Really? Seasonal allergies should be career ending?
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Agree with trubandloki. I find this line of reasoning (that metabolic condition or chronic conditions that are well controlled with meds means the horse shouldnât show anymore) quite⊠strange.
We already have a problem in the US with retiring horses due to the high cost, which results in horses being neglected or dumped at âauctionsâ. Why would we want to potentially add to that problem by saying that Dobbin, who is completely sound and happy in his job carting little Susie around the 2â6, but also has well controlled PPID, canât compete at USEF shows anymore? Dobbinâs value would plummet at that point and he realistically may not be lucky enough to end up in a non-competing home. Or, Dobbin would go unmedicated to prolong his show career. Iâm not saying itâs right, Iâm just trying to be realistic. The current therapeutic use exemption seems to be the kinder option.
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I can tell you that staying in a program that is well run and acutely attuned to my metabolic horseâs needs has quite literally been lifesaving. In my area only the show barns would have been as meticulous in his med regime, specialized turnout, vet care and diet. Also being in consistent work is the best possible thing for him. Going to the show and doing a division plus a few exercise rides on his days off is MUCH better than being left at home without a job to stand around for a week. Why shouldnât he cart a kid around the lower divisions?
Also, if we only allow perfectly healthy horses into the show ring that just makes the pool smaller and horse prices that much more expensive.
Maybe there should be different rules for lower divisions- comfy happy horses in the lower divisions and crack down more for the big $ hunters. Horses need jobs and kids need (somewhat) affordable mounts to learn the ropes. Iâm all for directing limited resources to go after the worst cases of abuse, and a well controlled metabolic horse in the low childrenâs ainât it.
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Look to overuse of Dex as well. When prescribed by a vet who doses appropriately, Dex is a great medication. When used by persons who do not know the stress it puts on the metabolic system, it becomes a deadly weapon.
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If you think that FEI horses are given time off before needing long term medication then you havenât been in the FEI world.
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They have a TUE for Pergolide because there is a welfare interest in having PPID horses medicated continuously. Why not for EMS or IR horses? Of which there are a lot, especially the quiet easy keepers we like in the hunter ring. Having them in work is much better for them. Sure, they donât need to show, but if they have normal insulin and are happy to work with appropriate management (which sometimes means meds for IR horses even in good weight), why shouldnât they show? What is âcheatingâ about giving them appropriate management at a show that theyâd receive at home for a good quality of life anyway? I think itâs great that we have ways to manage these conditions now. We allow joint injections to help alleviate arthritis symptoms. Why not give other treatments for chronic conditions as prescribed to help a horseâs wellbeing and longevity?
This is a discussion of the therapeutic treatments, not outright banned substances.
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The rest of the world isnât âFEIâ. FEI is the upper levels everywhere. Just like in the US, before you get to the upper levels you show in some variation of the NGB like USEF, and they have their rules just as usef does. But the key difference is that our perception of âthose placesâ usually begins and ends in Europe, which as a culture is in a different place than the US regarding ethical treatment of animals, so their NGBs are far more likely to be at zero tolerance than US organizations. But that doesnât mean that South and Central American, Asian and other countries are closer to Europe or closer to the US in drug rules. But you donât do lower level showing in the FEI, thatâs your NGB and their rules, in Nebraska or the Netherlands.
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Iâm going to double down, more for devilâs advocate purposes than not, and wonder why itâs so important to horse show with a horse that needs to be on medications to compete?
Why arenât (generic) we able to enjoy horses without the competition aspect?
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I think many of âusâ are. Some people are just very competitive and need that outlet. Others arenât able to enjoy their horses independently without supervision, for any variety of reasons . Others enjoy the social aspect of horses, so are in lesson /training barns, and thatâs what you do.
Couple that with the fact that horse showing is a big industry, just look at the number of facilities , whether is WEC or the local rodeo.
But I guess the bottom line is each of got into horses for different reasons and we each get something different from them.
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Horses are athletes. Why canât we (within reason) keep our horses comfortable?
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Is your avatar photo you showing?
For the record, I pretty much never compete anymore and never competed often when I did (finances).
I still think it is crazy to insist a horse with a condition that is safely helped with simple medications should not be able to show on those medications.
We donât tell diabetics, people with high blood pressure, etc. they are not allowed to compete.
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For most of the things weâve been discussing, your question really is, âwhy itâs so important to horse show with a horse who needs to be on medications?â Full stop. âFor competitionâ is a red herring. For allergies and chronic conditions, theyâd be getting those meds to have an enjoyable non-competition life at home as well. Iâm asking, why must we withdraw all therapeutic meds under an arbitrary 24-48 hours before competing if thereâs no science behind that rule or indication that the treatments are performance enhancing for horse shows, and there is actual science indicating the meds must be dosed every day, a couple times a day, for therapeutic benefit? It can thus be against the welfare of the horse, not for it. The TUE process exists but USEF wonât allow it for anything other than Pergolide. Why?
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Using this logic, any human competitor with asthma shouldnât be able to compete in any sports because they might need medicationâŠ
If a horse has a condition which medication resolves, I have no issue with it competing with an approved medication for that specific issue. Just as I have no issue with a human taking allergy medications, or asthma meds, etcâŠ
Also, some horses actually do enjoy getting off the farm and competing.
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I would agree except for allergies. People in the USA routinely move themselves and their horses from the sub-tropics to the desert to the pine forest to the grasslands and back again. There is a lot of untrammeled nature here and although I do not live in a âbadâ allergy area, in the early summer I can watch large clouds of yellow pollen blow around like ground mist from the trees. Itâs common for my car to be so covered in pollen I have to wash the windows. Then in the summer the dust blows and it contains fungal spores.
If that doesnât get you and your horse: there are a half dozen common grass hays and at least three legumes only one of which may be available in your area so you canât just switch easily. Haylage is simply not a thing. The fly season can be 8 months and even if horses some indoors to get away from the flies they are usually bedded on sawdust or shavings. And donât even get me started on the mosquitos a lot of places. Itâs very common to see horses offered at a low price because they need to go move from where they are.
Iâm from northern Europe and there is no comparison in the issue or the tools for management. Seasonal allergies are a huge problem here for a very large part of the year and easily treated with Zyrtec.
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These are totally different questions. Any human with a chronic medical condition can tell you that managing symptoms is not the same as masking symptoms. No one is advocating for using drugs to mask pain and get an unsound horse into the ring, but using medication to genuinely manage a chronic condition and just bring a horse back to baseline shouldnât exclude that horse from competition. It also has nothing to do with whether people can enjoy their horses without competing - many of us can, but if a horse is capable of showing and we enjoy that too why not do both?
The re-sale question is also a big factor. A horse that canât compete has less value and fewer chances for a soft landing than a horse that can. Whether you think thatâs right or wrong doesnât really matter, itâs reality. Keeping show options open gives more horses a shot at loving homes.
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While I agree that most horses do seem to enjoy off the farm experiences, Iâm not so sure about the âand competingâ part.
