Steroids used on horses

Most of the hormones are chemically quite similar in various mammals. Some hormones we even share with birds, fishes, and other beings. However, it does not mean that the same hormone would act similarly across all the species.

As an example, in animals, there is a breeding season. During the heat, they secrete more sex hormones. Animals are also more sensitive to the action of sex hormones, resulting in aggressive behavior. However, humans remain sexually active year round. They are less prone to the psychological effects of sex hormones.

Even if the hormone is a bit different between the species, it often works. A good example is insulin. Insulin extracted from pig has little different chemical structure than that found in humans. However, swine insulin still works in humans.

As far as testosterone is concerned, it is a smaller molecule than hormones like insulin. Amazingly, its structure is preserved across most of the species. It means that testosterone in animals is almost the same thing as in humans.

As already said that despite similarities, they differ in actions. Steroids are approved in veterinary medicine for use in horses. They can be used to treat a weakened or diseased animal.

However, research shows mixed results of the anabolic action of steroids in animals. Many believe that though steroids can help horses, but not as much as they help humans. Whatever be the truth, what we know is that steroids work in horses.

Very few steroids are tested in horses till dates. In many cases, they would be given the same steroids used in humans to improve health, and sports performance. After all, horses are among the few animals that participate in sports as humans do. Most of the equine sports ask for strength and endurance.

Bolde and Stano

Two of the steroids used in horses are Boldenone and Stanozolol. These two are among the few steroids tested in the animals.

Boldenone is injected 0.5 mg/lb every three weeks. Whereas, Stanozolol is injected 25 mg/100lb on a weekly basis.

When using steroids in horses, similar kind of precautions are needed as for humans. It means that they must be used in cycles. Giving an animal a time to clear its body from synthetic steroids, thus reduce the risk of potential side effects.

It is worth knowing the spectrum of side effects in animals or horses would differ. They may become more aggressive, as androgens have high mood changing effects in them. It is also vital to know that prolonged use of steroids is not well tested in animals, thus unforeseen side effects may occur.

Other non-anabolic steroids like dexamethasone or prednisolone are commonly used in veterinary medicine to treat various inflammatory conditions. These steroids may help the animal recover faster from injury, may increase endurance. Though, non-anabolic steroids would not affect muscular mass or strength.

Conclusion

Coming to our final question, will steroids that are approved for veterinary medicine work in humans? The answer is yes. As they are similar to those used in humans, they are manufactured using the same kind of raw materials. However, veterinary drugs go through less stringent testing or quality checks. Thus there is a higher risk of side effects in humans.