Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I think this actually started with the yucca thread, since there was  
now a new wrinkle .. a commercially prepared, standard horse feed  
contains yucca.  According to the current drug rule, if you buy this  
feed for your horse, you are in violation of Rule 13.

Someone else brought up the issue of rice bran (which some folks are  
afraid to feed because of drug rules prohibiting testosterone).   
Truman just took it to the Nth degree, as gamma oryzanol is also on  
the prohibited list, and is present in just about all plant foods.

Sure - Rule 13 was never intended to prohibit oats or rice bran - the  
rule was written to prevent injection of the horse with gamma oryzanol  
or testosterone.  But that is not what the rule says.

One is clearly a violation (injecting the horse), one is an example  
taken to an extreme (rice bran or oats), and one is an example of a  
situation where someone could end up being in violation just because  
they didn't read far enough down the label of ingredients in a  
standard horse feed.

However - the rules as written do not distinguish between these  
scenarios, nor do they provide the criteria to do so.  That is the key  
point.

If discrimination criteria are not written into the rules (threshold  
levels, or some sort of indicator of what is being prohibited), then  
it ends up being a judgement call, and that depends on who is  
interpreting the rules.  (Remember kids being suspended for going  
"bang bang" with their thumb and forefinger?)

The challenge for the rules committee is that there are a lot of  
substances listed, and probably infinite variables regarding threshold  
levels (I'm guessing here).  It may not be possible, or feasible to  
define threshold levels for everything.  However, I think we may well  
need more guidance that just the presence of a substance on the  
prohibited list, or as Truman's example showed, it can be taken to  
absurd lengths.



On May 11, 2009, at 3:31 PM, Mary Krauss wrote:

> I don't understand the hostility surrounding drug regulations.  What  
> am I missing??  Seems to me a set of pretty well-intended, simple  
> rules are being vilified for no apparent reason.  Kinda simple  
> really:  feed normal stuff, no problem.  "Zero tolerance" means zero  
> tolerance for abuse--it doesn't refer to zero amounts of substances  
> that occur naturally in simple grain and hay.  If you're feeding  
> something weird and full of weird supplements, quit it.
>
> Otherwise, attacking well-intentioned and responsible efforts to  
> control drugging of horses makes one look like one wants to drug  
> one's horse with impunity....  The rules as I read 'em are about as  
> simple and clear as they can be given the confusing state of  
> technology that is now able to overreach intent.  The good news is  
> that the situation brings us back to exercising judgment--not at all  
> a bad result.
>
> Mary K, who's really, really happy that AERC wants to keep drugs out  
> of this sport.
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>
> 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!!
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=