|
|
 |
| |
|
 |
MEDICATION AND DOPING CONTROL RESEARCH
The need for research
The Rules of Racing state that horses must race free of any medication and the British Horseracing Authority conducts surveillance for evidence of misuse of drugs in horses, or inadvertent presence of veterinary medications. Our figures show that inadvertent carry-over of such veterinary medication is the most common reason for a positive drug test in a horse on racedays.
The Authority’s focus is therefore now education and prevention on medication control. This involves training, information and advice to trainers and their Veterinary Surgeons, and an important component is providing data for medicine withdrawal times.
Until recently this data has come from research conducted in racing’s own in laboratory but with the sale of the HLF Sports Sciencethis research has now been taken on by the Authority.
We recognise the need to provide trainers and their vets with this important information to allow them to treat their horses but also avoid raceday positive tests.
We are committed to providing this information to high standards of science and animal welfare.
How it is done
The Authority conducts its research in partnership with the British Racing School, who host the Authority’s Centre for Racehorse Studies, house and care for the horses in a new state of the art barn, and also ensure that they are kept at a level of training that make then representative of horses in training.
The School utilises the new Centre to add medication control to the content of relevant short and long term courses.
The Authority conducts studies using the horses, giving the same treatments given in training and taking blood and urine samples, as taken in raceday and other testing, to determine drug levels over time, in order to advise Veterinary Surgeons on their appropriate use in horses in training.
The partnership of the School and the Authority allows each to develop their roles for the benefit of racing. The Centre is a cost effective investment for racing in high quality accommodation and care for the horses, where they are exercised and turned out to ensure they are representative of horses in training.
The horses will be former racehorses which, after they are used in studies, will go on to other roles.
There is strict oversight of the research; the Centre is subject to Government inspection, ethics of the studies will be independently reviewed, and independent Veterinary Surgeons will advise on welfare, and we share our results with other racing authorities via the European Horseracing Scientific Liaison Committee.
In accordance with good scientific practice and legal requirements we use alternative tests that do not require the use of horses where possible. For example, a summary of this work was presented at the 2010 International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians.
Results of research
Details will be posted here
Further studies have been completed but await reporting and analysis
Publications from Medication and Doping Research funded by the Authority
2010 list
2011 list
Annual Reports on the Centre for Racehorse Studies
The Centre commenced operations in 2010
2010 Report
|
|
|
