Posted on Aug 11, 2016 in Articles

Clean Sport Part 1- do you know the Anti- doping rules for Horses

The FEI’s Clean Sport initiative aims to produce a detailed approach to clean sport as well as incorporating World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) principles. The use of substances with the potential to affect equine performance, health or welfare and/or with a high potential for misuse are contrary to the integrity of equestrian sport and the welfare of horses.

The FEI publishes an ‘Equine Prohibited Substances List’ (EPSL). This enables Persons Responsible (PRs) to ensure that they are not treating or feeding horses with substances that are prohibited for use during competition and substances that are not permitted for use in the horse at any time.

Prohibited Substances are categorized as follows:

‘Banned Substances’ are substances that are deemed by the FEI to have no legitimate use in the competition horse and/or have a high potential for abuse. They are not permitted for use in the competition horse at any time.
‘Controlled Medication’ are substances that are deemed by the FEI to have therapeutic value and/or be commonly used in equine medicine. Controlled Medication have the potential to affect performance and/or be a welfare risk to the horse.

The EPSL lists all substances that are prohibited for use during FEI events. Substances that are not listed on the EPSL are not prohibited provided that they do not have a similar chemical structure or biological effect to a substance listed on the EPSL.

Medication administration prior to and at events

Before giving any substance to a horse competing at FEI events, athletes and their support personnel should always check if the substance is prohibited. If so, a withdrawal time must be observed before competing and the FEI publishes a ‘List of Detection Times’ which can be found below. Elective Testing is always available and the FEI organises specific elective testing programmes for horses competing in major Games.

General Advice

Athletes and their support teams are strongly encouraged to work closely with their veterinarians when administering substances to horses.

The FEI publishes a caution against the use of herbal supplements and products of which the ingredients are unknown. The use of any substance to affect the performance of a horse in a calming (tranquilizing) or an energizing (stimulant) manner is forbidden. The use of a calming product during competition may also have important safety consequences.

You need to make sure that your vet, grooms and other support personnel become familiar with what is and is not banned so that you can ensure that you will be fully compliant from that date. You should also draw to their attention the increased likelihood of them being included in legal proceedings should a positive test occur.

A Medication Logbook must be kept for each horse recording the date, substance and dosage of all treatments administered to the horse which involve a prohibited substance and details of the person who administered the treatment. This Logbook can be inspected by the FEI Tribunal if a violation of the Rules is alleged.

Top 10 things you need to know about FEI Clean Sport

The Regulations are divided into two sections, with the approach to Banned Substances (doping) stricter than the previous rules while the rules governing Controlled Medication Substances are more flexible to compensate for the realities of competition
ETUEs are no longer available for Banned (doping) Substances
While the rider of the Horse is still the “Person Responsible” and therefore strictly liable, the new regulations call for greater focus on support personnel as potential “Additional Persons Responsible”
There will be a presumption of a two-year ban on any PR who has violated the Equine Anti-Doping Rules (i.e. involving a Banned Substance)
The PR now has the opportunity to have the B Sample tested at a different lab from the one that tested the A Sample and to have a witness throughout the entire laboratory analyzing process
The FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List clearly names all the substances not allowed in competition whilst under FEI rules. There will be a minimum of 3 months notice before a new substances is added to the List for the next year. See www.feicleansport.org
Within the List, there are two categories, Banned Substances which have no common legitimate use in equines, and Controlled Medications, which have common uses, but are not allowed whilst in FEI competition
A record of medications given at any time from the FEI Equine Prohibited substances List must now be kept, whether in competition or outside. All that is required is to record the date, place, active substance used, the person responsible and the treating veterinarian (if applicable)
Laboratory Detection Levels for substances at all laboratories are set at fair and equal levels
Any suspicions of a lack of integrity in the sport can be reported directly to the FEI or to the Equestrian Community Integrity Unit

To find out more or to see the Equine Prohibited Substances List please follow these links:

http://www.bef.co.uk/Detail.aspx?page=International-Equine-Anti-Doping

http://inside.fei.org/fei/cleansport

http://inside.fei.org/fei/cleansport/horses