Q-Racing Blog: Protecting Horses

By Janet VanBebber, AQHA Chief Racing Officer


Before reading my editorial below, I strongly encourage that you read this article published by Chelsea Hackbarth of Paulick Report titled "'They're Putting All Of Racing At Risk': CHRB Approves Strict New Quarter Horse Regulations."

After reviewing the topic in this article, I think more needs to be said on the topic, and I will offer my point of view. Here are my thoughts, more as a former Quarter Horse trainer, but also as your Chief Racing Officer of AQHA:

While my perspective has changed somewhat since taking on this role, as a trainer, I would have been so aggravated by these strict rules. I would have felt like such limitations kept me from assisting a horse entrusted in my care from performing the absolute best he could. And, in a game where mere fractions of an inch and a thousandth of a second can make all the difference, I would have felt hobbled. But let’s look at the bigger picture: When I embarked on this role a decade ago, I visited with a gentleman I had known all my life and at that time was serving as a steward for the California Horse Racing Board. We discussed the changing philosophy of multiple joint injections. This fellow came from a family of horsemen whom I was raised around, and he witnessed some of the best trainers to ever grace Los Alamitos. Watching the evolution of licensed trainers, he felt like true horsemanship had been replaced instead by the reliance of such vet work. In essence, overindulgence on joint injections had become a crutch that could have been managed with other care and/or therapy, or better training. I’m not going to express an opinion on that, because I can tell you, I did a lot of vet work when preparing for important races…I felt like I needed to give the horse I was responsible for as much opportunity to excel as possible. But, looking back, was it all necessary? Maybe not. 

Now let’s consider what the regulators think, and what the perception is of the public: If a given horse needs that much vet work, why are they competing? Even worse, is there an underlying condition that has not been appropriately diagnosed that might lead to a catastrophic event?
That, my friends, is the entire crux of the problem. We need to ensure that everyone knows we are sending a sound horse to the races, and multiple injections does not support that argument. So, even if you are a horseman that feels like you’re hobbled, stop and think about the big picture: for our sport to be viable long into the future, we need for regulators, fans, and especially activists to not be given reason to believe we are sending horses to the gates with soundness problems. This is all part of our ‘social license to operate’…. And if that term is new to you, look it up! It’s a responsibility we all share.

Having said all this, I personally think there are other contributing factors to a high incidence of breakdowns. I believe that those seeking an unfair advantage through performance-enhancing drugs are making horses compete beyond their God-given ability. I am convinced that this contributes to fatalities. While we have made big strides in detecting prohibited substances, our work is still cut out for us. Know that I collaborate with the regulators wherever I can in this pursuit, because our horses and our industry deserve to be protected. 

Everything I have expressed in this article is solely my opinion, and I am only hoping to add perspective to the headlines you read. Bottom line: We may not like change, but change is inevitable to safeguard the horses and keep our sport moving forward.

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