BEWARE WHEN BUYING A SHOW FILLY, COLT, STALLION OR MARE.
As a breeder recently became aware - it is not always as simple as it would seem.
SOME, not all, some people who show filly's/mares, use a drug called EQUITY (Pfizer) to stop the mare from cycling during show season. This drug can have lasting effects.. anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 years.. maybe longer depending on the mare/filly's reaction to the drug. It is being proven more times than not that a mares breeding future is permanently ruined due to the use of this drug. If you are thinking of buying a mare/filly that has been shown.. it may be an idea to ask the seller if they have used EQUITY or even request a vet report on the horse for future breeding purposes. Don't get caught out.
I spoke to a representative at Pfiser with regard to EQUITY & it's long term effects on breeding mares - she informed me that the drug was a vaccine and any reaction by individual mares varied. She reassured me that any effects of the vaccine should wear off within 12 months. Hmm.. I then told her the mare in question had been not had the drug for 2 years.. she immediately changed the maximum wear off time from '12 months' to 2 years... truth be told the mare has not had the drug in three and a half years as that is the length of time the breeder has owned the mare and it is not known how often the previous owners used the drug. I hung up the phone thinking that the Pfiser rep was full of BS.
If you have ever had any dealings with this drug please email your experience here.
UPDATE
SEEMS THERE A QUITE A FEW OF YOU OUT THERE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME RESULTS AFTER USEING THE DRUG 'EQUITY', OR HAVING BOUGHT A MARE WHO HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED THE PFIZER DRUG EQUITY.
I DO UNDERSTAND THE SOME PARENTS HAVE USED IT ON MARES RIDEN BY THEIR CHILDREN, WHO ACT QUITE BADLY WHEN CYCLING.. MOST OF YOU HAVE STATED THAT YOU WERE NOT AWARE OF THE LASTING EFFECTS OF THE DRUG AND THAT THE DRUG WAS RECOMMENDED BY YOUR VET.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY HARD LESSON TO LEARN & I EMPLORE EVERYONE TO DO SOME INVESTIGATION OF YOUR OWN WITH REGARD TO ANY DRUGS OR TREATMENTS SUGGESTED BY YOUR VET - JUST AS YOU WOULD IF YOUR DOCTOR SUGGESTED A TREATMENT YOU WERE NOT AWARE OF.
After some investigation I have found that there is ample advertising that the drug EQUITY is for the control of estrus in non-breeding horses... They have stopped short of stating - with adverse perminant effect... or more to the point - WILL NEVER REPRODUCE.
This then leaves our Vets and Horse Owners as the last line of defence against the misuse of this drug.
- IF you are NOT a breeder and are positive you will keep the horse until the day it dies or are prepared to sell the horse and state in the advert - Horse has been administered EQUITY which causes sterility.. then so be it.
- IF you are not prepared to do any of the above then be aware you could end up in court to defend your actions.
- VETS - please be sure to inform your clients even if they ask for the drug by name.
While you may argue that your vet should have known better - rest assured your vet can only go on the advice of the drug company, and if they are not telling the vets the whole story then without their own investigation the vet will be non the wiser. This is not an excuse and I emplore all our vets to do their own invstigation into the drug before they are also being dragged into court.
There has obviously been some discussions throughout the veterinary fraternity as the mare referred to earlier was seen by a vet who recognised the issue from the symptoms and a scan. Hopefully this talk will spread so more of our vets become aware of the issues surrounding this drug.
One Vet actually said to me - I don't know if the effects of the drug are permenant but I have used it to make a jump mare for a stud as opposed to costly surgery to remove her ovaries... WELL DAH!!! Talk about a contradictory statement. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that if you can confidently make a 'jump mare' with the damn drug the OBVIOUSLY the effects of the drug are perminant.
Where were we before "Vets" came along... ???? Ummm let me think.. we listened to the older horsmen and respected their opinion. We went with our instinct if we thought there was a problem & the kicker.. if it wasn't formed right we got rid of it, we did not spend thousands of dollars trying to mend it for it then to become a great looking paddock ornament and we sure as hell never bred from it.
This is not to say I do not believe Vets have their place and perform a very necessary service... I am simply saying that maybe all horse owners should engage a little common sense occasionally. If you own a colt and his first crop all have bent up legs, lousey hock or two heads (tounge in cheek).. cut his nuts out - do not sell him on in order to try to recoup some of the money you spent breeding and raiseing, buying or importing him.. & maybe next time you go to breed, do a bit of reasearch and breed more wisely instead of simply commercially.
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