THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 22, 1996 TAG: 9609200001
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 28 lines
Concerning the Sept. 14 letter ``Whoa! Racing's not wonderful'' by Denise Jolander:
If ``centuries of selective breeding'' creates a racehorse that some people consider ``a genetic mistake,'' then why are those horses called ``thoroughbreds'' in the first place? One cannot just breed any two horses together to create a racehorse.
According to Jolander, the beneficial veterinary drugs Lasix and Bute ``turn racehorses into junkies . . . (allowing) them to race with injuries . .
Lasix (furosemide) prevents bleeding in the lungs by reducing pressure in the capillaries, while Bute (phenylbutazone) relieves most of the minor aches and pains a racehorse encounters. It has been clinically proved that neither drug has detrimental effects on a horse's lungs and heart. Injuries to racehorses usually happen due to racetrack conditions, not to their use of Lasix or Bute.
Horses are not sold to slaughterhouses; instead, they may just go to a farm to live out the rest of their days. They are most certainly not turned into dog food or glue.
JEREMY SORIA
Virginia Beach, Sept. 14, 1996 by CNB