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Drug Use On Horses Essay

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Throughout the history of American Quarter horses the main issue of the industry is the extent amount of drug usage on horses. The use of drugs on horses can help for healing and speed up the time of injury recovering, yet most of the time drugs hurt the horses. Today, this abusive action has only increased since the founding of the association. Quarter horses are jeopardized by having drugs injected in them to gain endurance and speed, but people fail to mention the risks that can occur. Injecting horses with dangerous drugs can cause heart attacks that may cause death after their race.
Death is one major risks along with others that could happen to an at-risk horse being injected with drugs. In the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals …show more content…

They risk an animal’s life to win a race that could be won without doping the horses. The American Quarter Horse Association Handbook, the rules specifically says drugs are not tolerable, yet they only test the horse the day before not the day of the race. Stated in handbook, “AQHA rules pertaining to prohibition of drugs, surgical alteration or any inhumane treatment of the horse….thereby making the exhibitor, participant and/or the owner eligible for possible disciplinary action upon proof of the presence of such prohibited drug by laboratory analysis, existence of surgical alteration or any inhumane treatment of the horse.” (AQHA). The book strongly repeats itself about the horse’s safety; it lists many different drugs that could damage a race horse’s health. Even with all the rules and regulations about drugs that could kill a horse, owners do not listen. They inject the drugs knowing the different possibilities that could occur. In the article, “Prohibited Substances, Feed, and the Performance Horse,” it argued, “competition horses are expected to compete with no banned substances or controlled medication substances in their systems unless at a level defined and approved by Federation Equestre Internationale regulations.” (Huntington). Any herbal or natural product that is used on horse before a race could pump up a horse’s heart which could lead to the overpowerment of the drug. Relating to the

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