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Re: [RC] It's really not about the drugs IMO - Kathy MayedaSome of the costs of the testing is offset by a mandatory drug testing fee per entry? Also, if you read the minutes, it relieves the burden to organize testing from the AERC office, and I see that as a plus. Manpower costs money too. I don't know why everyone is getting all wadded up about drug testing when we haven't had a positive testing in a long while. It's just easy enough to avoid these drugs as a matter of course and not worry about testing positive. I just avoid any product that says yucca or MSM in it. Salicylates is not as clear to me, as is gamma orzynal, but just avoid these things as much as you possible can. The intent of the drug rules are very clear even though the parameters might not be as clear cut as we would like. If a Olympian could be eliminated for using a pepper product then who's to say that us endurance riders couldn't be eliminated for something like that too. We are creating problems in our mind where it hasn't proven to be a problem yet. This may shift when we start being tested via USEF. Besides at the AERC level competition, it will be interesting to see what the level of impact of a positive test will be. Disqualification from that particular ride? Since it is not a professional sport I doubt that there will be any legal ramifications to protect because prize money is not a factor. But I guess wierd things can happen. A lot of drugs are derived from plant products, and a lot of drug research is centered on plant chemistry. Yucca plant itself is not a homeopathic. Homeopathics are generated a minute molecular level that will probably never test. I do use homeopathics, but it's not generally used for performance enhancement besides general health issues. Homeopathics do not claim to be anti-inflammatory or pain killers, but rather use the innate human body response to repair and heal itself, or for metabolic health. K. On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 12:31 PM, oddfarm <jsalas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: I have to side with Truman about some of AERC's drug rules. They have some silly stuff on the list. What I don't understand is how could you punish a rider for having their horse test "positive" for Yucca when there really is no REAL proof that it works? Scientist "claiming"?something to be true, doesn't make it so. I don't think that is how science works. I am all for alternative or?homeopathic medicine,?or whatever else you want to call it. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it's just crap. Scientist's also claimed that red wine in moderation was good for a woman's heart health. ?Now they say even in moderation there is a 20-30% chance that a woman could get breast cancer. WHAT? That means really the only reason a woman should drink anything is just so she doesn't kill anybody :) We know how bute works and it is a proven drug. As are many other drugs on the AERC list. And Bruce is right, science is always changing the way we use drugs as in what is not working so well now, could be improved in a few years. The real problem isn't so much the drugs, but the enforcement of those who illegally use them in the sport. How in the world can?AERC severely or otherwise, punish a rider for testing positive for yucca, when AERC couldn't even afford to follow through on a positive REAL drug test? However, now $50,000 a year is available to do "real" testing. (for Yucca? Really??) So over the next five years, AERC will have spent a quarter of a million dollars on drug testing?when previously?they couldn't afford to follow through on other positive tests that were challenged?because everyone and their brother was suing them. HUH? I don't get that. $250,000 would have given AERC quite a bit of ammunition to enforce a positive?"real" drug test. If they spend it all on testing, where will?the money come from to fight the challenges of enforcement?? Back to square one. Lisa Salas, The Odd faRm =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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