Kentucky's ongoing attempt to end racing in state proceeds..

[Riot]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

I'll be honest here. I love horse racing, and I make a good living because of it. But, if all horses truly need to be injected with a drug to safely compete, it is probably a sport that should go away.

Horses are injected with a drug to help prevent physical problems that can be caused by what we ask them to do.

It's called "sports medicine" and good medical care. There is a difference between abusive medicine and therapeutic medicine. For god's sake - can we please do what's best for the health of the horse?

Horses - and some dogs and humans, btw - suffer EIPH at speed: race horses, barrel horses, quarter horses, harness horses, event horses, steeplechase horses, fox hunters.

The only way to eliminate EIPH is to eliminate any horse sport that involves speed and maximal effort. It's hardly limited to racing them. It's called Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage.

It's simple - put the welfare of the horse first.

American Veterinary Medical Association policy

Therapeutic Medications in Racehorses
(Oversight Committee: AWC; EB 11/2010)

The AVMA endorses the American Association of Equine Practitioners' policy on therapeutic medications in racehorses, which reads as follows:

"The AAEP policy on medication in pari-mutuel racing is driven by our mission to improve the health and welfare of the horse.

The AAEP policy is aimed at providing the best health care possible for the racehorses competing while ensuring the integrity of the sport.

The AAEP expects its members to abide by the rules of all jurisdictions where they practice.

The AAEP condemns the administration of non-therapeutic or unprescribed medications to racehorses by anyone.

The AAEP believes that all therapeutic medication should be administered to racehorses by or under the direction of a licensed veterinarian.

Health care decisions on individual horses should involve the veterinarian, the trainer and owner with the best interests of the horse as the primary objective.

The AAEP strongly encourages continued research in determining the therapeutic levels and appropriate withdrawal times that represent responsible use of medication in the racehorse.

The AAEP is aware of the dynamics of the development of new products, as well as the continuing evaluation of current medications, and will continue to evaluate its policy based upon available scientific research and the best interests of the horse.

In order to provide the best health care possible for the racehorse, veterinarians should utilize the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available in accordance with medication guidelines designed to ensure the integrity of the sport.

To this end, the following are the essential elements of AAEP policy concerning veterinary care of the racehorse:

All racing jurisdictions should adopt the uniform medication guidelines set forth by the Racing and Medication Testing Consortium Inc. (RMTC). Including the RMTC testing procedures with strict quality controls and penalty schedules, these guidelines and procedures strive to protect the integrity of racing as well as the health and well-being of the horse.

Race day medication must be in accordance with current RMTC guidelines. In the absence of a more effective treatment/preventative for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), the AAEP supports the use of furosemide as a day-of-the-race medication to control EIPH. The AAEP advocates the research and development of new treatments to help prevent and/or control EIPH.

The AAEP encourages proactive and constructive communication between regulatory bodies and practicing veterinarians and other industry stakeholders.

The AAEP believes that all veterinarians should use judicious, prudent and ethical decisions in all treatments to ensure the health and welfare of the horse.

The AAEP strongly endorses increased surveillance and enforcement of the above-mentioned regulations."

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Riot

Horses are injected with a drug to help prevent physical problems that can be caused by what we ask them to do.

Really? No sh!t. That was my whole point. If every horse needs an injection of drugs to race, we probably shouldn't be racing horses. Now, personally I don't think they all need it, but you know that already. I'm just not sure the US is ready to hear we run a sport where every horse needs drugs to run. How is that going to fly?

Originally Posted by Riot

The only way to eliminate EIPH is to eliminate any horse sport that involves speed and maximal effort. It's hardly limited to racing them. It's called Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage.

I never said it could be eliminated, I'm just saying drugs are overused, but you also know that. Amazingly, the rest of the world seems to do just fine without it, and also kick our ass much of the time. When is the last time a horse from the US shipped overseas and won a race of consequence?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Really? No sh!t. That was my whole point. If every horse needs an injection of drugs to race, we probably shouldn't be racing horses. Now, personally I don't think they all need it, but you know that already. I'm just not sure the US is ready to hear we run a sport where every horse needs drugs to run. How is that going to fly?

Nobody is advocating that all horses get it. Nobody is saying all horses need it.

But the truth is that 93% of horses that race in North America have evidence of bleeding in their lungs, lasix helps prevent that, and why is the racing industry trying to take that therapeutic help away?

Should we stop working on current research to find other drugs that help prevent or provide relief for EIPH?

Those same horses bleed on race day in other countries that don't use lasix - and suffer worse affects from the episodes because the severity isn't attenuated.

Again: you want to eliminate lasix, eliminate all horse sports at speed. Let's go down the slippery slope of that argument. And prevent some human athletic competitions. And hunting dogs. And if we want to prevent broken legs, or any athletic injuries, to animals, let's just refuse to do anything with horses - or other animals - but watch them be lawn ornaments in pastures. Let's prevent the Amish from using them as carriage horses. Let's let PETA take over the world.

Now, the above is silly. Most of us here love horses, and love horse racing. So let's continue to put the horse first, and make racing them safer and healthier for the horse - not move away from that

[cmorioles]

You are being ridiculous. Which races allow the humans to take Lasix?

Maybe 93% show "some" bleeding, but of that percentage, how many can race without side effects and really need it to be successful? I'm guessing it is a MUCH smaller number. After all, we had racing for a century before it was deemed necessary for so many horses.

Plain and simple, it was abused because many felt it was a performance enhancer and that those that actually did need it were getting an advantage. So, they started searching for easier and easier ways to get Lasix for the horse. That is what got us where we are today.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

You are being ridiculous. Which races allow the humans to take Lasix?

I'm saying that Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage is not a problem only of horses.

Maybe 93% show "some" bleeding, but of that percentage, how many can race without side effects and really need it to be successful? I'm guessing it is a MUCH smaller number.

How do you define "successful"? Earning money?

Because I'm sure the horse would much prefer to have air in his alveolar sacs during running, instead of blood and hemosiderophages. It makes oxygenation easier.

After all, we had racing for a century before it was deemed necessary for so many horses.

A century ago, we didn't have the modern medical capability we have now. Medical advancement in health care of the horse is a good thing. We didn't have penicillin during World War one. Does that mean we shouldn't have used it in Viet Nam?

And we've raced horses for much longer than a century.

Plain and simple, it was abused because many felt it was a performance enhancer and that those that actually did need it were getting an advantage. So, they started searching for easier and easier ways to get Lasix for the horse. That is what got us where we are today.

But today we have modern medicine, and research, and we are far more educated on the extent and complications of EIPH in race horses. We are completely familiar with the pharmacology of lasix. We haven't had a problem with lasix diluting drug samples for over 20 years.

So now, with our increased education and knowledge, the veterinary world is advising the horse racing world to allow one drug - lasix - to continue to be used as a therapeutic medication on race day, for the health and welfare of the horse.

But those that control racing are making a stupid, ignorant choice to do the opposite, based upon outdated and no longer valid "reasons and knowledge" from literally decades ago.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Riot

I'm saying that Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage is not a problem only of horses.

And yet, life goes on without Lasix outside of horse racing in athletic competition.

I'm starting the think the stupid, ignorant choice that was made was allowing Lasix in the first place.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

And yet, life goes on without Lasix outside of horse racing in athletic competition.

And those horses suffer worse from EIPH than race horses.

I'm starting the think the stupid, ignorant choice that was made was allowing Lasix in the first place.

Who cares what was done 50 years ago? When I was a child, I was taught to drench colic horses with a mixture of turpentine and linseed oil! Now we knows that probably killed alot of horses - yet veterinarians did it!

Medicine advances. Sports medicine advances, in humans and animals. I attended a veterinary conference yesterday on diagnosis and treatment of back and hind end injuries in performance horses, and half the diagnostic techniques, and most of the treatments, were not even available, let alone taught to me, when I graduated veterinary college.

We need to use what we know today. Not pretend we are in the 1800's. Or even the 1990's. It's 2012.

And by the way: several of the recommended treatments are viewed as "race horse trainer cheating" by some lay people because for many years, race horse trainers have abused and misused some things associated with those therapies. Does that make them less valid when used appropriately as a medical treatment? Of course not.

[cmorioles]

1994, BC Classic, 14 horses run, 6 with Lasix. Lasix horses take the first 6 spots.
1995, 10 of 11 with Lasix
1996, 11 of 13
1997, 9 of 9
1998, 9 of 10
1999, 14 of 14
2000, 13 of 13
2001, 13 of 13
2002, 12 of 12
2003, 10 of 10
2004, 12 of 13, foreign shipper lone exception
2005, 13 of 13
2006, 12 of 13, foreign shipper lone exception
2007, 9 of 9
2008, 11 of 12, foreign shipper lone exception
2009, 11 of 12, foreign shipper lone exception
2010, 11 of 12, foreign shipper lone exception
2011, 12 of 12

Since 1999, EVERY American horse in our best race has been injected with a drug to race. Not 93%, but 100%. We are talking around 130 horse and EVERY one was given Lasix. Sure, it isn't abused.

[Riot]

Since 1999, EVERY American horse in our best race has been injected with a drug to race. Not 93%, but 100%. We are talking around 130 horse and EVERY one was given Lasix. Sure, it isn't abused.

Your assumption is mere use = abuse.

My viewpoint - based upon the science - is that use = therapy good for the horse.

Who cares what was done 10 years ago? 100 years ago? What matters is what we know now, today, about the horse's health.

And those that know race horse health best, the veterinary world, based upon today's medical knowledge and research, are advising the racing world to allow one drug - lasix - to be used on race day as a therapeutic medication for the health and welfare of the race horse.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Riot

Your assumption is mere use = abuse.

My viewpoint - based upon the science - is that use = therapy good for the horse.

Who cares what was done 10 years ago? 100 years ago? What matters is what we know now, today, about the horse's health.

And those that know race horse health best, the veterinary world, based upon today's medical knowledge and research, are advising the racing world to allow one drug - lasix - to be used on race day as a therapeutic medication for the health and welfare of the race horse.

Simple, 93% of horses allegedly need it, yet 100% get it. Sure, that makes sense.