VVV, Bill seems as if you were wrong on the publics opinion of therapeutic drugs in racing, and that opinion's ability to have things change.

On the 19th of July more then 40 of North America's most prominent thoroughbred owners announced they had signed a pledge to ban Lasix from being used on their 2yo's in 2012. If you know the permisive attitude to raceday medication in the US then you'll know how big a step this is, and it came about because of the publics attitude to the use of drugs in racing.

The details can be found here. www.cleanhorseracing.org
click on "supporters" to view the opinions of hall of fame trainer D Wayne Lucas and others on the effects of using legal therapeutic medications in racing.

VVV you have advocated the use of therapeutic medications in order to better look after the horses from the demands of racing and help them recover. The North American experience has been that it didn't work that way. But you may get the makings of your list as one of the proposals is a list of 25 permissable therapeutics only (and not on raceday) with withdrawal times.


The debate on this has been raging for the last 12 months or so over there, and in March the New York times ran a 4 part story on racing. In many states lasix,anabolic steroids, corticosteroids, bute and other anti inflamatories/painkillers have been legal on raceday but it is changing. I cant put up a link but if you google "mangled horses and maimed jockeys" you will find it. It contains a video as well and as a word of warning the images are graphic. Also bear in mind the fatality statistics do not include those horse who are "vanned" of the track and subsequently euthanised at a clinic or farm.

This is not harness racing but TB racing so some of you will say what has this got to do with us? Harness racing is conducted under the same medication rules as TB racing. Of course we don't look as bad as the TB's /quarter horses, we don't race in New Mexico for a start, and we do have a sounder breed but for how long?

The legends of harness racing such as Meadow Skipper, Bret Hanover, Albatross, Cam Fella all had lengthy racing careers in an era of heat and final racing on the same day and before race day meds were common. I'll leave you to make your own comparisons with the stallions of today. I think the LBJ is about the only same day heat and final race left.

If someone wants a more detailed read then I recommend this
www.horsefund.org/the-chemical-horse-part-1.php

It is on a horse welfare site but is not at all "lunatic fringe" but well researched and referenced with stats from industry studies and quotes from many respected participants. It is lengthy so allow some time but it comes in parts so is not difficult to read.