The American Quarter Horse Journal, December 7, 2009 — AQHA is implementing a drug testing and show processing fee that will go into effect January 1, 2010. Starting with shows in January, show management will begin collecting a $5 per horse per show fee that will go toward increasing the breadth and depth of drug testing and the development of a stewards program.
Nothing is more paramount than ensuring the welfare of the American Quarter Horse during competition. For more than 40 years, AQHA’s welfare and competition policies have been set in place to protect the horse. In keeping with what was best for the horse, AQHA followed the lead of the United States Equestrian Federation and guidelines from the American Association of Equine Practitioners to establish therapeutic medication rules in the mid-1990s.
To enforce the rules, AQHA dramatically increased its drug testing of horses at shows in 2006 with the goal of testing more than 300 shows per year. This expense has been offset by a drug testing fee of $3 per horse, which totaled $875,000 in 2009. However, total costs for drug testing at AQHA shows and the world championship shows total more than $1 million in testing fees alone. This amount does not include administrative costs or expenditures for hearings or addressing positive tests. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=9159
Tags: American Quarter Horse, AQHA, drug testing, Equine Protection
December 8, 2009