Re: Drug Testing

Ramey Peticolas-Stroud (ramey@wvi.com)
Tue, 10 Dec 1996 09:23:02 +0000

From: Leif Neland
You wrote:

"That rule seems impossible to follow by word, if not by intention.
Is water and feed not a "normally internally occurring substance"??"

Lief, there is apparently more to the drug testing situation than meets
the eye.

This is a rough summary of what we learned in an AERC continuing
education meeting for vets before the current rule which prevents lay
people from attending.

A equine drug test is considered positive if it exceeds certain
predetermined levels for a specific range of substances. All substances
within the equine body are not normally sampled/analyzed in the interest
of time/money. Only those thought to be commonly at issue. In summary,
what is to be tested for and the positive level criteria are decisions
made by the group paying for the test.

In the case of an AERC event, if the sample tests POSITIVE by
definition, apparently an AERC vet sub-committee meets in private to
decide whether the alledged violation should be prosecuted. If this sort
of behind-the-scenes review actually takes place, what sort of
test/criteria/standards do they actually apply?

If anyone knows, would you please share the information.