Re: Glucosamine & Condroitin

[Magnumsmom@aol.com]

Tara Wheeler <harpy@io.com> wrote:
> 1200mg Chondroitin Sulfate
> 1200mg Glucosamine HCI
> 1200mg Glucosamine Sulfate
> 1200mg Glucosamine Potassium
> 300mg N-Acetyl D Glucosamine
> 300mg Ascorbate
> 100mg Manganese Proteinate
> 
> Is all this stuff legal? 

Tara, I wrote about MSM because quite a few of the the CS / GAGS
supplements also add MSM these days for a synergistic affect.  And
it does work better in our retired horses, but would "test as illegal"
at an AERC endurance ride.

What you have listed appears to be Condroitin, 4 "types" of Glucosamine
compounds, a vitamin C, and a magnesium compound.  Vit C and magnesium
are both believed to have a synergistic affect with the CS / GAGS.
I don't believe any of the items on your list would "test positive"
at an endurance ride.

Come right out and say "legal"?  Well, that depends on the interpretation
of the rules.  Some still believe that anything past hay and water isn't
"legal" within the rules.  But I think the majority of the people who are AERC
members would agree that it's a good idea to worm your horses for their
benefit and health... to avoid colic for instance.  Most riders feed a good
quality vitamin supplement.  And we know that, say, testing positive for a
drug like bute is against the rules.  Everything in between is a "grey area"
unless specifically published as "legal" within the rules.

We could say that none of the items you list would "test positive", therefore
they are legal, but that interpretation of the AERC rules doesn't work either
since it's quite possible to have a "new drug" which does have a pain killing
or anti-inflamitory affect but doesn't show up on the test run that day.
Yet we would all agree a "new drug" like that would not be within the 
intention
of the AERC rules as published, would not be good sportsmanship, and
certainly would not be in the best interest of the horse.

If anyone else wants to go out on a limb here and say "yes, they are legal",
please do.  Is there a published list yet?  Basically, a lot of us riders 
have to
make up our own minds on these things unless something more specific is
published by the AERC.

Kathy Myers
AERC # 14992
in No. Cal with Magnum the TB ex-racer
and Mr Maajistic... resident endurance Arab