And I’m
Not arguing that. There should be more on both lists.
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I’ve been punished for cetrizine which is Zyrtec when I forgot to do my horse’s med report. I withdrew him 24 hours before but forgot to do the med report. You know when you are going to a show you have a lot going on and sometimes things are forgotten. They expect the med report within an hour after last admin of meds. So if you feed at 6 and put your horse in the trailer you better be sure you’ve done that med report before 7. Or you better have internet reception in your barn (which I do not in PA). I forgot after heading to a show. They originally told me I was in violation of not filling out the med report. When I explained that yes I gave him cetrizine he rubs his skin off otherwise, and I forgot to file my report but I did withdraw for the 24 hours, they decided instead that I was in violation of using the actual drug which really pissed me off. If they looked back I had filed a million such reports all the months preceding. I’m an amateur who does all my own care, signs as trainer. I know the rules but I juggle a lot of things so I screwed up and boy did they take their pound of flesh. $$$
My point is don’t judge people entirely by the public shaming in the back of the magazine.
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Raking the little guy over the coals while the big guys have horrific and sometimes blatant, violations. Way to go USEF.
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On the USEF website.
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I don’t know the VIP sneaker nor do I know their circumstances but is there a chance that person was just starving?
They could just be someone who thinks rules don’t apply to them but there is a chance that they can’t afford food and were desperate.
I’d venture to say (and got pounced on elsewhere recently for saying this) that the vast majority of med violations are like this, or misjudging how the rings were running when administering legal meds and ending up over the limit after a permitted dose just given too late. (Or the myriad robaxin issues because people with less paranoia than myself just throw the compound in the feed and they can be licking the bucket 4 hours later…) I question the utility of really nailing everyone every spring for allergy medications in the face of limited resources that could be directed at throwing the book at testing the horses actually falling down, but apparently that’s unpopular.
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I suppose that a board member of the Oregon Dressage Society could be “starving” but I think it’s unlikely. If a person doesn’t have enough food there are other ways to get it that don’t involve dishonesty.
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I remember that thread. I can see where it is not hard to have a legal drug timing infraction, the tolerances are so tight and standards for clearance are developed off so few animals (oftentimes research herds that don’t represent the competition breed or work level). If someone ends up on that list once I’m not going to sit in judgement, but of course, I also expect them to shut up* and take the punishment too… But if you end up on the list more than once, I hope the penalties escalate.
'* by this I mean not to whine endlessly and berate the governing body. I’m all for education, like the timing example on the D&M report
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Did anyone attend the town hall at Split Rock? I’m just reading the email about it. Of course I am not in favor of the proposal to extend withdrawal time for therapeutic substances to 48 hours (for the same reasons I think some substances that are good for the horse’s general health and wellbeing in managing chronic conditions, regardless of competition should be permitted under a TUE procedure or just be permitted period and not have any withdrawal time).
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I wonder if that is because of the sheer number of Zyrtec positives, that maybe with more data they’ve figured out the therapeutic dose levels don’t clear reliably in 24 hours?
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It doesn’t clear that fast, which is why a medication report is required.
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Or, more correctly, maybe the allowed therapeutic level of Zyrtec is still too high in too many cases after 24 hours. Obviously it doesn’t clear if you need a meds report, that’s kind of the purpose of the report. BUT a meds report isn’t a free pass for any level of a substance, right? So what I’m saying is that maybe too many horses are showing up with too high a level and it’s enough to raise a red flag. The options are increase the w/d time or give guidance on the amount allowed x days before the 24 hr w/d. The latter seems less workable. But hey, all this is speculation on my post, so who knows
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I recently spoke with an attorney who handles some of the D&M cases for members, and she said that there really isn’t a way to gauge the levels for meds like that, and so any positive will create an issue unless you have a med report. You also need to file a med report if you have given the substance within the WEEK before the show. And for some things like Zyrtec, the acceptable therapeutic dose can be a huge range ad far as mg/kg and once or twice a day. I don’t know anything about people having issues with Zyrtec positives, but my understanding (as someone who uses Zyrtec but hasn’t had the horse tested anywhere yet) is that there isn’t a “limit” for the drugs that are allowed with med report. And there is no way for the labs to be that precise with it. But if you do not timely file the report and you get tested, then that is a problem regardless of the level or the purpose. I got the impression that this attorney could make the same arguments whether someone gave a prescribed 24 Zyrtec 24 hours before or they actually broke the rules and gave 12 say 12 hours before because the test isn’t that sensitive. I have not personally tested this theory, but I also don’t do these equine law issues either so took their word for it as more of an expert in the area.
Which only goes to support my main point that it’s stupid to require withdrawal of some therapeutic substances at all, and TUEs should be available for things other than Pergolide. Like for allergy/asthma support, metabolic support, or other chronic conditions where I think it’s more of a welfare problem to skip doses or stop for several days for these long shows. Like, ok, your IR horse could be medicated and happy and able to compete and live life more normally, or you have to risk Hyperinsulinemia if you want to horse show because you have to stop the meds.
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I know a trainer that got dinged on the compounded Robaxin. She later found out that the compounded powder was causing issues with other trainers. It was not mixed with the flavoring very well. Therefore, it was possible you were feeding a scoop which should have been say 500 mg and was closer to 650 mg. It was then taking longer to clear the horse’s system due to the overdose
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Somewhat removed from Zyrtec and the VIP tent but the Senate is holding a hearing today at 2:30 about the effectiveness of the World Anti-Doping Agency that can be watched on C-Span. I believe Marsha Blackburn of TN is the chair of this sub-committee. Good to see them giving time to this pressing concern.
https://www.c-span.org/event/senate-committee/fmr-olympic-swimmer-katie-mclaughin-others-testify-on-world-anti-doping-agency/434022
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I read all the drug and med findings in the USEF magazine when it comes out just to keep an eye on what I need to be aware of and I’d guess nearly half of them have something to do with robaxin. The people I know who had a violation for it all, like your friend, were using the compounded powder within the allowed times but still had an issue. I’d be afraid to use it at a show, personally.
My vet worked with USET for a long time and thinks that unless we move to FEI’s drug policy, our sport will die out in the face of animal rights activists. I have a hard time believing that NSAIDs or other safe medications, used responsibly, are a horse welfare concern, and it bums me out that I think that ultimately Dobbin who would really appreciate a dose of banamine at the show the same way his rider appreciates a tylenol will likely have that option removed from him because all the “anti doping” efforts lump that in the same category as Susie Shithead is doing an off label cardioversion in the tack stall to wear out the new import without putting him on a lunge line.
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Questions re the latest town hall: ‘It’s Time For A Culture Change’: USEF Town Hall Tackles Horse Welfare Issues - The Chronicle of the Horse
Are horse collapses so common that a stronger rule than already exists is required to police it? If a horse collapses and it is witnessed and reported, is there a requirement that drug testing is performed on that horse? Is there a requirement that the rider of that horse, say a junior or amateur, is notified of its collapse? Forgodssake I can’t believe I’m even having to ask these questions.
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Are there really any performance enhancing or masking effects for these medications? Because I don’t have a dog in this hunt at all, but the proposal to go from 24 to 48 hours doesn’t seem great.
My allergies alone would really mess me up in 48 hours.
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I mean I once literally had a dog with seasonal allergies, and if we did not give her pupper zyrtec every 24 hours, you knew it. She was miserable.
Surely there can be some common sense legislation? There are things I totally see 48 hours being better for, but allergy meds aren’t one of them IMO.
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Witnessed and reported being the important aspects of this situation. Many are claimed to have been seen, but often they go unreported to the stewards, and witnesses are bullied to keep their mouths shut or delete video evidence.
If a collapse is reported in a timely manner, there are requirements as to testing and veterinary care.
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