Are drugs in the game really THIS bad?

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:50 am

i always thought he was one of the good guys

I read about the HK problem yesterday... I don't now how he could have possibly gotten people to send him horseflesh after that

majxmom · Postby **majxmom** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:11 pm

Since the Chris Benoit murder-suicide, I've heard nothing but commentary on the TV about how even low doses of 'roids can lead to psychotic breaks and spousal abuse. It makes me so sad for these horses, who can't tell anyone about their distress. :cry:

horsenuts · Postby **horsenuts** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:25 pm

majxmom wrote:Since the Chris Benoit murder-suicide, I've heard nothing but commentary on the TV about how even low doses of 'roids can lead to psychotic breaks and spousal abuse. It makes me so sad for these horses, who can't tell anyone about their distress.

It's not just in horseracing drugs permeate every sporting event known. Rassling is fake and yet those big brutes are trying to outdo each other via steroid use to the Nth degree. 300-350 even 400 lb men with muscle piled atop muscle.... and the crowd LOVES IT so the "show" goes on.

A staggering nuber of NFL and even college football players are juiced/ hopped and blocked when they take the fields on Saturday and Sunday. Baseball has been "amphetimeine alley" for decades and is steriod alley in recent time.

Drugs are so sophisticated today it's scary. Look at the lengths many Olympic athletes go to for a Medal. There's German and Chinese women alive today with full beards and baritone voices as a result of steroids and HGH etc. Shall we talk about the cycling world?

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:36 pm

Here's a good trivia question: When was the last time you saw Bowie Clay in a barn?

The old hardboot KY trainers SWORE by the stuff. Today, there are trainers that have never heard of it.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:52 am

what is bowie clay?

fletch621 · Postby **fletch621** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:09 am

http://www.bowieclay.com/

Monmouth Matt · Postby **Monmouth Matt** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:15 am

The shame of it is that the old-line trainers are forced out of the game. It's awfully tough to run a business when you've got 50 starts and only 2 wins. These guys didn't forget how to train over the past 10 years. They just don't choose to become chemists and hand their horses over to the vet. I may sound pollyannish, and I know there have been drugs around forever, but the extent of it today is disgusting. Walk with me around the backside of MTH and I'll show you trainers with multiple graded stakes victories, and a long history of doing right by the horse, who are winning today at 5% and can barely stay in business.

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:12 am

How many trainers have used illeagle substances and got away with it ? With the high teck instruments we have available today no trainer should get away with those juice cocktails and cheat the system.

parlo · Postby **parlo** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:48 am

Why being so naive? As we have learnt from human sport (track and field, biking, swimming, nordic skiing, etc.) - "the high tech instruments" that detect illegal drugs have been always developed after those drugs => they are always one step behind.

luvthegame · Postby **luvthegame** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:22 am

This is a great topic. I have worked and been a part of racing for ten years. What I was taught about training and Med. I am sure is totally diferent than 50 years ago and will say I think any horse that leaves a barn of an old school trainer to what you call juicers will improve greatly. I have worked as an assistant for one of the top trainers in the world and have seen gr. 1 come and go. My definition of juicings is providing the very best care money can provide. I know sounds crazy but I will dive alittle deeper. When we receive a new horse no matter what he goes through the works we will not run off of someone elses training. He will receive a lameness exam which will tell us exactly what we need to work on. He or she will be placed on an ulcer med. program. Yes every mon. morning he or she will recieve the roid of choice. Clembuterol will be in the mix. vit. injections and in feed mix. along with all this proper training. This horse typically gains weight and becomes very happy because soreness and ulcers and bleeding is gone.

luvthegame · Postby **luvthegame** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:29 am

Juicing is not a race day special. If u wait till race day to give ur magic potion u will always be an also ran. U have to take a horse with some ability and make him feel like King Kong. Many tr. overlook dental work. We have received many horses that have went one or two years with no dental work. Worming, blood counts its a major list of what you can do to make your horse better not some miracle drug u think u can sneek through the test barn.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:31 am

make no mistake. I'm not against medications. I don't have a huge problem with lasix.

but i'm against DRUGS. big difference.

think of it in human terms. I take multi vitamins everyday.. nothing wrong with that and no long term after effects.

I've also experimented with some drugs in the past. Those DO have long term effects (thank god it wasn't a long experiment) and if I would have used long term, I would have long term effects. I would have become depedant on something that i didn't need in the first place.

is it so damn hard? Americans make it seem like it's rocket science. You see owners like Michael Tabor, the majority of his horses he won't bring over to this country because of drugs among other things. it's what makes the JRA, Dubai and others so attractive. it's natural athletes at the top of their game.

luvthegame · Postby **luvthegame** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:33 am

We win at a 30% clip because our barn receives thet best of the best from top to bottom from shoers to gallop boys. From feet to teeth. The number one key is health bar none. No magic no smoke and mirrors just plain 2007 horsemanship.

horsenuts · Postby **horsenuts** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:53 am

luvthegame wrote:We win at a 30% clip because our barn receives thet best of the best from top to bottom from shoers to gallop boys. From feet to teeth. The number one key is health bar none. No magic no smoke and mirrors just plain 2007 horsemanship.

I agree with much of what you say and ALL these things make a HUGE difference..... but the "horsemenship" you speak of is being hired out by hiring the best "Veterinary lameness expert... Vets for providing "cocktails" for general health of the horse including enhanced raceday performance i.e. sophisticated steriods, painkillers and pulmonary aids etc". Also, using the best farrier, exercise rider etc. enhances performance as well". All these things have a tremendous impact on a race horse and their performance..... but most of these trainers providing these things know little in the way of horsemenship themselves. IOWs without the Vets, lameness experts, farriers etc. they'd be at the bottom of the trainer standings as opposed to the top. BUT... that's the world we now live in and whoever takes best advantage will be the most successful.... horseman or not.

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:04 am

luvthegame wrote:We win at a 30% clip because our barn receives thet best of the best from top to bottom from shoers to gallop boys. From feet to teeth. The number one key is health bar none. No magic no smoke and mirrors just plain 2007 horsemanship.

I also agree a hundred percent. So many people aren't the horseman the are paid to be. And it shows in the help they employ.