In a mere twelve months, between May 2020 and May 2021, horse racing's most recognizable face—Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert—had five horses that failed postrace drug tests. Among those was the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit. While the incident was a major scandal in the Thoroughbred racing world, it was only the latest in a series of drug-related infractions among elite athletes. Stories about systemic rule-breaking and "doping culture"—both human and equine—have put world-class athletes and their trainers under intense scrutiny. Each newly discovered instance of abuse forces fans to question the participants' integrity, and in the case of horse racing, their humanity. In Unnatural Ability: The History of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Thoroughbred Racing, Milton C. Toby addresses the historical and contemporary context of the Thoroughbred industry's most pressing issue. While early attempts at boosting racehorses' performance were admittedly crude, widespread legal access to narcotics and stimulants has changed the landscape of horse racing, along with athletic governing bodies' ability to regulate it. With the sport at a critical turning point in terms of doping restrictions and sports betting, Toby delivers a comprehensive account of the practice of using performance-enhancing drugs to influence the outcome of Thoroughbred races since the late nineteenth century. Paying special attention to Thoroughbred racing's purse structure and its reliance on wagering to supplement a horse's winnings, Toby discusses how horse doping poses a unique challenge for gambling sports and what the industry and its players must do to survive the pressure to get ahead.

Showing how to maximize performance in horses, The Athletic Horse: Principles and Practice of Equine Sports Medicine, 2nd Edition describes sports training regimens and how to reduce musculoskeletal injuries. Practical coverage addresses the anatomical and physiological basis of equine exercise and performance, centering on evaluation, imaging, pharmacology, and training recommendations for sports such as racing and show jumping. Now in full color, this edition includes new rehabilitation techniques, the latest imaging techniques, and the best methods for equine transportation. Written by expert educators Dr. David Hodgson, Dr. Catherine McGowan, and Dr. Kenneth McKeever, with a panel of highly qualified contributing authors. Expert international contributors provide cutting-edge equine information from the top countries in performance-horse research: the U.S., Australia, U.K., South Africa, and Canada. The latest nutritional guidelines maximize the performance of the equine athlete. Extensive reference lists at the end of each chapter provide up-to-date resources for further research and study. NEW full-color photographs depict external clinical signs, allowing more accurate clinical recognition. NEW and improved imaging techniques maximize your ability to assess equine performance. UPDATED drug information is presented as it applies to treatment and to new regulations for drug use in the equine athlete. NEW advances in methods of transporting equine athletes ensure that the amount of stress on the athlete is kept to a minimum. NEW rehabilitation techniques help to prepare the equine athlete for a return to the job. Two NEW authors, Dr. Catherine McGowan and Dr. Kenneth McKeever, are highly recognized experts in the field.

By Thomas Tobin, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. With a chapter by Richard Heard. With Forewords by H.R.H. Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Ernst Jokl. Written with authority, clarity and a sense of humor, this book contains information on all types of drugs used in horses. The author explains how these drugs act, how they influence performance, and how they cause problems. The five sections of the text deal in turn with the history and basic aspects of drug use in performance horses; the controversial drugs of controlled medication, including phenylbutazone, other nons-teroidal drugs, furosemide, corticosteroids, and anabolic steroids; illegal or banned medications, including all pertinent stimulants, depressants, narcotics, local anesthetics and tranquilizers; the use of vitamins, minerals, fluid therapy and antibiotics; and medication control, with data on the techniques and capabilities of chemical testing, the rule-making process, and legal aspects of rule enforcement. All horsemen, owners, trainers, coaches, competitors, judges and administrators will deem this book the definitive guide to equine drugs.

Medication and performance-enhancing drugs in horse racing : hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, second session, July 12, 2012.

The United States Government Printing Office (GPO) was created in June 1860, and is an agency of the U.S. federal government based in Washington D.C. The office prints documents produced by and for the federal government, including Congress, the Supreme Court, the Executive Office of the President and other executive departments, and independent agencies. A hearing is a meeting of the Senate, House, joint or certain Government committee that is open to the public so that they can listen in on the opinions of the legislation. Hearings can also be held to explore certain topics or a current issue. It typically takes between two months up to two years to be published. This is one of those hearings.