A horse trainer once said to me...
A veteran horse trainer once said to me that, "A horse can only run as fast as genetically designed". Well that is certainly true. He was arguing against the use of modern veterinary medication and supplements to enhance a horse's racing performance. The point I made back was, "Yes that is true, but you need to maintain that speed for more than just a furlong". The job of the trainer is to train a horse to maximize the stamina and power behind the speed. The horse must use that speed when he needs to and not all at the beginning because fatigue is inevitable. He must learn to harness the speed and relax in the early pace of the race if he is to maximize his use of this "god given" speed. Just about any horse can run close to his top speed with just a handful 3/8ths workouts. To maintain the stamina it takes to get the horse running a six furlong or more race requires a training regiment that will condition him for rest of the required distance. This argument was in response to the statement made, not just the drug and supplement issue.
The racing commission does substance testing so the sport of horse racing stays on an even playing field and no substance is allowed that will harm the animal. The purpose behind the prohibition of certain substances is that harmful ones can make a horse run beyond the limits of ability. Horses and jockeys are at great risk when "performance enhancing drugs "are used. Substances that increase the heart rate can cause a horse to go into cardiac arrest under the strenuous racing conditions. Practices such as sodium bicarbonate loading (milkshaking) lets the horse run beyond what his body is capable of, by reducing the lactic acid build up that tells the muscles they are done. This is a very dangerous practice and is banned from all racing.
I will not argue to say, "what is allowed, must be given to the horse to give him an advantage". Most trainers are trying to cover all there bases, so to speak. One example of that is the use of first time starters on lasix. Why waste a race just to find out the horse is a bleeder? Maybe your horse never works hard or long enough to bleed in a workout. You don't need to find this out after the race. The trainers feel they must give everything but the kitchen sink to leave no room for pain, respiratory problems or fatigue. This is understandable since it seems like these days if the guy next door is doing it, why shouldn't you have the same "advantage". Of course this can be very expensive practice and not always economical. In a sport where lots of money can be made or lost in a matter of minutes, no one wants to take chances with the thought, "Why didn't I give that horse some of that stuff?". It's sort of like keeping up with the Jones. - Christopher Crocker
The racing commission does substance testing so the sport of horse racing stays on an even playing field and no substance is allowed that will harm the animal. The purpose behind the prohibition of certain substances is that harmful ones can make a horse run beyond the limits of ability. Horses and jockeys are at great risk when "performance enhancing drugs "are used. Substances that increase the heart rate can cause a horse to go into cardiac arrest under the strenuous racing conditions. Practices such as sodium bicarbonate loading (milkshaking) lets the horse run beyond what his body is capable of, by reducing the lactic acid build up that tells the muscles they are done. This is a very dangerous practice and is banned from all racing.
I will not argue to say, "what is allowed, must be given to the horse to give him an advantage". Most trainers are trying to cover all there bases, so to speak. One example of that is the use of first time starters on lasix. Why waste a race just to find out the horse is a bleeder? Maybe your horse never works hard or long enough to bleed in a workout. You don't need to find this out after the race. The trainers feel they must give everything but the kitchen sink to leave no room for pain, respiratory problems or fatigue. This is understandable since it seems like these days if the guy next door is doing it, why shouldn't you have the same "advantage". Of course this can be very expensive practice and not always economical. In a sport where lots of money can be made or lost in a matter of minutes, no one wants to take chances with the thought, "Why didn't I give that horse some of that stuff?". It's sort of like keeping up with the Jones. - Christopher Crocker
posted by Christopher Crocker @ 9:36 AM
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