Casner: Weight loss, recovery time the key problems with anti-bleeding medication
The Thoroughbred Times talks with owner/breeder Bill Casner about his views on race day anti-bleeding medication. Casner's major reason for supporting a ban on Salix is that he believes it has been a significant factor in the reduced number of starts per horse in the U.S. due to the weight loss that occurs after horses run on the medication. Casner conducted a non-scientific study by racing his two-year-olds without Salix but keeping his older horses on it. In the latter group, he recorded weight loss on the day after races ranging from 16 to 100 pounds:
“We have weighed the two-year-olds on the mornings after their races and their weights have been virtually the same—no weight loss,” Casner said. “And they all scoped clean. Let me repeat that—no weight loss and scoped clean. I’ve been no different in my opinions than most every other owner and trainer. It wasn’t until I started weighing horses that I really came to understand how much it had to be stressing these horses metabolically. When we understand how much fluid these horses are actually losing, we can begin to figure out why it takes these horses so long to recover from each race, and why we see horses heat-stroking on a hot day.”
