O'Neill hit with bad test

[Tucumcari]

might cause a tummy ache, but not damage

[Laurierace]

I was at a seminar at New Bolton Center and Dr Soma was the speaker, I forget the topic but at one point he mentioned that the first thing they do when they get a horse in for a treadmill examination was pull a blood gas. He said continued milkshaking makes it impossible for the horses to regulate the levels themselves. Many times that explained the poor performance and no treadmill exam was necessary according to him. This was about 8 years ago before testing blood gas was all the rage, not sure how often he runs into that problem now.

[bdw0617]

I was at a seminar at New Bolton Center and Dr Soma was the speaker, I forget the topic but at one point he mentioned that the first thing they do when they get a horse in for a treadmill examination was pull a blood gas. He said continued milkshaking makes it impossible for the horses to regulate the levels themselves. Many times that explained the poor performance and no treadmill exam was necessary according to him. This was about 8 years ago before testing blood gas was all the rage, not sure how often he runs into that problem now.

LMAO!! you gotta be kiddin me... there is a doctor named doctor Soma!?

[AscotStud]

continued milkshaking makes it impossible for the horses to regulate the levels themselves

That's what I was led to think as well. Not quite as innocent as it's made out to be.

[Tucumcari]

Glad I wasn't the only one to find that really funny.

[BenB]

It ruins their stomach in time by the use of baked soda, part by part end piece by piece. A very painfull time to go for the involved horses.
Their natural functions are taken off this way.
The body said I can not sustain the training or the racing but people insisting for gooiing on with it.
The best solution retire these horse instead of hurting them in an very painfull way, the killer would be even better instead of giving them these kind of stuff.

[bdw0617]

Uw engels wordt beter mettertijd en beoefen, kost op het goede werk

So okay baking soda actually can kill a horse by eating away at the stomach? that's not very good

[BenB]

First it causes only ulcers, secondly it causes stomach bleedings. Third by continuiing the bleedings become more severe and the body weight will be reduced up to extreme
Last part send up to the killer because of the general progress, overal extremely bad condition seen special in the lost of very much weight.
There has been testing around this kind a stuff in europe investigations has been made about the progresses
This is why I hate them free racing rules in the states, abusing of horses.

[Sock Monkey]

I know people who use baking soda as a cure for ulcers. It doesn't make sense when you think about it, but I know trainers who swear by it.

[Tucumcari]

Most people use Gastrogard or many different tummy helpers regularly. I have never heard that it hurts their stomaches, but has benefits like helping with the horses that tie up, etc

[winds]

I've never heard that baking soda causes ulcers or anything of the sort.

winds

[horsenuts]

I remember when they first started testing, I was working for Charlsie and we had several fillies that would tie up bad after just galloping. I would add baking soda to their feed to help them, it worked. But our vet came in one day and questioned us about it and said we needed to be careful, that they were going to be testing for it and (baking soda/milkshaking) and she could come up with a bad test. We were stunned. He said the fact that we didn't know if and how much the fillies had in their systems.

I was like " for crying out loud, now you can't do something so simple as give your horse a tablespoon of baking soda a day to stop it from tying up without worrying about a bad test? " My vet told us to wait and see what the limits were but we needed to figure out something else.

winds

Excellent point, Winds. Milkshakes are actually one of the more humane things you can give a race horse to help fight off lactic acid buildup and fatigue during exercise. Horsemen have been giving horses baking soda as you state for over a 100 years for "tying up". It was commonplace in nearly every stable at one time.

Fr some horses a "milkshake" allows them to finish a race stronger by not "muscle cramping" due to lactic acid buildup. If racing wants to hold the limits down fine but they have MUCH bigger concerns regarding medications then milkshakes........ though if you're over the limit allowed you lose the purse and face a suspension with repeated offenses leading to longer suspensions.

O'Neil may be looking at 6 months to a year due to repeated offenses. But some leaway needs to be allowed for baking soda as it is a humane treatment for horses that tye-up and have muscle problems.

[Tucumcari]

The small amount that is fed is a far cry from what is tubed.

[horsenuts]

The small amount that is fed is a far cry from what is tubed.

Just how much baking soda is tubed is dependent on the vet. Electrolytes are added as well and electroyletes are a humane treatment as well.


If they want to stop the practice of "tubing" require a holding barn" as many tracks do 4 hours before a race..... or better yet State Racing Commisions could put in mandatory video cameras for stables with ANY sort of bad test.

[bdw0617]

so i can't give a horse a small amount of baking soda but i can stuff him full of perscription drugs.... what a wonderful world we live in