# How can you tell if a horse is doped?



## AfterParty

Òf course a simple blood test could let you know if the horse is doped up . Although you can look for these signs 

Ears don't move, even when there is a lot of noise. They mostly stay in a tilted back position.
Dropped heart rate- a horse's natural pulse should be between 40-60 Beats per minute. If you are suspicious that a horse may be drugged walk up and take the pulse right along the girth line.
Extra salavation from the mouth, even when not worked. A horse will naturally salavate with a bit in their mouth, however, if you notice the St Bernard or Mastiff effect on a horse, steer clear.
Glazed eyes with hardly any blinking.
Dehydration of the skin- a horse normally doped up will not drink or eat properly. Pinch a fatty part of the skin, if it doesn't fold back to normal...you know something is wrong.

And lastly, your gut instinct. A person who normally dopes their horse will not leave the horse's side. This is because people are curious and may wonder why the horse is unreactive or unresponsive to noise, other horses, and people. An owner standing right by their side- to calm worries by saying, "Oh, this guy is such a baby." or "He's always been like this with large crowds." 
Don't believe that...


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## Rylie22

AfterParty said:


> And lastly, your gut instinct. A person who normally dopes their horse will not leave the horse's side. This is because people are curious and may wonder why the horse is unreactive or unresponsive to noise, other horses, and people. An owner standing right by their side- to calm worries by saying, "Oh, this guy is such a baby." or "He's always been like this with large crowds."
> Don't believe that...


^Totally agree with her on this one. My mare was drugged when we bought her. I noticed she wasn't the same as the previous time I looked at her, she rode like a dream even though they said she had just been backed. It was negative 10 outside without wind(it was a extremely windy day), snowmobiles in the field, horses running in next to the arena, she didn't even flinch. She was three when I bought her when I got her home became extremely heard bound. She also had a small shaved patch at the top of her neck under her mane, I noticed it after she sent me to the hospital. I was a ignorant buyer at the time and it put me in the hospital a week and a half later when she flipped on me. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't trade this horse for the world but be careful PLEASE. Have a trainer work with him or use extra caution while riding. It's the worst feeling knowing you allowed yourself to let your guard down and not see the warning signs of a drugged horse.


Just please be safe when working with the horse!


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## smrobs

Also, depending on which drug they use, the horse's pupils will sometimes be dilated and they might sweat profusely. If you are unsure, you might find a very knowledgeable horse person who has been around enough drugged horses to be able to spot one go with you or have the vet do the PPE with blood test the same day that you test ride them. That way, any drugs that are in the system when you ride will show up in the test.


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## iridehorses

Which is why I advocate showing up an hour early when going to look at a new horse.


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## mom2pride

This is why I really prefer to not purchase from a sale barn...not to say that every seller will do things like doping a horse, or masking pain with medications, but with the 'faster pace' a buyer might be sucked in and forget to do something as simple as blood testing prior to a buy. 

That said, when ever you do a purchase, make sure to get the blood tests and health check prior to sealing the deal. Make sure the horse has a negative coggins, as well as a current proof of vaccination and worming history. Now, if it is a rescue horse you are going after, obviously some of those may not be current, but still always get a thorough vet check and run a blood test asap.


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## Tennessee

Here are some ways : 

1. If their ears don't seem to moving at all (as if they are not attentive) even when there is lots of noise around, that is a sign of drugging. If they aren't moving, poke your finger in there. An un drugged horse will obviously flick it's ear or head around

2. A dropped heart rate. I always check their pulse right under their girth.

3. If there is extra salvation from the mouth when they are not being worked or rode. 

4. Glazed over, stoned look in their eyes.

5. If the horse is not in its home barn, then obviously there should be some curiosity and excitement coming from the horse because he should be interested in his new surroundings.

6. Lift up their tail. If they show little to no resistance, possible drugging.

7. If a gelding, sometimes their "junk" will hang out for a long time. And in mares, a very droopy lip (but that doesn't always mean drugging. Lots of horses have a naturally droopy lip)


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## darkwillow

I once saw a drugged horse. I knew it was drugged because it was a stallion in a 3x3 auction yard with 3' fences, and he had absolutely no interest in the two mares either side of him, and his eyes were glazed over. Steered clear of that one!


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## Britt

> Ears don't move, even when there is a lot of noise. They mostly stay in a tilted back position.
> Dropped heart rate- a horse's natural pulse should be between 40-60 Beats per minute. If you are suspicious that a horse may be drugged walk up and take the pulse right along the girth line.
> Extra salavation from the mouth, even when not worked. A horse will naturally salavate with a bit in their mouth, however, if you notice the St Bernard or Mastiff effect on a horse, steer clear.
> Glazed eyes with hardly any blinking.
> Dehydration of the skin- a horse normally doped up will not drink or eat properly. Pinch a fatty part of the skin, if it doesn't fold back to normal...you know something is wrong.


Just want to add in, some horses act like some of this normally... I have on out here who, if I was to go by some of these, would be positive for being drugged daily. Lol.

Just be very careful, and, if at all possible, take someone who is able to tell a drugged horse from a naturally relaxed one.

At the sales, we (my friends and I) can almost always pick out the horses that have been drugged from the normal ones, even when some of the 'normal' ones act the way some of the drugged ones are.


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## Doveguy

Thanks so much guys. I will really be on the lookout next time.


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## tealamutt

AfterParty said:


> Òf course a simple blood test could let you know if the horse is doped up .



No, it can't. The rest of your post is accurate, but this isn't at all true. You would have to know what drug specifically you believe the animal had been given and then you would need to test specifically for that drug. Depending on the time and the chemical, blood may not at all be the right sample either. There are NO tox screens, it doesn't exist. You have to specifically test for chemicals and toxins and these tests are pricey and often inaccurate.

Save your time and money, listen to the rest of the advice given in Afterparty's post, and make sure you do a lengthy, contracted off site trial period following a complete vet check. Good luck!


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## Doveguy

Teal,

You know that sounds right on because I did a vet check and asked the vet if there was a test for drugs. I felt really bad asking because the seller was right there listening. The vet said he would have to know what he was testing for and I said I didn't know. It seemed like a dead end. Another clue was that horse loaded right into a small trailer w/o any problems. The next time I tried to load that horse, he gave me no end of problems.
How long is a lengthy trial period?


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## tealamutt

I'd say ask for a minimum of a week or two, if you can get a 30-60 day trial all the better! Sometimes problems that the seller didn't even know about are picked up by potential buyers. Also, it is important to remember that horses act very different in different situations/ with different handlers. Not every horse that has a major personality change is doped. I got my guy from the vet school and he went through a massive personality change after I had him at my barn but I know for a fact he hadn't had any drugs in months. 

The main things you want to watch for would be covering up a lameness or dangerous behavior (like severe aggression). Any drugs covering these would be gone in a day or two so certainly a two week trial would be sufficient. Longer is always better, to make sure you two fit well and that any problems are ones you feel you can work on, either on your own or with a trainer. Best of luck to you!


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## iridehorses

A trial period will always be a great way to discover anything missed in buying a horse but, truthfully, most sellers will not permit it. I certainly wouldn't. I will allow a buyer to come a few times and try my horse but I have no idea what happens when that horse leaves my possession. 

In another post, a member was talking about letting her horse go out on a lease. The lease was ironclad, spelling out all contingencies; the woman was checked out, the facility was good, the BO at the facility was good, yet one week after the horse left, the lessee called to say that she was having money problems and that the owner needed to come pick up the horse even thought the lease said 30 days notice was required and it was the lessee's responsibility to return the horse.

You also need to consider the selling price. If you are spending several thousand dollars, a trial may be in order. With good horses selling for under $1,000, and many in the $500 range, a seller is less apt to allow a trial period. It doesn't hurt to ask but don't expect it to be a welcome alternative.


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## smrobs

I am with Iride. I wouldn't allow a trial period on any of mine either. There is too much risk that they would take the horse and use some god-awful contraption on it and screw up all the training that it did have and then I would have to spend weeks or months just gettting it back to where it was. Not saying that you would, it is just a general statement cause we all know what kind of crappy people are out there. So even if you ask for one, don't be disappointed if they say no.


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## Alwaysbehind

Doveguy said:


> The vet said he would have to know what he was testing for and I said I didn't know.


Any equine vet worth their price could give you an idea of what you need to test for and discuss that with you. (Obviously with the disclaimer that they do not _know_ exactly what to test for so you are testing for the obvious things.)


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## AfterParty

tealamutt said:


> No, it can't. The rest of your post is accurate, but this isn't at all true. You would have to know what drug specifically you believe the animal had been given and then you would need to test specifically for that drug. Depending on the time and the chemical, blood may not at all be the right sample either. There are NO tox screens, it doesn't exist. You have to specifically test for chemicals and toxins and these tests are pricey and often inaccurate.
> 
> Save your time and money, listen to the rest of the advice given in Afterparty's post, and make sure you do a lengthy, contracted off site trial period following a complete vet check. Good luck!


oh wow , I didnt know that . I guess you learn something new everyday  

Thanks !


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## tealamutt

No problem! I didn't know this until I went to vet school either. It is scary how easy it is to get away with being dishonest these days- makes it very hard to buy a horse with confidence!


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## AfterParty

Yeah , it is scary !


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## mls

Again -

You can pull blood. Tests CAN be run and they WILL show if the horse was sedated or on a painkiller. Ask USEF, AERC, FEI, etc etc etc.

Maybe not the exact drug or amount but the fact they are in the system will show up.

To anyone suspecting a horse was so perfect they knew it had to be drugged, why buy the thing in the first place??????????


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## tealamutt

YES it will show the exact drug because that is what you have to test for. I have run tests for USEF. Aren't you a vet tech, why don't you know this??


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## mls

tealamutt said:


> YES it will show the exact drug because that is what you have to test for. *I have run tests for USEF*.


Yet you told these people they cannot run a test for the drugs?

YES they can tell the exact drug if you look specifically for it - HOWEVER, there are indicators that will show *A* drug is in the system without getting in depth and $.

A sample pulled at a PPE is such a test. A sample pulled at an event is such a test.


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## Ryle

However, all of that said there is one drug that can modify a horse's temperament for a month without any of those symptoms.


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## ButterfliEterna

mom2pride said:


> This is why I really prefer to not purchase from a sale barn...not to say that every seller will do things like doping a horse, or masking pain with medications, but with the 'faster pace' a buyer might be sucked in and forget to do something as simple as blood testing prior to a buy.
> 
> That said, when ever you do a purchase, make sure to get the blood tests and health check prior to sealing the deal. Make sure the horse has a negative coggins, as well as a current proof of vaccination and worming history. Now, if it is a rescue horse you are going after, obviously some of those may not be current, but still always get a thorough vet check and run a blood test asap.



_*VERY IMPORTANT.*_

This happened to me. They were REALLY "pushy" about the sale.. and I thought I was getting a steal because I found Cerra on another horse advertisement elsewhere too, for triple what I paid.

Price is everything. "UTD Farrier, Shots, Worming." <-- Nope. I don't think she'd even seen a needle or been wormed, and her feet were disasterous. Wasn't even an inch of her that wasn't caked/matted when we picked her up. _*Buyer beware.. People can be so greedy and underhanded!*_ (Now I see ANOTHER ad, by the same seller, and I just shake my head. Cerra might have cost me some extra money, but you can see security and gratitude in her eyes these days.)


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## 5cuetrain

Remember you get what you pay for. Buying a horse is like buying a car. Years of payments--commitment--and if the motor blows up well??

You get what you pay for if you work with someone who knows horses and is paid to help you--not the seller. Like in real estate.

Find someone who knows and let them help you find the right horse for you. Be prepared to pay for a good one. If its too good to be true it most probably is.

The race horse people have been giving "vitamins" to horses for years. The tests for them get better but the methods of masking them keep up. so its who you get to help that counts.


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## Doveguy

Hey Butterfly,

It is dreadful the way some people misrepresent their horse when they are selling it. And sale barns must be the worst. My horse was on something when I bought him. I was railroaded into buying him by certain family members who were on a mission to buy that horse. I didn't know what I was doing but I should have just put my foot down and said "no". My vet was not helpful, unfortunately, I asked about testing for substances but that went nowhere. Now I have him for sale for about 12% of what I bought him for.


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## Tacha

AfterParty said:


> Òf course a simple blood test could let you know if the horse is doped up . Although you can look for these signs
> 
> Ears don't move, even when there is a lot of noise. They mostly stay in a tilted back position.
> Dropped heart rate- a horse's natural pulse should be between 40-60 Beats per minute. If you are suspicious that a horse may be drugged walk up and take the pulse right along the girth line.
> Extra salavation from the mouth, even when not worked. A horse will naturally salavate with a bit in their mouth, however, if you notice the St Bernard or Mastiff effect on a horse, steer clear.
> Glazed eyes with hardly any blinking.
> Dehydration of the skin- a horse normally doped up will not drink or eat properly. Pinch a fatty part of the skin, if it doesn't fold back to normal...you know something is wrong.
> 
> And lastly, your gut instinct. A person who normally dopes their horse will not leave the horse's side. This is because people are curious and may wonder why the horse is unreactive or unresponsive to noise, other horses, and people. An owner standing right by their side- to calm worries by saying, "Oh, this guy is such a baby." or "He's always been like this with large crowds."
> Don't believe that...


I never even knew people did such a thing. I almost bought a horse once and travelled 6 hours to see him, he was the most calmest i've ever seen and when in trail his head was hanging low, he was unresponsive to any noise what so ever... i didn't purchase him because something didn't seem right... he looked illish. Now i wonder if he was doped! It was best anyways... i was and still am not ready for a horse just yet, but as soon as i am now i know what to look for for a doped up horse... TY.


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