[QUOTE=2bayboys;4707570]
But how do you determine the intent of the administration? Orangeone’s pony has ulcers and once treated, performs better in the show ring. Did she treat the pony to cure his ulcers or treat him because the ulcer med makes him jump better and have cleaner lead changes? If it’s the latter, she’s cheating. If it’s the former, she’s a responsible owner.[/QUOTE]
Is this a serious or rhetorical question? Look, the USEF rules are ostensibly about limiting cheating-- not allowing us to train through chemistry. But at bottom they’re about the animal’s welfare. Taking the time to teach an animal to do it’s job, or breeding one that is willing and able to do that ends up creating a better life experience for the horse.
So treating pain that manifests itself as poor behavior hardly violates the spirit of the USEF med rules. I don’t think the USEF wants to get into trainers’ or riders’ ways of diagnosing pain or their motives for removing it.
As to the “my gelding needs medical help for a ‘hormone imbalance’”? I think that’s a stickier situation. What counts as a hormone “imbalance” as opposed to a “within normal limits” physiology that happens to produce behavior we don’t like?
Purists, I suppose, would argue that the stallion who can’t man up and do his job in mixed company isn’t good enough. For centuries, however, we have collectively agreed to lower our standards for “a good mind” by gelding our horses. FWIW, I don’t think it’s doing the gene pool any favors to mask intractable or PITA minds in mares and geldings.
We also have perhaps unreasonable standards for behavior in the hunter ring. A gelding climbing over fences to mount mares? I can see taking action to curb that behavior. And no one ought to worry because he won’t pass his traits on to a new generation. But the horse who pins his or her ears during a lead change or swishes the tail? If that behavior requires a chemical cure, I think we are headed down the western pleasure road.
