Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Equine Medical Director Dr. Mary Scollay has told a legislative subcommittee in the state that new research is showing that the use of cobalt on equines could contribute to exercise-induced respiratory hemorrhaging.
As a report by the Lexington Courier-Journal explains, Dr. Scollay told the subcommittee that some discussions she has had with stewards and researchers have led her to believe that cobalt use is linked to EIPH.
"It may be that cobalt does in fact exacerbate the problem of EIPH, and if that's the case, if it causes increased bleeding in the lungs, it may very well be a self-limiting phenomenon before" a national rules-making body acts, Scollay was cited as saying.
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(With files from the Lexington Courier-Journal)