2h Matt Hegarty ‏@DRFHegarty
KDRC vote is non-binding; KHRC is preparing to meet now, but not vote scheduled on Lasix phase-out.

2h Matt Hegarty‏@DRFHegarty
The KY Equine Drug Council has voted 4-3 against a motion to recommend phase-out of furosemide in stakes, according to officials.

Update 3:09pm That appears to be the end of it, because now it's being tweeted they have changed committees and are reviewing Albarado's suspension.

Good to see it appears the truth is getting out there
 

Excerpts from Matt Hegarty DRF column on todays meeting.

Can't wait to go to the "town hall" meeting :tro: Already being talked about, the veterinary community is going to turn out in force to support the health and welfare of the horse in the face of this threat.

yeah, i give up. i'm out. lol animal cruelty.
sweetjesus.

Reading your posts amounts to people cruelty

If you want to know what cruelty really feels like go read Riot's 12,000 plus posts.

The blogger "lineup" for the Times is something that you would expect from the Burlington Register.
The Headliner is Mr Sunshine Drape.

Then we have Alex Brown who's claim to fame is being an exercise rider and hero to the pretty horsey set.

Third on the list is Jim Squires a retired Newspaper man who lucked into breeding Monarchos but has never done anything else of note in the business except write a book knocking everything and everybody.

Then we have Melissa Hoppert whose main qualification for being a horse racing blogger is "She was present when Sadie's Dream, owned by her aunt's family, won the 1994 Rose DeBartolo Memorial Stakes at Thistledown in Ohio." Uh okay....

Bob Goetz is a longtime fan

Peter Blair covered the Preakness one year

And then there is Gina Rarick who is a writer turned trainer who trains a few horses in France but has never trained a single horse in the US which never seems to damp her enthusiasm for criticizing US trainers or the sport here in general.

Quite a group of experts

Thank you Steve Zorn. Thanks for the link. Seems common sense and science are winning :tro:

None of those people are the author of the article. Did you read it?

Uh yeah? What does that have to do with the "lineup" of featured bloggers listed on the page?

Your father would gave to be one of either JD Shatz or Doug Salvatore then... Remember that horse well..