Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Yes, it is applied externally.  It can relieve pain in sore joints and muscles.  I've used it myself on sore muscles...does help.  I've heard that some riders apply it to the fronts of their horses' legs...it irritates the legs and makes them lift their legs higher (so as to better clear the jumps).  I believe I read that one of the Olympic riders (the Irish guy?) whose horse tested positive regularly applied it to his horse's back before work...perhaps the horse had a chronic sore back?

On 8/22/08, Barbara McCrary <bigcreekranch@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I heard this on the radio, too.  Capsaicin is nothing more than extract of red pepper, which heats up the skin.  You can buy arthritis balm that has capsaicin in it and it turns hot on the skin and I suppose the heat penetrates into the joint, muscle or whatever.  I once bought some "foot warmer" to put on while riding an XP ride in Utah in April.  Brrrrr!  It had capsaicin in it and it overheated my feet and hurt.  I have very sensitive skin, so it was an overkill.

To describe capsaicin as "improving performance" is perhaps a bit extreme, but since stimulating drugs are banned in FEI (I think), even capsaicin would not be acceptable.  The point I'm trying to make is that it is not an internal drug, but an external stimulator.  If I'm wrong, I'd be happy to be corrected.

 

Barbara

----- Original Message -----

From: tom noll

To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008 7:57 AM

Subject: [RC] Olympic Doping

 

Greetings:

 

From another list:

 

Beijing Olympics: Four Show jump horses fail dope test
_22/08/2008_ (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/08/22/)  
Four show jumpers were suspended from the Olympics yesterday after their 
horses failed a drugs test.
Ireland's David Lynch and riders from Germany, Norway, and Brazil were ruled 
out, putting the team result in doubt.
All four horses had traces of pain reliever capsaicin, which helps improve 
performance.

 

and a later comment from the same list:

 

The press interviewed 100 top jumping horses and when asked if they would take a performance enhancing drug that would make them win and be undetectable.  Only 22 of the horses answered nay, the rest simply nodded their heads.

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Tom Noll

SW Idaho