Bob,
I believe that the AERC drug policy is working, is it not? Adaquan is an
interesting case. The views of a well know endurance vet I have spoken
with seems to be that you are in fact "abusing" you horse if you are asking
a teen aged horse to do endurance without providing nutrients to the
cartilage on a periodic basis. This also seems to be the tone of the
article written by Dr. Waldron in the Vet forum in the "ENDURANCE NEWS" a
few years ago. This is also the view of my own personal vet. I tend to
agree with that, if the substance is not given within a day or so before
the ride for the sole purpose of masking inflamation. On the other hand is
this allowing the horse to compete on its "natural ability"? We do not
want to take such an extreme stand that we insure that a large number of
horses will develop DJD becuase of the normal wear and tear of the sport,
when this potential could in fact be minimized by the use of compounds that
are "natural and normal" in the equine body.
The pulse rate drop that I experienced has been permanent. Her pulse rate
has stayed at the level it dropped to after the initial treatment. I give
5 cc of Adequan about every three months and the only relationship this
schedule has with a ride is I do NOT give it within a week of two of a
ride. This practice has nothing to do with testing. I am only interesting
in the compounds ability to regenerate the cartilage and promote the
production of synovial fulid by the body. I am not interesting in any
"anti-inflamatory" effects. If she is off, I want to know - and that ride
is history.
>
>I refer you to Truman's message that the pulse
>recovery and actual performance pulse rate were considerably modified by
>the use
>of the subject practice. If this is not "against the rules" then why are many
>vets not allowing the rider/groom to message the ears during a vet check??
>
My interperation of the reaction to the treatment was that I was actually
making the horse more comfortable, reducing the chance of DJD and promoting
the health and well being - not violating the durg policy. If the drug
policy is interperated in such a way that we cannot provide for our horses
health, comfort and well being then one could interperate this drug policy
to be abusive. If you check the records you will find that I am a fairly
conservative rider. I have only done one fast 50 coming after Misty had
over 1000 miles and I pull at any sign of trouble (about 3 pulls total).
Misty has won one ride in 6:20 - a hot ride with lots of pulls for
metabolics. She has one BC - happened to be her only fast ride. I don't
use periodic Adaquan for competitive advantage - I use it for the well
being of my horse.
As far as not messaging the ears at a vet check, that is a bunch of
garbage. I do not believe that there is any scientific evidence to
validate that messaging the ears can override the bodys metabolic controls
that react to stress, especially if a CRI is performed. If this brings
down the heart rate, it is because the horse is excited and this in fact
relaxes the horse. I do not believe we should punish riders with excitable
horses.
I believe the AERC drug policy was fairly radical when it was adopted. It
is good to see the AHSA is moving it toward a policy similar the the AERC.
I believe it is working. Great care needs to be taken on some of these
issues.
If vets prohibit messaging the ears, then why not prohibit messaging the
rear muscles at vet checks. Isn't stiffening up part of the sport? Is a
messaged horse doing it on "his natural ability"? How about blankets and
coolers? Should we allow blankets? Should we define natural ability to
include the ability to be able to stand around in a cold wind and not cramp
up? Of course not.
As to drugs. We have already choosen to allow the use of some EXOGENOUSLY
ADMINISTERED COMPOUNDS EVEN IF NORMALLY FOUND ENDOGENOUSLY for the well
being of the horses. For example Vitamin E and Se, for the purpose of
minimizing tying up and how about electrolyes. Does anyone want to stop
using these compounds. Does natural ability include the ability to perform
in the state of electrolyte depletion. I don't know of anyone would would
want to put our horses in this type of risk.
And how about ice.
Ice applied to the legs during a ride have an anti-inflammatory effect and
could mask potential problems. During by days in baseball, there were
times I would soak my elbo in ice in the dugout in order to be able to go
out and throw a curve ball the next inning. Ice is actually a very
powerful anti-inflammatory "drug" and it is quite conceivable that a rider
could finish a ride on a horse that SHOULD NOT go on using ice to get
through, if the vet checks ere close together and he had a crew to meet him
on the trail in between checks.
We absolutely have to perserve the integerity of the sport while at the
same time keeping the rules simple, understandable and enforceable. I
currently believe the drug policy satisifies these goals. Just as
importantly I believe that the AERC must take the lead in promoting the
health and well being of the horse. If there are means that will reduce
the impacts of the stresses on our horses and minimize the potential of our
horses developing problems because of what we ask them to do, then I belive
the AERC should promote those practices. I believe that the AERC is in fact
doing this as shown by Dr. Waldron's article. This is what I see as the
moral and ethical issue involved.
If there is any issue that I believe need addressing, it is the Limited
Distance rides. If you have been following you have seen the discussion.
I believe that promoting speed by giving awards for speed is a mistake.
This also sends the wrong message to the new riders who watch the "veteran"
LD rides race full bore for 25 miles. I know of one such veteran LD rider
that goes through three horses in a season - usually blows a tendon. This
person is yet to finish a 50, and when he rides a 50 he is much more
conservative. I consider the full out sub two hour 25 on a young horse
with little training to be an abusive practice and believe that we as an
organization should not promote this.
Sorry to get long winded.
Regards,
Truman
______________________________________________________________________________
The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.
Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
____________________________________________________________________________
__