Trainers are once again reminded to read and carefully examine product labels before administering any products to horses
. A recent increase in positive tests for the Class II drug lidocaine, a local anaesthetic agent, has prompted the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) to advise trainers they should consult an ORC licensed veterinarian to inquire about the drug's effect on the horse, and to be very cautious with the administration of antibiotic ointments.
The Rules of Racing state that any horse with a positive for a Class I, II, III drug, or a substance determined to be non-therapeutic, shall be declared ineligible to race in Ontario for a period of 90 days. As well, under rule changes introduced in January 2008, a trainer of a horse with a positive test will be considered to have absolute liability for the offence.
ORC Veterinarian Supervisor Dr. Bruce Duncan says horse people need to be aware of all the ingredients being administered to their animals. “Trainers need to be vigilant and check the labels of all products given to horses in their care. That’s a basic aspect of medication control.”
In numerous Notices issued over the past five years, the ORC has reminded all licensees that medication control is vital to the integrity of racing and the efforts to protect the health of the horse. A previous Notice to the Industry referring to lidocaine was issued in December 2010.
Trainers are reminded that by being aware of the contents of all products administered to horses, they will be more likely to know if any ingredient will result in a positive test.
(ORC)
Gavin, I totally agree with
Gavin, I totally agree with you. Lets quit taking care of the horses properly. You can't use soap in the test barns at Windsor, Dresden and Sarnia. Absolutely ridiculous. The 90 day suspension for a horse with a positive test is also ridiculous. The horse is automatically suspended but the trainer that administered the drug gets to race for another month or longer while the poor owner is still paying a bill on a horse that can't race or is forced to sell the horse for a fraction of what it is truly worth. The ORC can't handle what they have now without coming up with ridiculous tests like this. Again, WE REALLY NEED TO STICK TOGETHER AS AN INDUSTRY AND GET A NEW LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMISSION BEFORE THEY CLOSE US DOWN FOR GOOD
Absolute liability is not
Absolute liability is not worth it. Did horsemen just suddenly, in the past 6 months, out of the blue decide to treat their horses with these ointments OR have the testing thresholds been secretly changed?
I will from now on; let the hopple burns go pink and raw, the heel cracks fester and ooze, the horsefly bites swell and itch - some guys are just trying to help their animals be more comfortable and happy (Remember all the "welfare of the animal" stuff we've been talking about lately). Hopefully the authorities won't show up at my place down the road and fine me for not attending to the needs of my animals - sorry guys not worth the risk - oh ya I'll be bathing them with just plain water now too.
Bravo Blair Burgess. You
Bravo Blair Burgess. You make excellent points. The small amount of "illegal substance" however is not in a illegal product. These products are readily available for sale all over the world. The substance is ruled as banned by the ORC or whatever body makes that decision, in the racing industry, it in itself is not illegal. Those who make these decisions and so harshly punish innocent and unsuspecting trainers, the likes of whom we want to be part of this industry, do not take this into consideration. The minute amounts that come up in these tests as Blair says do not enhance performance in any way.
The punishments are a travesty of justice and serve only to discourage and inflict major hardship on good people, many of whom can not afford it.
I would like to think that if some of these cases ended up in a real court of law that the outcome would be in favor of the trainors. Problem is it is very costly.
One last point. The testing these days is such that I am sure the results could differentiate wether the so called illegal substance in the horse entered the horse via a topical application (appled to the skin) of a legally available over the counter product or if the banned substance was injected in a much larger dose. If injected the test would read much higher and would not show the presence of other ingredients used in the creams. Donna Higgs
Sure that is part of our
Sure that is part of our jobs to be vigilant but ultimate trainer responsibility is a great burden that may not even be commensurate with the rewards that may come from racing horses for a living. Any trainer with a significant number of horses under their care (often an indicator of success) may not be able to monitor all their animals 24/7. In addition, shouldn't there be some discretion on the side of the Commission when handing out a 90 day horse suspension and a significant trainer suspension fo something like a Lidocaine positive? Were the performances of the horses in question enhanced? I doubt it. One would think the intent of such extreme penalties is to punish those who were trying to get an unfair advantage, not those that forgot to read a label and allowed a small amount of an illegal substance in a horse's system.
In addition to products like
In addition to products like this people should not be mislead by products with a big "ALL NATURAL" somewhere on the label. Many so called natural products break down and leave residues that are indicative of common restricted drugs.
If a product (medicinal or herbal) does not give a complete listing of the contents that can be checked against a commissions restricted lists it should be suspect. It is wise to remember that while it is an extreem example both arsenic and cyanide are "ALL NATURAL". The term is widely misused and there is no regulatory standard in place to protect users from unexpected results.
Also be aware that the labelling regulations in the USA are not the same as in Canada and there is the chance that full label disclosure in Canada and the USA mean different things. Just because something can be purchased in the USA does not mean it would be legal on Canadian store shelves.
Don't get caught looking for 90 days of turnout or a part time job at Timmys because the analyst is better at his job than you are.
Jake Davidson, PAS
ARPAS Registered Equine Nutritionist