A few years back my niece was riding academy with a saddlebred farm. Seems like she was the only kid with relatives who knew something about horses, which the trainer forgot one day at a small show and came out of a horse’s stall with a needle in his hand. Looked me straight in the eye and slinked away. Gave me some insight into how their less capable students were getting through a class. Like a lot of folks have mentioned in this thread, it’s most definitely not something I would do, but… didn’t feel like it was my place to say anything. But I did lose respect for their whole operation and was glad when she switched barns.
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We actually have cross ties and lights in a lot of of our stalls for this very reason.
You know what else makes me nuts??? Crosstied horse poops in the aisle or rider grooms horse and makes a mess, doesn’t clean up. I call them out on it, and frequently get told, “well, I was going to do that when I was done riding” REALLY? Make everybody else have to deal with your sloppy mess, cuz you can’t be bothered to clean up asap? Gitouttahere!! I have to ride my instructors about this constantly… palm/face
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I wish we had that at my barn!
Our manager doesn’t enforce anything and it drives me crazy!
I just stumbled on this thread and…W T actual F? There are people who not only condone showing drugged horses, but who promote it as a way to keep riders safe?
Nope.
Ace / dorm, etc is great if you are trying to keep a horse on stall rest quiet, hand walk one without it turning into a kite flying adventure, or turning one out for the first few times after stall rest.
In no way is it safe to ride a sedated horse. I don’t care if it’s even “just a little bit” sedated. That’s like saying it’s fine to drift just a little bit drunk because you are just a little bit impaired.
Never mind the whole immoral, cheating side of the equation.
If your students can’t safely manage their horse in the show ring - and that includes a horse who may spook or get a little up, then you have no business allowing that student to compete on that horse.
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I just switched barns. Came from an Arab show barn that had a string of show horses, some retirees, and me, the only boarder who showed. The trainer was a perfectionist and boarder or not, you’d better leave your area clean when you were done. Barn was always immaculate, orderly, and reflected the trainer’s experience earlier in life when they were responsible for high $$$$$ horses.
Moved to the best boarding barn in the area in August. I really like it, it’s well run and orderly. But being around many boarders has its pluses and minuses. I like the social aspect and everyone so far has been friendly and helpful. But DANG people, clean up after yourselves! I told the barn manager I was going to buy him one of those “Clean up after yourself, your mother doesn’t work here” signs. We seem to have a minority of people who are allergic to brooms. Arab trainer would be having an aneurysm. And no amount of nagging from owner and BM seems to work.
Sigh.
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I have used Ace for rehab on a few horses. I had one where the trainer used SediVet for a change as she generally prefers it for rehab. She feels they are less likely to blow through it. I distinctly got the feeling he didn’t know where his hind feet were. The other rider in the ring could see it. I have not gotten that feeling with that horse and Ace. Therefore the feeling you were getting from that horse may have been his particular reaction to that drug. I have rehabbed 3 horses using Ace and never gotten that feeling.
I have also used it a few times for a first paperchase for a young horse and never felt concern that he didn’t know where his feet were. However I generally am using a very tiny amount. Like .5 or less.
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Great statement to make that I agree with, but it is not reality. Never will be. Go watch the lunging pad at indoors. You’ll be clutching your pearls to find out most of those horses are prepped like that all year
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I think many people discount local show results as they know that a horse may have been medicated.
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They were caught using Adderall without following the proper protocols
No they weren’t. They tested positive for Adderall, which they all had prescriptions for and which would have been exempted for therapeutic use if it had been reported in advance.
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Ok thanks. I still call bs . These were upper level eventers at the very top
They knew you can’t do crap like that. And it’s easy to get backdated scrips with the right doctors
Do
You know they weren’t snorting it? I remember seeing something from the investigation that said at least one was.
It acts much faster that way
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All three claimed they had ADDH and one said thank you to the FEI process for making the diagnosis. All served a 12 month ban.
At least one (Jennie Brannigan, I believe), said that the ADHD was at least partially triggered from previous repeated head traumas.
Regardless, even if people think it’s BS, the medication had been physician-prescribed, they just hadn’t gone through the proper procedures to get the exemption, and were sanctioned. (The issue of whether these meds are over-prescribed goes beyond the horse industry, of course.)
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All three knew darn good and well that it had to be reported. They just thought they would get away with it.
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It is worth noting that “getting the exemption” is not a sure thing. Not all TUEs (therapeutic use exceptions) are granted, and having the medication prescribed by a doctor for a diagnosed condition is not enough in and of itself to support the granting of a TUE.
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Very true! But if ADHD meds are prescribed for the aftereffects of repeated concussions by some doctors, I wouldn’t be surprised if such an exemption becomes a more common request in the future!
I would have no problem using Trazadone when taking a young horse to a new place or getting it acclimated to trailering and things that it is unfamiliar with if I think there’s going to be a blow up. That said, I don’t believe in using it as an advantage to showing. I’m OK with using that if taking a horse to a show just to school and not compete though
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You don’t think there are safety risks in riding a drugged horse?
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There are always safety risks, especially when riding a drugged horse. The balance in that situation is - are the effects of the drug more dangerous than a potentially explosive reaction that a horse might have under saddle or even on the longe line in a new place.
If I personally had a choice, I would rather err on the side of caution and have a nice easy flat with .5cc of ace than a horse who might injure both itself and me (and maybe others) with wild behavior.
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Trazadone is recommended by vets. It is not a tranquilizer, it is an anxiety drug. At the correct dosage it is perfectly safe. If it means helping an anxious horse or keeping me from getting dumped on my butt I’m OK with it. But then I don’t have as much “padding” as some folks😏
