Drug Policy & info
Jim Mitchell (navion@lsbsdi2.lightspeed.net)
Fri, 13 Dec 1996 18:55:39 -0800
Tom and Dane.
I very much enjoyed your last posts. I think we are now getting closer to a consensus
of opinion. I understand the reason MSM is not allowed since it is an anti inflamatory
and therefore a slight pain reliever. I understand Tom's view that it is slight and may
be doing more good than bad during an event but it is a grey area.
As of yet I haven't seen much discussion on Flex Free and it's equivalents. Although
outlawed now can anybody give me some reasons while it should stay outlawed? Is it just
protecting joints or is it masking damage during a ride? Or do we know? Is there a grey
area here? Why can't the body produce what it needs to protect the joints without these
oral additives? Since I understand the body produces the same things that are in these
additives.
As a thought, I agree with Phil and others that we may be overemphasizing additives. I
try to minimize the things I give my horses. I believe all animals have evolved to use
naturally available things and that these should be adequate. (Not necessarily high
performance as Tom mentions) I generally believe we heal ourselves and medicines only
help. I therefore try new medicines/drugs cautiously and slowly. Think of the human
medicines that were given out in the past and are now banned due to the side effects
and now no doctor would prescribe them. Slow conditioning, rest and recovery periods and
careful observation of your horse are 99% of the process and we shouldn't give too much
emphasis to additives, extracts, herbs etc.
Jim Mitchell
Bakersfield, Ca.