A New York Racing Association (NYRA) committee could recommend to the full board of directors adoption of a house rule to combat use of multiple non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

The NYRA Equine Safety Committee at its Feb. 27 meeting discussed the issue of "stacking," which is simultaneous use of legal therapeutic medications. NYRA equine medical director Scott Palmer, VMD, Dipl. ABVP, told the committee groups such as the United States Equestrian Federation prohibit the practice, which can lead to gastrointestinal problems in horses.

"If a horse needs all of that medication, it begs the question of a medical issue that may need to be addressed," Palmer said.

Officials suggested the house rule could state that only one of three common NSAIDs can be used. Committee chairman Anthony Bonamo asked members about making a recommendation to the full board and got no resistance to the suggestion

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.