NCHA allows the use of Acepromazine.
The people who made up the “research” panel were appointed by the current NRHA president. Made up of professionals and top non pros. I cannot find a list of who exactly is on this panel, but the omission of any veterinarians is telling.
Also - there is no drug out there that is dosed the same regardless of the size of animal. Furthermore, NRHA is encouraging the use of a drug that can only be compounded at this time.
This is absolutely not true re: effect. While I don’t LTD, a 7am lunge and then putting the horse back to chill, snooze and fill his belly is absolutely effective to take the edge off for the full day for a lot of horses. Especially young ones who tend to be a bit reactive and may play hard and get excited on the lunge. I try to give those ones at least 2-3 hours between lunge and ride time, but more is better.
And that isn’t the ace that tranquilizes, that’s the ace that is a medication for HYPP positive horses. Two different drugs.
yes, which is why they are grey area.
Pergolide in particular is pushing the limits. Since there is an approved form, the only justification is that the horse will not take it in that form. For the most part, that’s not true, those little pills are easy to give. And theoretically the compounded drug should be made from Prascend, which it is generally not as that would not allow the prices they have. If the FDA cared, they could go after it, but they don’t.
For now the FDA looks the other direction because veterinarians NEED a lot of these drugs to practice.
Here is an explanation of the difference in compounding from an approved drug and compounding with bulk ingredients
[quote=“bugsynskeeter1, post:101, topic:775827”]
NCHA allows the use of Acepromazine. [/quote]
Supposedly for treatment of illness or injury only, but there seems to be some wiggle room in the actual rule as it says can be used “for the safety and welfare”
From NCHA rulebook
[quote] > 3. Conditionally Permitted Therapeutic Medication
Because the welfare of the horse is the No. 1 priority, a conditionally permitted therapeutic medication, such as approved antibiotics, can be administered or prescribed by a licensed veterinarian for a legitimate illness or injury. However, it must be done no less than 24 hours before competing (except for Acepromazine Maleate (PromAce®) see section 3.a below) and each of the requirements listed in section 3.b below must be met to prevent disciplinary action if the medications are detected in plasma samples.
a.
Ex
amples of Conditionally Permitted Medications Acepromazine Maleate (PromAce®) is considered a conditionally approved medication when used for the safety and welfare of the horse and administered as prescribed by a licensed veterinarian. (Medication Report Must be Submitted)
b
. Requirements for Administering Conditionally Permitted Medications
• A written medication report, available from NCHA or show management, must be completed in its entirety, and filed with show management before exhibition of the horse.
• A licensed veterinarian must administer or prescribe the medication (except for PromAce® which only requires a medication report) and must also document that the administration of the medication is necessary for the legitimate treatment of illness or injury. The form must also contain:
- [/quote]
A whole lot of horses require owners to jump through enormous hoops to get them to eat 1 little pink pill.
And not all horses are dosed at 1mg, so anything in a non-whole number dose, can legally be compounded. And if a horse really does require a paste or powder, that can legally be compounded if the drug doesn’t come in that form.
Thanks for the link, I think I get it now - if compounding pergolide to be say, a 1.5mg dose, then technically, legally, they have to start with Prascend, and go from there. And technically, legally, it’s not allowed to pull together the piece-parts that were used to legally make Prascend itself.
So that begs the new question - if piece-parts are legally used to make FDA-approved drugs, why can’t they also be used to make the compounded version? It seems that an FDA-approved Prascend should by default mean the piece-parts themselves are approved
Sorry for the tangent, I never knew about this side of compounding.
“safety and welfare” refers to having to lope them less before competing. It had been a part of their rulebook for over a decade.
What do they do at home? Do these horses basically live on ace?
I don’t show cutters, but to my knowledge no.
The piece parts aren’t approved per se. The manufactures of Prascend get their bulk ingredients from a supplier that is using approved manufacturing conditions and has been inspected. All of the steps will be under FDA scrutiny. For someone using bulk ingredients, there is no telling who made the bulk material or what controls they have employed. They might be fine or they might be a fly by night CRO somewhere. I could call a CRO in China and have them make me almost any drug I wanted (for research purposes). The quality of that product will vary.
I do trust some of the better compounding pharmacies to source their materials from good places in general, but there are no guarantees.
that’s what I meant by wiggle room
the other drugs say illness or injury specifically, but the “safety and welfare” statement allows for other use.
Home is different that show environment. Aside from the strange place and all the commotion of a show, you have the human factor. A rider at home is relaxed, horse is relaxed. A rider at a show is nervous, the horse is nervous. Personally I think they should quit drugging the horses and drug the riders!
So the thought is that endless loping will calm the horse down. Did anyone try just like… walking the horse around for an hour or so, let him see everything?
Or is it the amateur riders that trigger the “lope that horse down” thought?
Ahhh, gotcha. Thank you!
IME boarding at a farm that had cutters, they spent time on the walker (trotting for about 15 minutes and walking for over an hour), and were ridden pretty much every day, and not just puttered around on. They either loped them on their trail they had mowed through the old back pasture, or worked them on the flag in the arena or rode in the outdoor pen. Every few days they would take them on a trail ride through the local park to just let down. Those horses were fit, like they have to be to not tear something when they are working cattle. Did they ace at shows, I don’t know, I didn’t go with them to more than one.
Margarita shots!
That’s not going to keep one very fit horse from coming apart on a cow…
Throw cows in the mix and everything changes.
I don’t agree with doping in any fashion.
There’s lots of sports with VERY fit horses and adrenaline-inducing endeavors (eventing, anyone?). Yet… cutting uses ace at shows to try and make the horse rideable.
They’re not special, from a horse sport perspective.
@bugsynskeeter1 there are other cowhorse events, no?
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