discontinuing Lasix

[johnhenry81]

Does anyone know why a horse in training would discontinue lasix use?

Is there any benefit to performance without it?

The reason I ask is I have noticed that several horse in recent PP's have removed the medication and have run well afterwards.


thanks

[jdhanover]

Think there are two main reasons:
1 -Cost.
2- Trainer preference (thinks horse will do better without it - debatable but some feel this way I think)

[lamboguy]

often times horses have bad reactions to it.

ron ellis had don't get mad in the derby and he was without the stuff for that reason.

[turninforhome10]

Had a horse one time that would draw up so bad after Lasix, he only ran half a race before cramps would set in (assuming). Took him off Lasix and he won 2 out of 5. Lasix can really dehydrate some horses and combine that with taking their water away 4 hrs to post, you can set a horse up for a miserable experience.

[cnollfan]

I read an interview with Seth Hancock a year or two ago in which he said he thinks one reason horses do not run as frequently as they used to is that Lasix dehydrates them, and exerting themselves when dehydrated takes a lot more out of the horses.

[lamboguy]

I read an interview with Seth Hancock a year or two ago in which he said he thinks one reason horses do not run as frequently as they used to is that Lasix dehydrates them, and exerting themselves when dehydrated takes a lot more out of the horses.
that does happen.

i sent a baby to calder this year and the first thing the vet does is put her right on lassix. i didn't want that, now i have to run in new york with it for the year. i usually take horses out of training in november and bring them back to florida and turn them out, i will take her off the stuff for her 3 yo campaign.

[johnhenry81]

Thanks for the replies. I have heard that even though a horse does not need lasix to keep from bleeding, they use it to mask some things from the medicine cabinet.