Re: RC: RE: RE: Drug withdrawal times

["Glenda R. Snodgrass" <grs@TheNetEffect.com>]

> I emailed Duane Barnett to see if the Drug List that he mentioned from the
> AERC office could be printed in the EN and then distributed to new members
> along with their rule books and membership cards.  Folks who have been in
> the sport for a long time seem to have a feel for this, but the new folks do
> not.  We need to mentor and guide them.  Since "No Drugs" is a cornerstone
> for endurance competitions, we need to include this.

My thoughts exactly.  Perhaps the next revision of the Riders' Handbook
could include a chapter on the AERC drug policy, with a list of banned
substances, some helpful hints (like "try to schedule medical/dental work
requiring tranquilization at least 2 months before your next ride") and
some guidelines (i.e., "though many factors affect the breakdown of drugs
in a horse's body, from the horse's weight/body condition to level of
exercise and genetic predisposition, it is generally recommended that a
horse not be returned to competition within X weeks/months of single-dose
administration of the following [classes of] substances ...." and so on)

I realize that this may require some work, and that it's not an exact
science, but simply saying "it's too complicated and each case needs to be
reviewed individually" is not a good answer IMO.  Let me assure you that I
do not ever want to find my name listed in the EN for a positive drug
test, even if the vet committee later decides that the trace found wasn't
important enough and I'm not banned.  What if there were no posted speed
limits on highways, but policemen had the right to arrest you if you
seemed to be going too fast?  If you were arrested and your vehicle
impounded, jailed & bailed, and then the judge determined that you really
weren't going that fast after all and let you off the hook ... would you
think that was a good, fair way to operate?  No, of course not.  You
should at least be given the opportunity to comply with the rules as best
you can through the issuance of a few guidelines -- "80 is definitely too
fast on a curve and 50 is too fast for some curves" ... at least then you
can decide whether to always take curves at 45 to be on the safe side.
Right now, we have no guidelines.

I'm glad this discussion came up, because this is something that has
bothered me for some time.  I've had this discussion several times with a
friend I'm trying to interest in endurance.  I like the "no drugs" rule in
general, but it's the current implementation that makes me a bit nervous.
If we want to declare ourselves all-natural, drug-free, no drugs of any
type ever administered to a competing horse, then let's do it.  The
current uncertainty, however, and reliance on guilt-by-test that *may* be
mitigated through follow-up, with rapid changes in technology making
false-guilt-by-test much more likely, should be remedied.

Glenda & Lakota
Mobile, AL
AERC # M18819 & H27310
SE Region


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