The Equine Drugs and Medications Program has worked to protect the welfare of equine athletes and ensure the balance of competition for more than 50 years. The program utilizes veterinarians and technicians around the country to collect blood and urine samples from horses competing at USEF events. 

The USEF strongly encourages its members to review the current Drugs and Medications Rule and to be aware of the published recommendations for treating a horse in competition. These recommendations can be found in the Federation’s Drugs and Medications Guidelines pamphlet and are provided as a link on this website. If you have questions not answered in the pamphlet please contact the Equine Drugs and Medications Program.

Supplement Use
The question of whether a supplement is permitted in competition by USEF is a complicated one and depends on whether it contains ingredients that are prohibited. Because supplements (human and animal) are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, manufacturers can and do change formulas and labeling without issuing notice to customers and are not held to the same standards as drugs to ensure that labels match product contents. For this reason, if you have a question about a supplement, we ask that you send us a photo of the ingredients list on the container you are using (because it could differ from the labeling found via online retailers). Our team will be able to tell you whether there are prohibited substances on that label or not.  

Even if the label does not contain any prohibited substances, you should know that you accept a degree of risk with the use of calming (or any other) supplements. The FDA is not testing products to guarantee safety, efficacy, quality, or even consistency in ingredients between batches. National and international authorities have investigated cases of positive tests that traced back to supplements whose labels did not warn users that they contained prohibited drugs.   

We’ve received feedback from practicing veterinarians that they’re concerned about the amount of supplements some of their patients are on. Because supplements are not FDA-approved, there is a wide range of standards between manufacturers for research into supplement ingredients to determine if they are safe or effective for horses. We urge members to consult with their veterinarian before starting their horse on a supplement to determine whether it’s medically necessary or beneficial for that individual. 

Drug or Medication Questions?

email medequestrian@usef.org (monitored during regular business hours) or call 800-633-2472