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In case nobody has answered the initial question yet:

Calm & Cool contains valerian root (yes, and herbal) that
has as its active ingredient L-tryptophan, which is
forbidden not only in endurance competition but also USAE
competition (whose drug rules are somewhat laxer than the
AERC's drug rule).

Yes, it can test positive.

As for other calming agents that do not "test," some people
say vitamin B-1 has that effect, but unless my memory is
wrong, it also has the effect of causing dehydration, so I
would also consider it to be contraindicated in an endurance
horse.

However, the intent of the AERC's "no drug" rule is not to
ask the question, "does it test?" (since that depends on how
diligent the tests are/may be), but rather, "does it have a
pharmacalogical effect?"

If the substance that you give your horse to calm her down,
actually works for calming her down, then, by definition it
has a pharmacological effect (if it doesn't have the effect,
there is no point in giving it).

So.......ANYTHING that you give your mare for the purpose of
quieting your horse (i.e. tranquilizing her) is forbidden
under the AERC's "no drug" rule if it works.

The reason that it has taken so long for somebody to answer
your question it that you were asking the wrong question.
If you want to compete legally in AERC endurance, you are
going to have to find some other way of quieting your horse
down.  Even giving large amounts of vitamin B-1 would be in
contravention of the AERC rule (normal substances in
abnormal amounts), even though it wouldn't "test" and you
would be unlikely to get caught doing it.

However, you could also probably give your horse a VERY
small quantity of demorsedan (sp?), which would have a nice
quieting effect, and since it is such a potent (and fairly
quick acting) drug (there are no arguments among anybody
that demorsedan falls well onto the drug side of the
drug/nutrient line), it is unlikely that a sufficiently
small amount would test positive by the end of the ride,
especially if you are planning to take a nice long time to
do it.

"Does it test" is the wrong question.

kat
Orange County, Calif.





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