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RE: [RC] USEF Approves New Drug - heidiIronically, this is exactly the same example that I've used as to why the rationale of giving omeprazole as a "preventative" is no different than giving NSAIDs as a "preventative." The logic is exactly the same. The problem comes in knowing where the line is between safely preventing and pushing to the point of damage. Like omeprazole, there are downsides to giving NSAIDs--even newer ones that cause less stomach damage. (Note I said "less"--not "none.") Each drug messes with other metabolic processes, and each drug allows the rider to have a false sense of security, making it that much easier for the rider to cross the line between 'preventative" and "allowing damage."
Inflamation is the body's way of telling itself when to quit. As such, we don't want to override it entirely--a little bit of inflamation is a safeguard, whereas a lot is damaging.
Heidi
Truman Prevatt said: > Allow horses to perform in any sport from eventing > to even dressage under the influence of a pain killer > is just plain wrong. There are some people who would contend that denying pain killers to horses in pain is just plain wrong. It is possible to argue that inflamation is an almost guaranteed by-product of strenuous exercise so to deny anti-inflammatories to strenuously exercising horses is cruel....and if you give the anti-inflammatories before you start, then they can work as a preventative rather than a treatment and stop the inflamation before it has a chance to start permanent damage.
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