On Friday, October 7, the Indiana Horse Racing Commission issued a notice to horsepeople and veterinarians reminding them to approach the use of therapeutic medications in a cautious manner.
The Indiana commission stated that, ‘typically this time of year, the commission sees a spike in positive tests, most notably for anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications.’
In its release, the commission recommended that withdrawal times with corresponding dosages and routes of administration specific for use in Indiana be observed. The information can be obtained through the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) website (rmtcnet.com) by clicking on ‘Withdrawal Time Database’ on the homepage and filtering the results to Indiana.
The release also states that the information from the RMTC consists of recommendations from an independent third party and is furnished for guidance only. The withdrawal times found within the database are provided as a public service and intended for general use in consultation with practicing veterinarians. The information reported on the site is often from an administration to a single horse or just a few horses; your horse may differ. Reliance on these guidelines is no guarantee of compliance with Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC) medication rules.
(With files from the IHRC)