The History of Drugs in America

re: The History of Drugs in America

Slew — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:07:53 GMT

s delight: Please explain yourself. You haven't said anything to disprove my assertions.

re: The History of Drugs in America

s delight — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:36:42 GMT

Dear Slew July 8, 2012: Well, at least you have made it plain that you know nothing about horse racing.

re: The History of Drugs in America

Slew — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 23:48:11 GMT

Horses race all over the world without any race day medication. Here in the USA, we have used medications routinely for so long, the horses now depend on medication in order to run.

For those who believe it's inhumane to race horses without medication, it's my opinion that it's more inhumane to send a horse out to race if he is not fit enough to do so. The mere fact that he cannot do so without being medicated, tells me he is not fit to race. But no one seems to want to allow a horse the time he might need to heal and become fit.

For myself, I feel that race day meds are nothing more than a short cut for trainers. It has nothing to do with being humane, and everything to do with $$ as in “time is money”.

It's very sad to consider that in all the debate, we have lost the ethic of doing what is best for the horse...we are crippling the breed, and shaming his Arabian, endurance-tested ancestor.

re: The History of Drugs in America

worring — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 03:27:14 GMT

why is it that the industry is in such denial! There's a big problem and everyones afraid to do anything about it! These things they bring up are light drugs compared to todays world and all the hard core drugs! when they put some trainers in california in detention barns for viliations they go fro a 25% to a 5% and less once there cleared from the barn back to 25% or more!!!! Hello racing boards think you can figure this one out?????????The only winners in this business is the vets and the horses take the blunt of there destruction!!!! If you notice all the great trainers you guys talk about have owners with deep pockets and can afford what ever bill the vet sends him no questions asked!

re: The History of Drugs in America

Slew — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:21:37 GMT

Horses race all over the world without any race day medication. Here in the USA, we have used medications routinely for so long, the horses now depend on medication in order to run.

When horses develop their aches and pains, do we give them the time to rest and heal? No! We medicate them and run them anyway. It's developed into a vicious cycle.

AS to bleeding, there is a concensus that part of the cause is the impact, and bleeding occurs more often in dirt horses than in turf runners...which supports the impact theory. Again, horses race all over the world without any medication. How do they do it? Why can't we? There are veterinarians who believe that the bleeding is actually secondary to poor nutrition, and that proper diet and a holistic approach might be more of an advantage than meds.

For myself, I feel that race day meds are nothing more that a short cut for trainers. It has nothing to do with being humane, and everything to do with $$.

It's very sad to consider that in all the debate, we have lost the ethic of doing what is best for the horse...we are crippling the breed, and shaming his Arabian, endurance-tested ancestor.

In America, the leading drug pushers are drug companies who bombard us every day with their TV ads. We drug ourselves, we drug our children, why not races horses? My question is Why are we such failures that we need constant medication to survive?

re: The History of Drugs in America

Michael J Arndt — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 01:52:34 GMT

i wonder if our great racing writers arent akin to the great baseball writers with regards to their myopia when viewing the sport the love and report on.

re: The History of Drugs in America

CHIEF PICAWINNA — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 21:04:32 GMT

Hey Chums dont hang out with the druggies,the sharks are loose

re: The History of Drugs in America

Bill Two — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:56:58 GMT

Here's a link to another interesting account of horse drugging in the early twentieth century: colinsghost.org/.../h-g-bedwell-first-triple-crown-trainer-and-a-cheater.html

H.G. Bedwell, also known as "Hard Guy" Bedwell is the focus of the article. Allegedly he dosed Sir Barton with cocaine on occasion. He admitted giving small doses of arsenic to his horses as he believed it produced a beneficial effect. Wow.

re: The History of Drugs in America

Wrensflight — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:44:39 GMT

Thank you, egill and marapace. I also have been a TB owner for many years, participating in polo and hunting/jumping. These sports are strenuous as well, but I have never had a horse perform with any drugs at all. Just as NSAIDS should not be used regularly in humans due to side effects, the same is true of horses. Temporary use to support a healing injury is fairly common, but regular use can contribute to liver damage. And none of my horses, despite the fact that all of them were OTTB's, ever bled.

Thanks again, Steve, for the illuminating article.

re: The History of Drugs in America

an ole railbird — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:49:34 GMT

is there a support group for "complusive bloggers". i find it harder ,every day to leave this blog& go tend to my business. i may soon be seeking a "bloggers animous".

i want to shoot a couple of theorys down. there are so many misconceptions about bleeding, that it is hard for even experinced horseman to understand. & that is to say that, most people who havent hand "hands on experince", simply ,cant wrap their "animal loving minds" around what really occurs ,when a horse bleeds.

you will go a long ways to find a nonfit horse that bleeds. a horse that not fit rarely has the strength, to excert himself enough to force the capularys in the lungs to rupture.. therefor the theory of more training without lasix, is actully reverse to being an answer to elimanating bleeding.

1 commenter suggested studying bleeding in wild mustangs. i feel safe in saying that pulmoary bleeding in wild horses is non excisting, due to the strength factor.

before scoping & lasix, we ran lots of horses, thinking that they were distance challenged. when in fact they were choking on their on blood. but few ever coughed up enough blood to give away the secret that they bled.

i offer this comparsiom. a range OR pasture fed horse. sans any grain in his diet. to a well kept grain fed horse. ( this is 1 of the examples,that our cowboy & ranch type work teaches us.) yyou can catch a range horse,out of the pasture, that has no condictioning at all. you can ride him to total exhaustion in a matter of 2 or 3 hours, then pull your saddle of him &turn him aloose& leave him alone. he will walk himself out& in a matter of a few hours, you wont be able to tell that he has been ridden at all. BUT do that to a well cared for grain fed horse, and you will kill him in his tracks. the grain fed horse is so much stronger, that he will keep going past the danger point, before either horse, or rider can see whats happened. the range fed horse wont have enough strength to hurt himself& he will give out& quit.

this is the same in compareing bleeders & non bleeders. un fit horses, slow, lazy horses , seldom bleed. because they dont put out the effort, to rupture any thing to make a bleeder.

our modern thorobred horse has become so domsticated & atuned to his masters, that they will leave it all on the racetrack & in turn will hurt themselves.

i dont want to sound like a "know it all". i dont know it all& thanks to these blogs, i can learn something new every day. but when i read an "assumption, that comes from a inexperinced commentor, i cant help it. i am compelled to partisipate in the discussion.

have a nice day. "an ole railbird"

re: The History of Drugs in America

Mike Relva — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:35:27 GMT

STELLAR JAYNE

Pretty much agree with your comment. I, too am tired of the overused phrase"for the good of the horse" when many don't have their interest first. Yes, Zenyatta's connections are a very rare breed.

re: The History of Drugs in America

Needler in Virginia — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 22:02:53 GMT

Agree completely with marapace and egill. As long as there has been racing there have been owners and/or trainers who cheat....be it with caffeine, cocaine, milkshakes, sponging, bute, salix/lasix, cobroxin, frog toxins or whatever the newest drug of choice is called. People cheat. Honorable people are responsible for keeping the dishonorable ones from cheating. The only way to do that is to test before and after a race, during training, while the horse is sleeping, eating, peeing, bathing, being hotwalked and groomed, and standing in the stall doing nothing. Racing has found ways to cheat since forever; racing will continue to make excuses for cheating until racing is banned forever. And who will be pleased by that? Not me, certainly; there's absolutely NOTHING like a golden afternoon at Keeneland or Saratoga. But that's what's coming, folks. The perception, if not the actuality, of honesty MUST be presented by racing and the only way to do that is by banning drugs. And to the poster who said something like "if the horse has a headache he should be allowed an aspirin, just as a person would" --- it's NOT the same thing and it's disingenuous to say it is. Get a grip. Horses are not drugged to make a headache go away; horses are drugged to make 'em run faster and not know that they hurt.

Again, cheers to Steve, cheers and very safe trips to the horses (ALL of 'em), and the people are gonna have to find their own.

re: The History of Drugs in America

Karen in Texas — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 20:24:16 GMT

I rather like "an old railbird", too, Pat Lee.

re: The History of Drugs in America

Pat Lee — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 18:56:44 GMT

Would it be possible to hire "an old railbird" to write for the Bloodhorse? That old bird has a ton of sense and experience.

re: The History of Drugs in America

CHIEF PICAWINNA — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:00:31 GMT

Hey chums time for rehab for the US and the drug use,

re: The History of Drugs in America

Passenger — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:39:33 GMT

So because horse racing has long been accustomed to a culture of hopping and secrecy--and the proportions of animals racing in this way is not here discussed--it legitimates the practice? Just test better?

So what that horses have been hopped in the past? People will continue to find performance enhancers. There has to be strenous efforts to secure a level playing field in a sport. Sure people will try loading the dice, but to just throw our hands up to such behavior or treat it as a fun and sentimental part of the sport's cultureis silly. We're supposedly having this debate about drugs that we administer to support equine health, which is not the column discusses.

Horse racing will survive by finding people willing to take an interest in it, whether as investors/sportsmen, professionals, or fans and punters. To try to entice all of these people into the sport we have to deal with the fact that many who are not yet interested in the sport will have an opinion about it that is shaped first and foremost by perceptions of cruelty. Lots of folks think horse racing is cruel to begin with. Try winning an argument with a non-initiate that starts with the notion that in order to race a horse humanely, you have to drug it. The argument confirms rather than refutes the notion that the sport is a cruel practice. Wow, that looks like success.

re: The History of Drugs in America

an ole railbird — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:23:49 GMT

bute has been around since 1957.

in that length of time, there should have been something invented ,that would work better than bute

i think that, the very fact that nothing else has been invented, to improve on ,(bute), speaks loud that it is working to the vets satifaction.

i contend that there is more harm in feeding treats loaded with sugar & other sweetners, is more harmiful to horses, than being given bute, for areasonable amount of time.

i have resqued 2 different horses from so called," resque farms", that had all the symptoms of being diabetic from being fed high sugar diets. we should quit flogging this dead horse, (bute & lasix) & go on to more important things that havent had the research done on them.. it either needs to be proven ,that bute &lasix is harmful or the subject needs to be dropped. right now , YOU HAVENT PROVEN A THING. get over it & lets gone to something more construtive.

have a nice day, "an ole railbird"

re: The History of Drugs in America

egill — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 04:38:30 GMT

Great article, Steve, as always! I am in total agreement with "marapace." I am a life-long lover and owner of Thoroughbreds. I employ mine for hunters and jumpers. ALL of the horses that I have owned have been fresh off the racetrack. To say that Bute or Lasix/Salix should be used as human athletes would use aspirin/inhaler/ etc. is redicilous! Human athletes have the "choice" to compete and the "choice" to use or not use medications. How many times have we seem human athletes compete with or too soon after an injury? Furthering damaging themselves and/or performing poorly due to pain and restrictions from the initial injury. Medications should not be allowed, end of story. Train better and harder and you will have better TB's! Furthermore, and I know people will hate me for this. 2 year old horses shouldn't be racing...at all! When they're two the "breaking" should begin. There is so much evidence that their muscles and bones aren't close to being fully developed. They may not break down, however, more times than not you're going to have a TB come off the track with leg problems. End rant!

re: The History of Drugs in America

sysonby — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 03:38:45 GMT

Thanks for a great piece....I remember how queazy some folks were becoming approaching the '68 Belmont...could Forward Pass be considered a Triple Crown winner with his non-win, win in Ky ? My guess is that the powers and players were relieved that Stage Door Johnny ran to the rescue

re: The History of Drugs in America

Racingfan — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 01:47:53 GMT

Great article Steve! From what I have read on the history of racing, drugs have always been used and in my opinion things are MUCH better today! There will always be those who try to cheat in all things so I don't know that already illegal medications will ever go away. I am strongly of the opinion that Bute should NOT be allowed on race day. If a horse is sore give it Bute and take it out of training until it is better then resume when it no longer needs it. As for Lasix, I would rather see a horse have it than have the horse bleed. However I think it should be known that the horse is a bleeder before administration - don't just give it to EVERY horse regardless. And I do not agree that it is "performance enhancing" except for the fact that if a horse normally bleeds and with the medication he does not bleed - then of course his performance will be better!!! That is a given and does not fall under "performance enhancing" in the traditional sense in my opinion.

re: The History of Drugs in America

ksweatman9 — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 01:35:46 GMT

In reference to the comment about Man O' War being a "hophead", IF that were the case, he lived to be 30 years old, good health, no break downs, the greatest sire of all time, hard to believe a drugged up horse came away so well. No adverse affects, not one. Gee, looks like Man O' War could be the poster pony for why horses should use opiates. I'm not implying anyone is a liar, but I'll never be convinced that Big Red's greatness came by way of drugs. Perhaps the "old timers" in the barns were hitting the bottle a bit too much.

re: The History of Drugs in America

Charmed — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 19:27:22 GMT

Thank you for such an informative article, Steve. You could re-write the phone book and I'd love to read it...truly.

Giving an athlete pain-masking drugs is a double-edged sword. Yes, you don't want them to suffer. How can that be wrong? However, the pain is nature's way of saying something is wrong. Ignoring it is like sitting on a ticking time bomb and flies in the face of all common sense.

Giving an athlete drugs like furosemide is interesting to me. A diuretic is meant to reduce fluid volume. My mom, who has very bad arthritic knees, takes it (for another condition) and she notices that her knee pain is doubled. That is because the fluid in the joints/cartilage is reduced and the knee bones are rubbing without that cushion. Is it not possible this could also be the case with horses? I wonder if there are studies out there on this...and that's why you mostly see horses run on BOTH bute and salix. You may be helping the pulmonary bleeding - but I wonder if the cure is worse for the animal!

I think regulation on a national level is critical. Perhaps stricter requirements could be put into place on determining of a horse needs certain drugs. We need to push towards the goal of improving racing's image while we are improving the health and durability of the breed. If there are no bettors/fans...then who is left to care if the horses are sound? Racing will have flatlined.

re: The History of Drugs in America

sceptre — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:23:13 GMT

JerseyBoy:

Very cute, but as usual, it misses the mark, and you miss the point.

Everything I cited had been previously documented. No "proof" was required on my part-it was, and is there for all to see. And that's the whole point- Where is the proof/evidence to refute it? Instead of merely offering opinions, how about doing some reading and research? Perhaps then you might provide us with something constructive.

re: The History of Drugs in America

an ole railbird — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:15:17 GMT

am i wrong in believing that nose bleeds in children are the same as a horse bleeding?? i dont guess i ever researched it. but i always believed it was so.

"an ole railbird"

re: The History of Drugs in America

Karen in Texas — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:02:08 GMT

Footlick---I've never heard of humans having bleeding/hemorrhage within the lungs in the absence of some other disease process. However, since humans are two-legged, upright beings, they (we) would be less prone to develop such a condition as EIPH because of our very different anatomical structure. Horses are 4-legged, obviously, and their chest and abdominal organs are arranged horizontally rather than vertically as they run. The front portion of their trunk contains the heart, lungs; the back portion contains the intestines suspended by ligaments. In between is the diaphragm. When galloping there is a back-and-forth motion that causes the intestines to swing like a pendulum and hit the diaphragm, which then pushes forward squeezing the lungs against the chest wall. The tiny alveoli air spaces within the lungs, which allow oxygen to perfuse into the bloodstream (and CO2 to be exhaled) contain capillary beds to accomplish this; these tiny capillaries are ruptured with the repeated impact of the forward surging intestines. As the capillaries rupture, the bleeding ensues. Rising blood pressure contributes to the problem. Lasix removes fluids and reduces blood pressure in both humans and horses (and other mammals), but humans run in an upright position, unlike equines. I do not advocate the use of Lasix in horses, really, but believe the answer lies in further medical research.