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Re: [RC] APF - heidi

Sports has become a cat and mouse game between the
chemist and the testers and the testers will always be behind the power
curve. THG has been used in humans for several years but feel below the
radar screen because the test were insensitive to it because that was
the way it was designed.

One reason for that, Truman, is because the fact that thresholds for
"acceptable" levels in these sports have implied for years that the
athletes WILL use drugs.  We are starting from an entirely different
premise, which is that with zero tolerance, the horse WILL NOT be on
drugs.  By having riders get used to the concept of wellness in the first
place, we tend to develop a different mindset--one that dwells on the
wellness of the horse.

Will people abuse that?  Sure, some will.  I'm sure I've known a few who
have.  And they don't last long, because their horses don't last.  My
concern isn't that we catch and prosecute every single offender--it is
that we send a message that this is wrong.  It helps to send the message
to have more drug testers out there, for sure.  But the message that might
deter most riders from returning a horse to competition too soon is more
important than weeding every single needle out of the haystack.  (Pun
fully intended.)

Somebody quoted another ride vet as saying that one can get a horse
through a sprint with drugs, but not through an endurance ride.  With
reference to drugs that control pain and inflamation, I agree.  What we
NEED to do here, instead of diluting the drug rule, is to further educate
people that trying to hold a competing horse together metabolically with
drugs is even more risky than trying to hold him together biomechanically
with drugs.  It may be less obvious to the casual observer, but it is MORE
dangerous to the horse himself!  Truman, you need to understand what Rule
13 is really about, and put your Horse Welfare hat back on.

Heidi


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Arabians were bred for years primarily as a war horse and those
requirements are similar to what we do today with endurance riding. 
~  Homer Saferwiffle

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Replies
Re: [RC] APF, Magnumsmom
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Re: [RC] APF, Truman Prevatt
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Re: [RC] APF, Truman Prevatt