Perception is defined as “the mental grasp of objects, qualities, etc., by means of the senses; awareness; comprehension”. Of course we all know that the Triple Crown Races are all Thoroughbred races but when tragedies occur in horse racing they are perceived by the media, the racing public, and most of the uninformed general public as occurring in ALL horse racing, be it Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, or Standardbred racing. Consequently the effect of the adverse media attention focuses on Quarter Horse racing as well as the others breeds.

After more than 40 years of involvement in the horse racing industry it still amazes me that, with few exceptions, horsemen are reluctant to look at any of the problems in racing as being RACEHORSE INDUSTRY problems rather than Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse industry problems. That seems to be especially true where media attention and controversy are involved. Whether we, as horsemen and horsewomen involved in Quarter Horse racing like it or not, it is the perception of most readers that all of the problems that have made the headlines recently also involve the Quarter Horse racing industry.

My intention here is NOT to attempt to determine what the cause or causes of the breakdown injuries may have been but rather to look at the effect the publicity and the media’s take on the situation may have on the future of Quarter Horse racing as we know it. In an article several years ago we looked at many of the factors that may contribute to breakdown injury in our racehorses and it appears that many of these same factors are still contributing to these injuries. The problem of breakdown injuries has many potential contributing factors that all need to be addressed but today we are going to look at the media headlines that have been directed toward the medication issue.

It seems to me that we have been making a mistake as an industry in referring to the medication of our race horses as “permissive” medication when, in fact, it is just the opposite………it is VERY tightly controlled. No matter how much we love the sport of horse racing and the horses that participate in it we need to remember that the economics of horse racing are driven by parimutual wagering.

The controlled medication rules were structured many years ago to protect the wagering public rather than the race horses. These controlled medication rules came about because of the perception (there is that word again) that the use of illegal medication was affecting the performance of the horses and thus the outcome of the race which ultimately affected the wagering public. The improved capabilities of the controlled medication programs and the testing laboratories have given them the ability to detect even the smallest amounts of medication that has been administered to a race horse, whether the medication is present at a therapeutic level or not. We have discussed controlled medication and testing in the past so we won’t dwell on it here.

The class of drugs that has received the most media attention of late has been the “steroids” or the anabolic steroids. I discussed their use in a Track Magazine article late last fall and concluded that article with; “Given the improved testing methods allowing for long term detection combined with the questionable efficacy of the drugs, many trainers and veterinarians have stopped using anabolic steroids altogether. Hopefully this decreased usage of anabolic steroids in racing will keep horseracing from becoming the next headline for “steroid” abuse.”. I guess I was already too late in writing that article.

The use of anabolic steroids in our race horses has been discussed in the media by experts for the past 5 weeks but, here again, we are dealing with that perception thing. This class of medication is being blamed, at least in part, as a contributing factor to the breakdowns injuries in racing and it simply isn’t so. Several of the leading veterinarians in the United States have appeared on national TV during the past several weeks and explained in great detail just what these medications do and don’t do. These are not veterinarians that practice on the racetrack and they have no potential personal gains from the use of medication on the racetrack but rather they are experts in their field that can help the public understand that these headlines simply are not factual.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have stringent guidelines in place to insure that the medication of these athletes is tightly controlled. These are quoted here and included for reference;

Therapeutic Medications in Racehorses

The AVMA endorses the American Association of Equine Practitioners' policy on therapeutic medications in racehorses, which reads as follows:

"The AAEP policy on medication in pari-mutuel racing is driven by our mission to improve the health and welfare of the horse. The AAEP policy is aimed at providing the best health care possible for the racehorses competing under the current rules of racing in jurisdictions throughout the United States and Canada while ensuring the integrity of the sport. The AAEP expects its members to abide by the rules of all jurisdictions where they practice. The AAEP condemns the administration of non-therapeutic or unprescribed medications to racehorses by anyone. The AAEP believes that all therapeutic medication should be administered to racehorses by or under the direction of a licensed veterinarian. Health care decisions on individual horses should involve the veterinarian, the trainer, and owner with the best interests of the horse as the primary objective.

The AAEP strongly encourages continued research in determining the therapeutic levels and appropriate withdrawal times that represent responsible use of medication in the racehorse. The AAEP is aware of the dynamics of the development of new products, as well as the continuing evaluation of current medications, and will continue to evaluate its policy based upon available scientific research and the best interests of the horse.

In order to provide the best health care possible for the racehorse, veterinarians should utilize the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available in accordance with medication guidelines designed to ensure the integrity of the sport. To this end, the following are the essential elements of the AAEP policy concerning veterinary care of the racehorse:

• All racing jurisdictions should adopt uniform medication guidelines, testing procedures with strict quality controls and penalty schedules that strive to protect the integrity of racing as well as the health and well being of the horse.

• Stimulants, depressants and local anesthetics or other numbing agents present in a horse at the time of a race should be strictly forbidden.

• Products present in a horse at the time of a race that have been proven to interfere with accurate and effective post-race testing should be strictly forbidden.

• Detection of pharmacologically-insignificant levels of therapeutic medications should not constitute a violation of medication rules.

• No medication should be administered on the day of the race with the exception of furosemide (Salix®).

• In the absence of a more effective treatment for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, the AAEP supports the use of furosemide as a day-of-the-race medication for certified bleeders.

• The AAEP encourages proactive and constructive communication between regulatory bodies and practicing veterinarians and other industry stakeholders.

• The AAEP believes that all veterinarians should use judicious, prudent, and ethical decisions in all treatments to ensure the health and welfare of the horse.

The AAEP endorses increased surveillance and enforcement of the above-mentioned regulations." Approved by the AVMA Executive Board June 2001; reaffirmed June 2007.

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), during their latest meeting, endorsed a December 31, 2008 deadline for nationwide adoption of model rules regulating the use of anabolic steroids in racehorses. RMTC Chairman Dr. Robert Lewis stated, “Our entire board firmly believes that the regulation of anabolic steroids in racehorses is essential to the integrity of horse racing and the welfare of the horse. We are confident that the majority in racing agree with this position, and this is evidenced by the fact that, while there have been public statements questioning how this should best be achieved, there have been no calls for abandoning the goal of regulation of anabolic steroids.” This is in response to the pressure being placed on racing by not only the media and the “humane groups”, but also by Congress.

This pressure to prohibit the use of steroids has now been expanded to include all medication. The proposal is on the table to not even allow controlled therapeutic medication in our racehorses at the racetrack. This is a result of the false perception that all medication, even the tightly controlled use of therapeutic medication where indicated, contributes to the breakdown injuries.

We are all aware that PETA and other well intentioned but misinformed “humane” organizations have also incriminated the use of the whip by the jockeys, racing horses that are too young, too many races too close together, breeding for speed rather than soundness, etc., etc., etc., as causes of the breakdown injuries. Again, the uninformed public has only their perception of what the causes of the injuries may be as they have no informed way to separate fact from fiction. The fact remains that today’s race horse is an individual that exerts maximal effort doing what they have been bred and trained to do and what they love to do and as a result injury may occur in a small number of these athletes. We all know that injury occurs with regularity in horses whether racing or not.

As horsemen and horsewomen involved in our racing industry we need to become more proactive in our attempts to educate the racing public. If we allow Congress to become more involved in the regulation of our industry Quarter Horse racing as we know it could become a thing of the past.

Well, I am not sure if there is a P.S. that is acceptable in journalism but after I had already submitted this article, I just received this information;

The United States House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection has scheduled a hearing--"Breeding, Drugs, and Breakdowns: The State of Thoroughbred Horseracing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred Racehorse"--for June 19 in Washington, D.C.

According to a June 11 release from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the hearing will look at "commercial breeding practices that emphasize speed and precocity over durability, the prevalence of performance-enhancing drugs and other medications, track surfaces, and maintenance of the tracks."

I guess a repeat of the last paragraph may be in order…….. As horsemen and horsewomen involved in our racing industry we need to become more proactive in our attempts to educate the racing public. If we allow Congress to become more involved in the regulation of our industry Quarter Horse racing as we know it could become a thing of the past.