At the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Board of Directors mid-year meeting, some significant rule and bylaw changes were approved that concerned horse welfare (new drug rules, and rules about horses and ponies that collapse at competitions), as well as the discipline of western dressage (which, frankly, I didn’t even know existed)..
CLICK HERE to read about all of the new rules.
Important points in this change include the following:
• No horses or ponies may be injected within twelve hours prior to competing.
• There are only three exceptions to this rule: therapeutic fluids, antibiotics, and Dexamethasone for the treatment of hives (specific dosing guidelines are provided for the exceptions concerning fluids and Dexamethasone).
• All excepted substances must be administered by a veterinarian and cannot be administered to a horse or pony within six hours prior to competing.
DR. RAMEY NOTES: If you’re a competitor, it’s absolutely critical that you know the rules under which you are competing. There is increasing pressure to get drugs out of the systems of competition horses, and these new rules reflect a response to that pressure.
