Corticosteroid injections are overused on racehorses but don’t contribute to catastrophic breakdowns, a medication consultant said June 27 during a continuing education (CE) program for licensed Thoroughbred horsemen in Indiana.

The CE program is required for 2013 licensing under an Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC) regulation. More than 70 horsemen attended the three-hour program held at Indiana Downs in Shelbyville.

Scot Waterman, DVM, a consultant on equine medication policy who formerly served as executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, said research into the more popular corticosteroids–betamethosone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, and triamicinalone–is ongoing. The objective is to determine uniform withdrawal times for the therapeutic drugs.

Waterman said injections of corticosteroids used to treat joint inflammation are often given to close to races, and repeated injections can impact the health of horses’ joints. But he said there isn’t evidence the drugs can lead to breakdowns