Banned Drugs For Horses
There are a number of drugs that are banned for use in horses possibly intended for human consumption, for horses competing under FEI competition rules and for race horses racing under Jockey Club / HRA rules.
Horses possibly intended for human consumption
Under the 2005 UK horse passport legislation, there are a number of drugs that cannot be given to a horse unless a declaration that the horse will not be going for human consumption has been made in the ‘medicinal treatment’ section of the passport. If one of the following banned drugs has to be administered, the declaration can be signed at that time:
Horses competing under FEI or Jockey Club / HRA rules
In addition to stringent equine influenza vaccination regulations, there are a number of drugs that must not be detected in the system of a sports horse competing under FEI competition rules or a racehorse racing under Jockey Club / HRA rules. It is the responsibility of the owner to inform the veterinary surgeon if a horse is likely to be competing within the detection time of a particular drug. Banned drugs are listed below together with a guide to the length of time the drug remains detectable in the horse's system when tested in a laboratory. Detection times cannot be guaranteed. N.B. detection times should not be confused with withdrawal times which can vary.
Banned drugs for horses competing under FEI competition rules
Jockey Club / Horse Racing Regulatory Authority banned drugs
The Regulatory role of the Jockey Club was taken over by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) in 2006. The HRA Veterinary Department has published new information relating to medication use in racehorses on their web site www.thehra.org including information relating to stringent equine influenza vaccination regulations and doping control policies and procedures.
