pegasus

I was wandering around online and came across the news story that the California Horse Racing Board just passed a rule banning anabolic steroids in racehorses. The Office of Administrative Law must finalize it which could take up to two months but the expectation is that it will pass. Apparently in most states, it is allowed to use performance enhancing steroids on racehorses but there are many people against it. Industry insiders are saying they feel the law will spread across the country within a year because many people are finally against the practice.

jimmi

Well I know that most places have issues with sportsmen/women using steroids so why would it be any different for an animal. I mean really do you want your pet on drugs like that, they have some nasty effects even long term ones. I am for the no steroids all the way.

grace

What exactly are anabolic steroids? I am against animals, or humans for that matter, using performance enhancing steroids. But aren't there steroids that are used for health reasons too?

purplefdu

If your definition of "health benefits" include putting weight on a horse who won't eat or allowing them to continue racing and stand up to the wear and tear of the circuit longer/better. Anabolic steroids are used to artificially escalate the muscle growth, which can overpower the skeletal structure in some cases. I know around the time of the Belmont Stakes 30 states still had them as legal including all three states in the Triple Crown.

katie

What about steroids that people get on because of asthma? Can a horse use those kind of steroids or are they just for people? I know my husband was on them for his asthma but not for long.

pickles

If a horse had breathing issues, racing would be out of the question unless you only cared about the money. I imagine your husband's doctor doesn't suggest he train for marathons or sprinting, correct? Anabolic steroids are most often not used to treat problems, but rather to overcome the slow nature of growing and dealing with stress.