Bute after a ride

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

I think that there is a time and a place for bute, and each person has to
recognize that and make the decision for themselves.  Like someone
previously posted, you are taking a chance with getting a postive drug test
if you give even a gram of bute weeks (or months) before an event.  On the
other hand, if you think that giving bute would be of benefit to your
horse, for whatever your reasons are, then by all means put the wellfare of
your horse first.  

As if we don't have enough to worry about, if I may pass along a story from
some friends of mine.  This happened a few years ago, but it is something
that could happen to anybody still today so we can all learn a lesson from
it.  This particular person was riding their horse on a 100 mile endurance
ride.  The horse was pulled for lameness at one of the vet checks, and the
rider then gave the horse two or three grams of bute.  They didn't know it
at the time, but the horse was in metabolic distress and ended up at a
equine medical center in intensive care for a week before it finally died.
The kidneys (or other internal organs) had failed - they don't know for
sure if the horse would have died anyway, but they do know that giving the
bute on top of that was probably not a good thing. 

Happy Trails,

Karen
in Gardnerville
& Rocky, 1075 miles
& Weaver, 2455 miles