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[RC] AERC Drug rule - terre

There seems to be some confusion as to what constitutes a 'drug', and what is/is not allowed--but I don't think there is any confusion about the INTENT of the rule: The horse should not be administered anything that allows it to compete beyond its natural ability (on that day) for two reasons--the safety of the horse and the fairness of the competition.
So, any 'magic potions' that contribute to the horse's general well-being (and this would include worming medicines, joint supplements, and vaccines) can easily be discontinued a week or more before competition without compromising the horse's ability to complete/compete. IF the horse cannot complete WITHOUT the magic potion, or cannot "do as well", then the potion is illegal, unethical, dangerous, or all three.
I think to some extent poor beleaguered Frances has been misunderstood; I think what she is trying to say is that riders are openly disclosing that they are feeding various things during competition. Frances thinks these things are illegal; the other riders clearly don't, or they wouldn't be so forthcoming about discussing them. In many cases, the supplements have been recommended by veterinarians, compounding the confusion.
So, as others have stated, it comes down to intent. Do the riders "intend" to break the rule? If not, they should have no problem about simply discontinuing the use of anything except food, water, and electrolytes during and before the ride. If so, that is a different subject.
Some contentious types will point out that there are differences between the Letter of the Law and the Intent of the Law--and so there are...in court. This is still, for most of us, an amateur sport and should be self-policing by education and peer pressure.
Essentially, other than feed, water, and electrolytes, if you don't need it, don't use it. If you DO need it, you aren't ALLOWED to use it. How's that for clarity?


terre



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