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Trainer Magazine - the horse racing magazine for the training and development of the thoroughbred racehorse. Europe and North America.

Under the influence

OWEVER, it is through my involvement with RCI that I find myself able to speak publicly about my support for the movement to end race-day medications of Thoroughbreds. It was during the ceremony of my being sworn in as Chair of RCI in March of this year that I advocated banning of the drug Salix (Lasix) on race-day. Within days my phone was ringing off the hook with solid endorsements from many sectors of r acing. Of course, there are dissenters of this proposal, and in the weeks since, the debate has grown heated. Certainly, the issue has come to a head; it is too late for any of us to bury our heads and ignore the challenge we face. Critics of banning race-day medications have argued that administering them are the best medical practice for the horse. As I said in my speech to the RCI, this logic doesn't pass the "smell test" in the world of sport today. There is the critical factor of “agency.” Are all parties who are involved in the decision to administer medications acting with the same motivations? Between the various, complex interests of owners, trainers, and veterinarians, who is holding the line for the athletes? The athletes in question cannot speak for themselves, but if they could, maybe they wo uld make differing choices about their own health and career decisions. I do not condemn the opinions and actions of any owner, trainer, veterinarian, or spectator. I do, however, believe the claim that race-day medication “is the best medical practice for the horse” is a blanket statement that hides the real complexities of the various motivations of the players in the Thoroughbred Industry. For a reality check on best medical practices made for a horse, search out the honest answer to the tough question: Why do we run two-year-olds on their first lifetime start on race-day medications? Other dissenters of banning race-day medications have obfuscated the issue by arguing the effectiveness of Lasix. We do not dispute the effectiveness of Lasix; indeed, the massive doses that we administer daily speak to the e ffectiveness of the drug. However, a thorough look at the issue must include an understanding of the side effects of Lasix, for as we know, all drugs have potential side effects. What are we sacrificing at the expense of our drug use? We humans for centuries have inserted our hand in the genetic engineering of all living things from corn to chickens to roses to horses. We have used our body of knowledge to ensure the perpetuation of species that are compatible with our own, whether to harvest energy, beauty, sport, or economic fortune. Through the generations, we have modified our processes after seeing unintended consequences and undesirable traits arise from our selective breeding. Historically, horse breeders have known no other tool than bloodlines to engineer a champion. We understand how mares like Urban Sea and Better Than Honour have produced multiple classic winners. But in the modern era of race-day medication, EIPH and other genetic defects are being passed along instead of being culled out of our bloodlines. Instead of promoting the healthy athletes, the quality of our bloodlines has diminished already so much that foreign buyers are shying away from American horses. The economic implications will become increasingly apparent in due course. At the International Symposium on Race Day Medication on June 13-14, I had the good fortune to meet John Size, a perennial leading trainer of champions in Hong Kong. I think he said it best when he said to me, “I understand there is a current generation of trainers and vets who know no other way, but learning how not to use something should not be too compli cated. Their lack of confidence may be more of an issue. The youngest trainers will have no problem. They will soon come to realize that good horse management does not come in a bottle or a syringe, and they will actually think about how to present a horse on race-day, healthy, happy and willing to run their heart out.” Even though most American trainers born after 1960 have little or no experience training without drugs, I, like John Size, am optimistic that dealing with this addiction is within our power. We must look at ourselves and answer hard questions. What are the side effects of diminished quality of our bloodlines to this sport and its future? As our horses become weaker and weaker, what else will we compromise for short-term economic gain? As we explain away the issue and our integrity erodes, what will be worth defending? In a time when the entire field of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes was drugged, isn’t it time to deal with our addiction? n I can be reached at wilko392@yahoo.com 02 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 21 The views of William Koester Under the Influence I am honored to have the opportunity to speak on a subject that is important to me as a life-long enthusiast of Thoroughbreds and racing. I currently chair the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI), but the opinions and ideas expressed in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily represent either the RCI or the members themselves. “I believe the claim that race-day medication ‘is the best medical practice for the horse’ is a blanket statement that hides the real complexities of the various motivations of the players in the Thoroughbred Industry”

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William Koester -25 July 2011 - (Issue Number: Issue 21)

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