With the increasing prevalence of performance enhancing drugs in sport, is this happening with horses too? I guess it would be more likely in horse racing, but generally speaking, is this happening?:mad:

Yes, especially in horse racing. There's a logn list of prohibited substances, and not all of them are performance enhancing, but they can be used to mask other substances.

Some trainers even try to dose their horses with a bicarb 'milkshake' before the race. In theory it neutralises some of the lactic acid produced when sprinting so the horse can run faster for longer.

Anything that involves money will attract those who will cheat to get it. Racing is big business and draws in huge sums of cash. Unfortunately, that makes it a ripe industry for those who want to take advantage. If caught, the people drugging the horses or otherwise rigging race outcomes will get fines or worse but I think they should add animal cruelty charges and ban them from ever owning horses again.

If you're caught doping in the racing industry, you're banned from ever owning a racehorse, or going near any establishment that has anything to do with racehorses ever again.

Which is good because anyone who is willing to risk the health or life of the animal in that kind of way has no business being around them, ever again. It's a sad world isn't it.

Buckskin I think that is a great idea for those that break the law this way. Without proper care who knows what could happen to the horse. I wish more laws like this were passed for other animals too.

Unfortunately just like the similar law for animal abusers not owning animals this is easy to bypass for most people. I can think of at least one case where someone as found three times with dogs after being banned from having animals.

Unfortunately the money does attract alot of people looking to make a quick buck and not always honestly.

When I see people abusing animals like on the animal planet show I watch sometimes. I just wish they were able by law, to be treated the same way they treated the animals. That might seem really mean but I think they might learn that way.

The other thing being of course that when there is money involved, it is often easy enough to convince other people to help you out. You wouldn't even have to pay them off, just promise them that by doing so this particular horse would win the race and hence they could put down a large bet.

Yes, I've heard it's done. Frankly, I think it's despicable, and the perpetrators should face more than just banning. Animal cruelty just seems to be taken so lightly.

The real sad part of this is that unlike in human sports, the poor horses have no choice in the matter and they certainly have the most to lose.