I cannot find anything about the vet’s credentials, other than that he was recently in Rome and other big stick events. He has a Medico Veterinario y Zootechnista (MVZ) which is a five-year undergraduate program of schools in Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. This is just weird to me.
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Same.
I definitely can understand administration of Legend to ensure the horse was feeling his best prior to the next competition ride. Adequan has me scratching my head a little… it’s not as immediate in action. There are many formulations of traumeel and arnica… I wonder how they were given. IV doesn’t make sense to me. Topical does.
The selevit I don’t understand. Especially without testing of the horse’s existing selenium levels. And once the reaction started… I’m shocked they didn’t immediately treat for anaphylaxis. The more I read, the more it’s clear that it’s not uncommon when IV selenium is given.
Very very sad and avoidable.
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So… not a “vet” the way we think of vets?
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Possibly. It’s complicated for sure. The vets at the university hospital near me who hold MVZ’s also hold DVM’s and other diplomas.
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A fair question and I guess comes down to what you think animals inherent rights are. I think you can make an argument either way. Personally as someone whose relative soundness is maintained with daily NSAIDS and various therapies and injections, I don’t feel that my life would be improved by not having those things and not having a job, then I’d just be lame and broke simultaneously. I think most professional athletes have a significant amount of medical therapy to stay in that condition that inherently pushes the extremes of what their body can do. The difference is of course that horses don’t wake up and consent to it, but I’m of the opinion that as long as someone is genuinely looking out to make sure after whatever meds and therapies, the horse is still comfortable and happy to do their job, it’s ethical.
I’d be a hypocrite to eat meat and then say horses shouldn’t have their ability to work for a living as something they’re required to do even in imperfect circumstances, but suffering is never ok. I don’t think they suffer from soreness that’s well manage, even if extensively. I frankly have a bigger issue at the higher levels with the programs that have no real downtime for the horses. Being on the road in some capacity 45 weeks a year is worse for them in my mind than being asked to do something that requires a lot of treatment to maintain soundness, but I know that’s neither here nor there really.
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Perhaps it would be kinder and safer for the horses overall…and prevent some of the off-label uses of stuff… if horses were allowed to receive low doses of NSAIDs at FEI competitions they way they can under national level drug rules…
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That’s what I’m saying. I think this is so odd.
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Giving IV drugs to a healthy horse for routine “recovery” after a competition is asinine.
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I don’t think there is an issue with use of actual tested effective medication like Legend etc. I’d much prefer that to NSAIDs for my own horses (or myself for that matter). I think the issues are with what I can only call superstitious use of untested substances. Homeopathy is nothing but a belief in magic.
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Looks like the Chronicle updated the first portion of their article late yesterday, with revised and additional statements from USEF… I bolded each. It seems like they are slightly walking back from EIPH, and now claiming that they do not definitively know the cause of death. 
The off label use of selevit is an obvious issue. Their most recent statements are not really helping this PR debacle.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement revised by the U.S. Equestrian Federation for clarity and a comment from USEF Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Stephen Schumacher.
The final necropsy report for Chromatic BF, the American horse who died at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in Riyadh in April, was completed June 8. It states that the horse died of pulmonary hemorrhages and edema, which “could be attributed to multiple causes, including disseminated intravascular coagulation, cardiopulmonary failure, shock and exercise-associated fatal pulmonary hemorrhage.”
The gelding’s breeder and owner KC Branscomb and the U.S. Equestrian Federation disagree about what caused the fatal pulmonary hemorrhaging. Branscomb believes her horse died as a result of anaphylactic shock brought on by an intravenous injection of Selevit, Legend, Adequan and arnica administered by USEF team veterinarian Dr. Diego Ulibarri, MVZ, minutes before the horse started seizing and collapsed.
USEF officials, on the other hand, say the report indicates the pulmonary hemorrhage was brought on by strenuous exercise in the horse. Roughly two hours before his death, “Chromatic” had jumped to third place in the second round of the World Cup Final.
“We have received the final necropsy report for Chromatic BF, who passed away at the FEI World Cup Finals in April,” USEF said in a statement updated Tuesday afternoon for clarity. “The cause of the death was severe diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage and edema, which could be attributed to multiple causes, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), cardiopulmonary failure, shock and exercise-associated fatal pulmonary hemorrhage. The report further indicates that the histopathologic findings raise the suspicion of fatal equine exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, despite Chromatic BF not exhibiting any overt signs of such condition. According to the final report, the administered medications were not identified as the cause of death.”
The report notes, after naming the multiple possible causes for the hemorrhage, that “[t]o narrow down this differential list, complete hematology and biochemical analyses from blood collected at the time of death should have been provided.”
It concludes with the comment cited by USEF, that the histopathological findings, or study of the tissue samples, “raise the suspicion of equine-induced fatal pulmonary hemorrhage.”
USEF Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Stephen Schumacher indicated the necropsy report is not conclusive as to the cause of the hemorrhage and edema.
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“Our vet gave a horse a drug that’s known for causing anaphylactic reactions, and the horse almost immediately had what presented like a fatal anaphylactic reaction. Obviously the horse died of unknown causes.”
Sure.
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I completely agree with you but because she signed that “loan agreement” with USEF it appears that the team vets had total control over whatever treatment they felt was necessary. It seems that already they have rewritten that agreement but too late for Chromatic.
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With all due apologies to the mustelids, what a bunch of weasel-wording.
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Agreed. It seems like lawyers and PR people devised the first statements pointing at EIPH… then they saw the public reactions to yesterdays’ reports (everyone thinks that’s BS), and tried to walk it back a little, while still claiming the cause of death is inconclusive because of the lack of a blood sample taken at the time of the incident.
This is not what a competent PR/crisis management response looks like.
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I had a similar loan agreement when they used my mare for the Pan Ams Modern Pentathlon in Toronto. It never occurred to me they could do stuff like medicate your horse without your permission. Not that they likely would have for that sport, but the agreement was basically the same. Makes me sick thinking about it now, what I opened myself up to!
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I suppose USET has been advised by lawyers to deny, deny, deny. Considering some of their biggest long-time donors hail from Boeing and Johnson & Johnson they must be well used to deflecting blame. In this case, however, I foresee the blowback being HUGE. They’d be better off to admit the obvious rather than lose the support of their entire grassroots base.
And the FEI has to better police the one-upmanship of competitive sports medicine. Just because you seeDr Paddy Ireland or Dr Fredi Belgium trotting around with their mystery knapsack of potions doesn’t mean you have to leap into action for the glory of the USA. We need to send vets with the teams, not chemists. Where’s Midge Leitch when you need her? Those were the days.
I hope they didn’t really stick sludgy Legend into the same syringe as Selevit. That’s what it sounds like and that needs clarification.
My heart goes out to the horse’s connections. That is life-changing trauma.
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I feel like Adequan and Legend manufacturers should make a statement that this is NOT how their products should be used. I am willing to bet no studies have been done on this smorgasbord of an injection following a big event. And I highly doubt traumeel has been utilized along with FDA approved meds in studies.
I am shocked at the audacity of this vet and heartbroken for the horse’s people.
Heads need to ROLL and the Chromatic Rule needs to be implemented to prevent another senseless tragedy like this.
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My question on this is… why?
I suspect it’s a foregone conclusion that EVENTUALLY either the vet or USEF’s insurance policies will end up paying the owner compensation for the wrongful death of the horse. They used the selevit off label. There is a known risk of anaphylaxis.
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I don’t know. I think it’s still unclear as to when/how the Adequan, Legend and Traumeel were given. I did not come away from the reports with the impression that all meds were given via a single syringe. Only that they were all listed on the necropsy report. But there were other errors in the report, so it’s confusing.
It does seem quite clear from all reports that the horse was given 20 cc of selevit IV only minutes before he died.
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I’m sure you assumed your horse would be receiving the best of medical care from the USEF vets, I know I would have. Now we know better!
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