New Mexico State Governor Susana Martinez (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Source: The Washington Examiner.com
“We owe it to owners, jockeys, horses, and fans alike to ensure that everyone in the industry conducts themselves with integrity…”
SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico racing regulators will be able to test more horses for illegal drugs and can impose tougher sanctions for violations under legislation signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Susana Martinez.
One new law provides the State Racing Commission with an earmarked source of money — about $700,000 a year — for testing race horses. That’s more than twice what the regulatory agency currently spends, according to Vince Mares, the commission’s executive director.
The money will come from an existing tax on pari-mutuel wagering at horse racing tracks.
Another law will allow the commission to impose penalties up to $100,000, or the amount of a horse’s winnings if that’s greater, for violations of the state’s racing rules, including those against the use of performance enhancing drugs. Civil penalties currently are limited to $10,000 for each violation.
The laws take effect June 14.
“We owe it to owners, jockeys, horses, and fans alike to ensure that everyone in the industry conducts themselves with integrity,” Martinez said in a statement after signing the legislation in Las Cruces. “Anyone who endangers a horse or a jockey should face stiff penalties.”
The regulatory changes came after a New York Times investigation last year highlighted drug use in the horse racing industry as well as horse deaths and jockey injuries at tracks across the nation, including in New Mexico.
The commission last year adopted new standards governing the drugs that can be administered to horses. One of the measures signed by the governor will ensure that those standards remain tied to national guidelines set by The Association of Racing Commissioners International and will require use of testing labs that meet the association’s guidelines.
By imposing those requirements in state law, Mares said, New Mexico’s racing regulators can’t retreat from those in the future.
“We want to make sure the Racing Commission remains accountable to stay within the high standards of the industry as far as testing,” said Mares…(CONTINUED)
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Categories: Horse News
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Good for her…it’s about time for those to be held accountable. This law will go a long way in helping to bring about change in the racing business that’s been long over-due! It’s nice to see the Governor taking a common-sense and responsible approach to an industry that’s caused mistreatment and lack of respect for it’s jockeys and horses, for far too long!
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She is doing this so that more horses can be slaughtered without the worry of drugs in their system !
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I was thinking the same thing.
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YES, you are CORRECT!
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That was my thought exactly.. Limit the drugs so that the horses can be slaughtered.. Just wait, we’re next on the list.. Won’t be able to get meds that we need for out horses just so they won’t end up in the food chain..F THAT!!!
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No, I disagree. I am not a republican, but I have the highest regard for Gov. Martinez. Along with Hillary Wood of Front Range Equine Rescue, the governor has been fighting the slaughterhouse.
Just like at the federal level, state legislators make the laws and the governor enacts them. I am positive that if the New Mexico congress passed a law against slaughter she would sign it into law.
This new law actually focuses a light on additional drugs that may be in the systems of slaughtered race horses – just as horse advocates have been screaming. This should wake some up!
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This is my worry too. I will not rest easy until the Governor says no to horse slaughter in her state.
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Integrity is always the issue… Protection and preservation is the quest.
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Do not trust her,they still want to open the slaughterhouse.
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Agreed, Diane.
The horse racing industry has as much integrity as a crack whore, excuse the language.
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Smiling at the term..
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It is long over due the horse racing industry, money making machine it is, must be held accountable for the abuse to our horses. Drugs and pain killers used for horses especially when they have leg issues after running so many races is traumatic enough. The vet bills are horrendous and I think the horse racing industry needs to change their policies on many things. This is just a beginning. I don’t think this has anything to do with horse slaughter issues. Integrity is a major issue for sure. Anything to make our horses safe and able to be free from pain.
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I don’t know the motives behind this stepped-up testing-and-sanctioning program.
What I do know is this: We can crack down from here to kingdom come on violations of laws and abuses of horses, but no amount of rules and penalties, even if enforced, will ever make the inherently greedy racing industry truly “humane” for the horses, any more than tough regulations, obeyed to the letter, will ever make the inherently greedy slaughter industry “humane” for those same poor exploited-by-humans-from-birth-to-death horses.
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Stiffer penalty’s for abuse is good but I think these new increased fines are not enough to get the attention of the wealthy horse racing elite. Increasing the fine from $10,000 to $100,000 is like fining Kobe Bryant $100,000.00…it’s pocket change.
At least it’s something
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bute will still be used though.. so i don’t know why the sudden push in integrity.. yes the racing industry needs to be held responsible.. the racing industry also needs to be held responsible for Sea buscuit..The Secretariat.. who else was sent to slaughter? these breeding barns that participate in this are a joke.. they are the real abusers.. i can only imagine what condition their broodmares come out of after that kind of career..
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Even without the use of illegal drugs, these horses till receive veterinary drugs such as dewormers and other treatments, which STILL render the horses unfit for human consumption. She doesn’t need to come up with excuses to slaughter horses, all she has to do is sign a bill.
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And still they don’t speak of the horse slaughter issue.. Ban drugs for horses and count on their integrity… Come on people, pretty soon we won’t have anything to treat our horses with to keep them healthy. Yrs, get en eligible for slaughter.. Kill more horses and feed them to the people.. DAMN IT PEOPLE WE NEED TO GET HORSE SLAUGHTER BANNED ON A NATIONAL LEVEL!
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Wonder why it is we humans feel the *need* to pump so many drugs — legally and illegally — into horses in the first place? Why do domesticated horses *need* drugs and wild horses, left to their own devices, don’t? Could it be that we impose our beliefs and fears and so-called “health” laws on them? If so, wouldn’t they all be better off without us? Happier and healthier just roaming the range?
Perhaps we don’t deserve to “own” horses at all! Perhaps we need to send them all back to their freedom. Their freedom from human gluttony and green-eyed greed. Their freedom from our disease phobias and pharma culture. Their freedom from our bits and bridles, our whips and spurs, our saddles and steel shoes. Their freedom from our races and shows and prizes and ribbons.
My prayer is that we all be like Stormy May, who put away all her tack, put aside all her pride of accomplishment, put down all her training manuals, and, like a little child, learned how to stand quietly next to a horse, issue no command to or demand of that horse, listen with all her heart to that horse speak silently to her, and let that horse teach her Truth. And Life. And Love.
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Oops, sorry I forgot to attach the link to Stormy May in “The Path of the Horse”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=TQUMAJCh1fA
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Thank you for ths amazing link,BlessUsAll. That is the way I believe it should be too. It can be, too, as the world shifts/evolves from base behavior to our higher selves.
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Judy, I wish I could recall the name of the commenter who, on either R.T.’s or Jerry’s blog, told us about “The Path of the Horse.” I’m indebted to that person, as are the friends with whom I’ve shared Stormy’s life-changing video. Glad you’re now one of them! 🙂
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“Anyone who endangers a HORSE or a jockey should face STIFF PENALTIES”
Wasted ink unless followed through with the slaughter house ban
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This is encouraging: “… regulators … will do out-of-competition testing in which horses are tested weeks ahead of a race to try to ensure that drugs weren’t administered during training.” I just hope they test enough horses for enough substances – unannounced – to make it meaningful.
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People…this issue is about this sport NOT having a governing, single national authority.
Drugs in racing has nothing to do with drugs in meat. (Hold on)…the industry does not breed, raise and compete equines for slaughter; slaughter is the nasty side of the biz.
I don’t give a $h!t what NM does on racing drugs when it comes to slaughter because their efforts and those of other tough anti drug RACING DAY drugs are not tracked once the equine has left the track.
NTRA STINKS. TOBA STINKS! AVMA/AEEP STINKS! The Jockey Club STINKS! Not sure? Ask Backstreet BUlly….Ferdinand….Exceller and on and on. Better than AQHA? Sure, but it doesn’t take much to get higher than the gutter.
Until that industry sets aside a portion of every purse, entry fee, tote for equines, jocks and backstretch workers, nothing will change….plus IRS tax laws on equines that include tax benefits that can be assigned to RETIREMENT!
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Congress with the help on racing industry lobbies have accelerated the rate of depreciation for competition equines….especially racing, but continue to shutdown set asides for welfare and retirement in the tax structure.
Once that horse leaves the track or arena….NO ONE GIVES A $H!T!!!!! This is how KBs make a living and “owners” are allowed to dump to HCHS.
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Yes, what is it all about..Perhaps outlawing the racing of babies should take place. The drugs will still continue no matter what. The greedy money hungry people will still find a way to mask the drugs that keep these poor horses running for dear life..Sometimes I am so totally disgusted with the whole lot of them. How many more horses have to be injured at the race track so someone can make a buck? The only ones that come to the fore front are the very famous ones. Then J Q Public pours their hearts out. No one mentions the others. Its been stated only one out of 30,000 babies will have what it takes in the world of racing. Pretty sick stats..and what happens to the rest? Very sad state of affairs..Sometimes I and my friends feel like we are in the minority..Its obvious that people making and voting on equine issues have no knowledge of or the reality of such.. Can’t give up though, we all must keep on trucking…
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But they need to also be able to test for frog juice. And trainers need to be suspended from racing or having anything to do with racing during their enforced suspension. Each time you violate the suspension you send the clock back to day 1. After the third infraction of a suspension you should be permanently banned from racing. This should also be held up world wide–so a trainer with a suspension in one state can’t go to another state and open shop.
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Margaret:
Did you read what I posted?
There is NO national racing authority with enforcement powers, unlike the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.
Until you get that, racing cannot enforce drug regulations with uniformity, much more equine welfare, then IRS tax laws have to be revised for welfare and retirement. Gambling entities are separated from racing for the tote and off-shore pool accumulation. NOTHING goes back to the athletes. God…I get so tired of having to explain and remind humans of this.
What is it that you people don’t understand how things work!?!
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It starts on the breeding farm and at the sales. ACCOUNTABILITY starts with taking responsibility for where that horse will end up and HOW it will end up. If you have that, people won’t use the drugs that basically ruin them, OR they will find it too expensive to breed and own at all. Just like the housing industry, the racing industry created a bubble by offering their product to people who knew nothing and could afford it even less!
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I wonder how this new law affects rodeo horses? They are also used as competitors for “entertainment” purposes. They too are subject to abuse. Does anyone know if they will be covered or is this just for horse racing?
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This definitely sounds like an attempt to make race horses more accessible for slaughter. It just mind boggles me how anyone can think that horse slaughter is the type of business we want to support here in the US. And Gov. Martinez is not being totally honest with people on her intentions for horse welfare as it seems that she is “riding the fence” on both sides of the issue. She should sign to ban it in New Mexico, period. This is the only clear and complete way that this issue will come to rest. I really appreciate her attempt to do good for our horses but, Gov. Martinez, just simply pick up a pen and ban it altogether!
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As of right now I do not know how the state of N.M. stands on horse slaughtering, but the dam plant in Roswell that is trying to get laws lifted for slaughtering of horses needs to be burned to the ground! I hope and pray for one bill to pass in this state is to not allow it here in our “Land of Enchantment”…..I hope she will do something for God creatures. I have voiced my oponion to the states legislators.
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What I cannot understand for the life of me is why our country wants to proceed with opening slaughter plants when the meat is drug-laden! It makes no sense at all. But then, nothing politcally makes sense anymore. I’d be happy t read about Tim Sappington getting his azz kicked by somebody, or maybe an equine! Ah, one can only hope. 😉
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