Page 19 - July 2019

AQHA RACING UPDATE
• AQHA is interested in participating in dis- cussions to determine the best options for the health, safety and welfare of our beloved horse and the future of the racing industry.
• Horses are at risk of injury throughout their lives, regardless if competing on the track, in the arena, exercising at home or even when turned out in a field. As an Association of horsemen, we provide our horses with a level of care and
a quality of life that is virtually unsurpassed by any other domesticated animal. Racehorses, in particular, enjoy a very high standard of care and quality of life, especially when in training.
• AQHA takes its responsibility for equine wel- fare and the racing industry very seriously, as seen through the various efforts the Association has made throughout the years supporting the welfare of the horse. Through AQHA’s Animal Welfare Commission, the Association has been a front runner in progressively adding to the measures to protect the athletes and the sport. The Association’s concerns are outlined below.
1. Concern over regulation being imposed by “the Authority” who has little understand- ing of our sport or proper equine care. AQHA believes that industry-based regulation
is critical to protecting our equine athletes and the sport of horse racing. It’s an effort that needs to be implemented by industry stakeholders, who are familiar with the sport, as well as the care, training and performance of the equine athletes.
American Quarter Horse racing industry stake- holders have already deployed countless measures to protect these equine athletes and the integrity of the sport. AQHA works closely with the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) and
the Racing and Medication Testing Consortium (RMTC), both which are led by industry leaders with years of expertise in racing, who work tirelessly on these endeavors, all for the protection of the horse.
AQHA supports the National Uniform Medi- cation Policy. Universal adoption of the ARCI model rules would create the uniformity that our industry needs and would maintain its gover- nance by a body that is most capable of making informed decisions about racing. Currently 94% of all jurisdictions have adopted these model rules.
The National Uniform Medication Policy outlines five components that the RMTC has de- signed to create uniformity amongst jurisdictions: • Controlled Therapeutic List, as published
by the Association of Racing Commission-
ers International.
• Use of an accredited laboratory in all analysis. • Multiple Medications Violation System to
deter repeat offenders.
• Third-party Lasix (Lasix is administered
by a state-appointed veterinarian, ensuring administration according to guidelines, and keeping the private practitioners out of the stalls on race day, thereby limiting the poten- tial for other medications to be given.)
• Out-of-competition testing.
2. Concern over appropriate funding for the volume of testing required in horse racing. In 2018, the horse racing industry performed
260,000 tests. By comparison, USADA only per- formed 12,000 on humans. Are they prepared to finance this undertaking and not pass it off as a per start fee, thus increasing the cost for horsemen?
3. Concern over appropriate and timely adjudication of violators.
There is no description of the proposed jurisdic-
tion between “the Authority” and the state commis- sions. Timely adjudication of offenders is a critical component of the industry, and yet the legislation does not clearly define how this will be managed.
4. Concern over hidden fees that will be imposed on local jurisdictions.
Proposals AQHA has seen to date have sug-
gested assessing fees on a per-start basis. Per-start fees would be a disincentive for racing jurisdic- tions to offer more racing opportunities.
5. Concern over the ability to address breed- specific needs.
AQHA needs the assurance that we can ad-
dress medication issues that may be specific to Quarter Horses.
AQHA is opposed to any federal legislation that would ban furosemide, the only approved race-day
therapeutic medication, also known as Lasix. However, in enhancing medication reform, AQHA has worked closely with ARCI to strengthen medication violations for inappropriate use of medications, such as Clen- buterol & Albuterol; supported industry movements to increase out-of-competition testing & hair testing; and continues to work to educate legislators regarding medication regulation, including the therapeutic use of furosemide (Lasix). The perception that race-day administration of Lasix is responsible for the muscu- loskeletal injuries at any racetrack is misguided. The American Association of Equine Practitioners, along with other credible scientists, have determined that Lasix provides the most effective treatment & preven- tion to controlling &/or mitigating the possible cause of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in racehorses. EIPH is a hemorrhage that can occur in the lungs of horses & other species during strenuous exercise. Lasix is the only therapy that has been shown to be effective in controlling this condition.
Lasix has been used for decades in U.S. rac-
ing. The Association of Racing Commissioners International’s Scientific Advisory Group reported there is no current science linking Lasix treatments to musculoskeletal issues that may be a contributing cause of horse breakdowns.
AQHA strongly maintains that eliminating Lasix use for our sprinting athletes would, indeed, create an animal welfare issue. Deprivation of a safe and effective therapeutic medication for our horses is contrary to the Association’s commitment to health, safety and welfare of the horse, and veteri- nary scientific experts and researchers agree. Absent an effective alternative treatment for EIPH in the horse, the Association supports the current strict and uniformity-enforced regulatory protocols for administration of Lasix on race day, consistent with the recommendations of AAEP and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
In conclusion, AQHA believes the proposed federal legislation offered in HR 1754, or its recently introduced companion bill in the Senate (S 1820), is NOT in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the horse.
I think all of the points referenced are serious issues, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss them if you are interested in knowing more about our efforts in these endeavors.
SPEEDHORSE, July 2019 17