2016 EC Equine Welfare & Medications Rule Changes

The health and welfare of horses and ponies at Equine Canada (EC) competitions is of utmost importance. EC advises all competitors, owners, parents, coaches and interested parties to review the rules pertaining to equine welfare and medications prior to the start of their competition season.

All EC rule books are amended on an annual basis, and can be found on the EC website. The equine welfare and medications updates for 2016 are highlighted below:

Adverse Medication Reactions (A517.3 k)
Any horse exhibiting adverse reactions to medication or staggering and/or falling down must be withdrawn for a minimum of 24 hours and may be subject to medication control. The horse must be examined by a veterinarian prior to returning to competition.

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Shockwave Therapy (A517.3 l)
Any horse that receives shockwave therapy is not eligible to compete for 96 hours. If Shockwave therapy is administered on the competition grounds, it may only be performed by a veterinarian, and the shockwave therapy form must be completed and submitted.

Vaccinations (A603.2 f)
Competition organizers of EC sanctioned competitions must not require vaccinations for Influenza and/or Equine Herpes Virus more frequently than twice a year.

EC Medication Control (A1003)

Firocoxib
Firocoxib has been added to the list of permitted medications. Please refer to article 1003.3 d) for administration restrictions.

Altrenogest
The use of altrenogest is only permitted in mares or fillies.

Withdrawal Times
A new version of the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency Elimination Guidelines has been published for 2016.

The elimination guidelines for anabolic steroids and isoxuprine have been removed, but these medications remain as prohibited substances. Please consult with your veterinarian for appropriate elimination guidelines.

Elimination guidelines for several medications have been modified. Please consult the CPMA memorandum for further details.

Feed Contamination
EC wishes to inform its membership that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has published a list of commercial feed facilities enrolled in the Ractopamine-Free Pork Certification Program. These facilities, designated as Type A, manufacture, handle and/or distribute only feeds that do not contain ractopamine. Please refer to the Equine Medication Control section of the EC website for additional details.

Review the Rules
All EC rules are available on the EC website. Please refer to the article number for specific rules change. It is the responsibility of the horse owner, competitor, coach and person responsible to know and thoroughly understand the rules listed in the General Regulations and in the rule book governing their specific discipline. We wish you a safe and successful 2016 competition season!