LEADING veterinary surgeon Des Leadon believes that Ireland’s horse industry would enjoy better access to important equine medication if breeders had the option to take their foals out of the food chain at the microchipping or passport stage.

Two court case reports this week which centred on possession of “unauthorised remedies” have brought the issue into focus. The medicines involved included sedatives, antibiotics and painkillers which are believed to be widely used by horsemen though some are unlicensed here due to concerns over the drugs entering the food chain.

Leadon, a breeder himself and adviser to the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, said: “Horses can be dangerous and unpredictable. There is a real need for access to medication but there are legal constraints here which create difficulty and there is no simple answer.”

Ireland is particularly exposed to non-availability of some equine remedies as tight controls by the regulatory authority mean it is often uneconomical for pharmaceutical companies to licence equine products here.

“The small Irish market is not seen as very profitable by the manufacturers,” Leadon said. “It’s a huge issue and the ITBA has been active in making pharma companies aware of their responsibilities.”

Leadon says the ITBA has also been lobbying to introduce the option for breeders to remove their animals from the food chain. The campaign has included a meeting with EU commissioner Phil Hogan.“If we could get this done we could present a robust case at Government and EU level that there need not be anxieties over drug residues entering the food chain.”

This week the company which owns Yeomanstown Stud in Naas, and three members of the O’Callaghan family were fined a total of €30,000 in respect of eight counts of possession of unauthorised animal remedies and failure to maintain a record.

The substances in question were:

  • Dormosedan, a sedative
  • Twdil Ardi’Enage, an antibacterial/antiphlogistic cream, with the active ingredient nitrofurazon
  • 5ml of Domidine, a sedative (same product as Dormosedan)
  • Nerfasin, a sedative similar to Dormosedan
  • Marbocyl, an antibiotic
  • Two sachets of Prodynam (painkiller commonly known as bute)

    • The stud issued a statement saying: “Since the Department of Agriculture inspections in 2014, Yeomanstown Stud have fully cooperated at all times with the investigation and have worked hard to implement a range of strict new procedures to ensure that the same mistakes cannot be repeated.”

    Separately, the Turf Club is in discussions with the ITBA on a system to allow Turf Club inspectors access to stud farms so that horses out of training can be drug tested.

    But the Turf Club says it has no concerns over the recent Kilkenny court case which saw vet Tim Brennan charged with possession of:

  • Quinidine sulfate, used to treat irregular heartbeat
  • P-Block, a painkiller
  • Cortalone, an anti-inflammatory
  • Catosal, a vitamin and phosphorus supplement
  • Hemo 15, which contains irons, vitamins, minerals and amino acids

    • The medicines were in Brennan’s vehicle when it was searched by Department of Agriculture inspectors at Willie Mullins’ yard.

    Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan told The Guardian: “We’re absolutely aware of what occurred. We have no concern about Willie Mullins arising from it.”

    A practicing equine vet, who did not wish to be named, said there was huge anger among the profession at how the case has been portrayed. “There appears to be a rogue element within the Department tipping off the media and, in this case, prejudicing a case before it has been heard.

    The source added: “We are being regulated by completely unrealistic EU medicines regulations and our Department use it to criminalise our profession. In the UK it is used as a guideline and inspectors give constructive criticism instead of going to war.

    “At the same time, in Ireland there are paraprofessionals and lay people that are completely unregulated and go about illegally scanning mares and carrying and administrating sedatives for dentistry and farriery.

    “At a recent equine dental course attended by dental technicians, drug doses were being given out and technicians were openly discussing that they sedate their clients’ horses themselves.

    “Vets have to do a five-year course, pay fees to the Veterinary Council and high insurance premiums in order to have the right to carry and administer drugs. The Department, the Turf Club and the Veterinary Council seem to turn a blind eye to the paraprofessionals.

    “There are vets who are giving up practice because they find it impossible to work within the current legislation. For eaxample, there can be ethical concerns when a newborn foal needs medical attention but the law prohibits the use of certain medicinces until a foal is micropchipped and markings taken.”