08/23/2026
This post is probably going to ruffle some feathers, but it needs to be talked about!
If you have to administer pain medications (bute, banamine) to be able to show, then your horse is not sound enough to show.
Whatever discipline you show, barrel racing, jumping, reining, whatever it may be, it’s all included in this topic. If your horse needs medication to get through the show day, they shouldn’t be showing.
Pain medication can mask pain, but it doesn’t make the underlying problem go away. What makes the underlying problem go away is diagnostics, rest, treatment, change in workload, not another day in a show ring.
Putting your horse first should always matter more than a placing, payout, or a ribbon!
