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On the recommendation of its Racing Committee, the American Association of Equine Practitioners board of directors voted this week to support the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (H.R.1754/S.4547). The legislation’s chief goal is to create uniform safety and medication standards in all U.S. racing jurisdictions. “Uniformity of rules is essential to protecting the safety of the racehorse and ensuring the integrity of the sport,” said AAEP President Dr. David Frisbie.
However, for the horse to be best served, the AAEP will continue to advocate for additional veterinary representation on the HISA board and committees beyond the single position currently designated for each. “In the previous version of the bill, the AAEP was a strong proponent for the governance structure to include individuals with the requisite expertise needed to capably address anti-doping and therapeutic medication regulation,” said Dr. Jeff Berk, AAEP immediate past president and Racing Committee chair. “The composition of the Authority Nominating Committee gives us confidence that the needed scientific expertise for these important positions will be considered, but we believe the breadth of knowledge needed to successfully protect equine athletes requires additional individuals.” Position on Lasix: Regarding the race-day administration of furosemide (Lasix), the AAEP’s position continues as one of support, as the medication remains the most efficacious treatment for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in the horse. However, in 2019, a coalition of 20 racetracks, including hosts of Triple Crown races, along with numerous racing jurisdictions committed to restricting administration of furosemide on race day, independent of federal legislation . “We are pleased to see in the revised legislation that the Authority will convene an advisory panel comprised of horse racing anti-doping and medication control experts to study race-day furosemide, including its impact on equine health and the integrity of competition,” added Dr. Scott Hay, AAEP president-elect and a racetrack practitioner. “Investigating effective management strategies for EIPH which do not require race-day medication administration has been a central goal of the AAEP’s Prescription for Racing Reform developed five years ago.” 93% Want Congressional Action on a National Anti-Doping & Safety ProgramWASHINGTON, D.C. – Concern about racehorse safety and equine drug and safety issues among the public is sky high according to a new survey by Xenophon Analytics in Washington, D.C. The survey was conducted by polling a national database of people aware or interested in horse racing and issues impacting the industry. In the survey, 78% of people were aware of the 2019 spike in equine fatalities, 61% were very aware of controversy over the use of medications in the horse racing industry with 83% believing that the problem was widespread and systematic.
It should receive widespread support considering that poll respondents supported a national system of equine medication control over the present system of separate state regulations by 95% to 5%. The poll also showed strong support (94%) for racetrack safety programs, including the adoption of a national racetrack safety standards program and race-day and out-of-competition drug testing (93%). “Sixty-nine percent of the people surveyed had a negative perception of the horse racing industry,” continued Fuscus. “But 67% also stated that their view would be improved by industrywide reforms related to anti-doping and equine safety.” Xenophon Analytics’ Horse Racing Survey was taken nationally with a size of 3,116 respondents. The survey was conducted from Aug. 20, 2020, through Aug. 25, 2020, and has a margin of error of +/- 2%. The poll and data can be viewed on Xenophon’s website. As they've done in years past, The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) officially opposes the Horseracing Integrity Act (H.R.1754/S.1820). They also oppose legislation that would end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption (The SAFE Act). Joining them in opposing both of these vital equine welfare bills is The American Veterinary Medical Association.  On March 5, 2020 the AQHA released the following statement: The Horseracing Integrity Act (HR 1754) was introduced into the United State House of Representatives in March 2019. The bill requires a “uniform anti-doping and medication control program to be developed and enforced by an independent horseracing anti-doping and medication control authority.”
While the American Quarter Horse Association is strongly committed to the welfare of the racehorse and supports industry reform to improve horse safety, the Association opposes the Horseracing Integrity Act in its current form. AQHA is joined in opposition to this bill by other leading industry associations, such as the Association of Racing Commissioners International, the North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Horseman’s Benevolent and Protective Association, and the United States Trotting Association. Of particular concern to AQHA is the proposed elimination of race-day use of the medication furosemide, commonly known as Lasix, which is used to mitigate the occurrence of exercised-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in racehorses. Eliminating this effective therapeutic medication while lacking an alternative therapy would leave equine athletes vulnerable to serious medical conditions. The American Association of Equine Practitioners currently supports Lasix as the only medication allowed to be administered on race day, although the association’s official position on HR 1754 is “monitor” due to “the greater goal of attaining uniformity of racing medication in the US.” “The AAEP has long held a position that, at this time, Lasix is the only available method of management of EIPH,” says Dr. Kathleen Anderson, an AAEP past president, practicing veterinarian and expert witness who presented to Congress. “Until such time as there is a better or alternative approach, AAEP backs the use of race-day Lasix administration for the welfare of the horse.” Dr. Anderson explains the use of Lasix as a preventive measure and suggests thinking of it as the equivalent to wearing a seatbelt in a car, as it either prevents or minimizes damage that might be caused by EIPH. “You put a seatbelt on, and it protects you from possible car crash injuries,” Dr. Anderson said. “Lasix prevents horses from possible effects related to EIPH. It’s not meant to be a ‘vaccine,’ which would prevent future EIPH events. In this case, we believe that by administering it, we’re not inoculating it, we’re trying to manage the horses’ respiratory health by either preventing it or minimizing it. The consequences of EIPH without management or control can typically result in long-term respiratory health issues.” There are numerous scientific studies providing evidence that the administration of Lasix improves the welfare of racehorses. According to research done by the ARCI Scientific Advisory Group, there is no current science linking the use of Lasix to musculoskeletal issues that may be a contributing case in catastrophic breakdowns. In addition, this bill, unlike current regulations, does not address breed-specific rules that address the specific needs of the American Quarter Horse. HR 1754 is also lacking details about funding sources that would sustain the proposal. A review of 2018 post-race testing conducted by ARCI showed that 99.4 percent of the 258,920 tests conducted that year proved to be compliant with the rules of racing. Of those with violations, the vast majority were overages of therapeutic medications. Only 0.04 percent of all tests were found to have Class 1 or 2 substances (those most likely to the greatest effect on performance or those that might be considered “doping.”) AQHA is dedicated to industry reform and works closely with international, national and state racing organizations and commissions to evaluate protocols that allow for uniform medication rules and strengthened deterrents to performance-enhancing drugs. This group includes the Association of Racing Commissioners International and Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, which are working to create uniformity in medication rules. Among the work AQHA has assisted on is out-of-competition testing efforts, the use of hair as a testing mechanism and beta-2 antagonist bans. In the five years since many of these rules have gone into effect in the majority of Quarter Horse racing jurisdictions, reported injuries in American Quarter Horses have dropped 16 percent. AQHA is a strong supporter of reform and uniformity in racing, but for these reasons cannot support HR 1754 in its current form. |
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