Will federal legislation save American racing or help its horses? Don’t bet on it!

by JANE ALLIN On July 16, 2015 Congressmen Andy Barr (R-KY) and Paul Tonko (D-NY), the co-chairs of the Congressional Horse Caucus, introduced the bipartisan Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act of 2015 (H.R. 3084). The rationale behind the legislation is to establish a solitary, impartial organization that would create and enforce uniform national anti-doping regulations for…

Competition Horse Medication Ethics, Part 1 of 2

By SID GUSTAFSON, DVM Practitioner/Equine Behaviour Educator, Bozeman, MT Part 1 of 2 Appreciation of the evolved nature and behavior of horses provides the foundation for the veterinary care of equine athletes. The establishment of a veterinary patient client relationship (VCPR) is instrumental in providing ethical care for the competition horse. Ethical veterinary practice supports…

Despite a Triple Crown all that glitters is not gold in American horse racing (Part 3)

by JANE ALLIN Part 3 of 3 THE OTHER END OF THE RABBIT HOLE Claiming Races This brings us to the claiming races. From available information, probably over 70% of races taking place in North America are claiming races. One a horse wins — or breaks his maiden — that number rises. Claiming races have…

Despite a Triple Crown all that glitters is not gold in American horse racing (Part 1)

by JANE ALLIN Part 1 of 3 After almost four decades, and several generations of racing fans, the drought has finally ended. On June 7, 2015 American Pharoah thundered down the stretch at Belmont Park effortlessly dominating his competitors winning the Belmont by a rousing 5 ½ lengths to become the 12th Triple Crown Champion…

Video — From Cradle to Grave: Horse Racing Exposed

This year, while those in the U.S. who are involved with horse racing are drooling over the possibility of a Triple Crown winner, those who detest this cruel and deadly business think only of its victims — the racehorses. Here is a video which does a good job of exposing much of what goes on.…

Harness trainer Pena banned 3 years, fined $343,400 for 1,717 equine drug violations

Updated 4:30 PM EDT. Horse racing in the United States is so corrupt and so cruel to the horses they breed, drug, injure and kill — not including the ones they dump in the slaughter pipline — it is beyond any reasonable explanation why it is still legally able to operate. Except for the little excitement…

Cobalt policy adopted by US horse racing commissioners association

The Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) is formally notifying regulators and their testing labs of a new policy that would make it illegal to administer cobalt to a race horse. The RCI Board of Directors last week voted to sanction trainers of horses that were found to have a cobalt level of 50 parts…

Racing licenses revoked for veterinarians named in racehorse doping charges

Cross-posted from the Paulick Report » By PAULICK REPORT STAFF The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission has revoked all racing licenses for four veterinarians recently named in a federal plea agreement on criminal charges for the “rigging of publicly exhibited contests.” The revocations were dated March 27, one day after plea agreements were entered in U.S.…

Four Penn National Vets Face Federal Charges

Cross-posted from The Blood Horse » By FRANK ANGST In a move that sounded a lot like the other shoe dropping, federal criminal charges have been filed against four racetrack veterinarians involved in treating horses at Penn National Race Course near Grantville, Pa. Late March 26, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of…

National uniform medication program gets a push

TOM LaMARRA, reporting for The Blood-Horse reports: The National Uniform Medication Program wasn't on the agenda at the recent American Horse Council convention, but progress on that front was addressed during forums and in conversations among attendees. State-by-state adoption of model medication rules and the companion multiple medication violation penalty system continues around the country.…