ADVANCES IN MANAGING RESPIRATORY DISEASE

steadily declined since the mid-1970s because better methods are available.”

Medications have also made a significant difference in the management of musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses. “In the late 1960s, anti-inflammatories came along,” says Bramlage. “Phenylbutazone was a huge advancement. Then came corticosteroids , injected systemically and intraarticularly. Horses in the first half of the Triple Crown era never had a joint injected, and then suddenly we had a way to halt inflammation in its tracks. It seemed like magic.”

There was a downside to these innovations, however. “Used wisely, all of these medications are great for the horses,” continues Bramlage. “But of course, with them came the potential for abuse, which I think happened in the early 1980s. Too much of anything can be a bad thing. More recently we’ve realized this and I think we are approaching a point where we are using them more sensibly and appropriately.”

The second biggest health concern in racehorses of any era has been respiratory illness. “Most racehorses are going to get respiratory disease at some point in their life,” says Cowles. “That’s been true for decades. The