The purpose of this position paper is for FEEVA to advocate for principles founded on safeguarding the welfare of competition horses when being medicated for chronic conditions. ‘Competition horse’ is defined here as ‘an equid used in any equestrian sports or racing discipline across Europe’.
FEEVA recognises that veterinarians are subject to varying and sometimes conflicting pressures as they make decisions regarding the medicinal treatment of competition horses. Such pressures can arise from owners, clients, commercial interests and colleagues, influencing decisions made and the real-world consequences which then arise in this imperfect and ever-changing landscape. FEEVA also recognises that different laws apply and different standards are required by veterinary professional regulatory bodies in different countries across Europe; also that different rules apply for different equestrian and racing regulatory authorities. It is beyond the scope of this paper to comment on specific medicinal substances or critique the differing approaches that regulatory authorities take to their use during training or competition.
Despite but also because of the challenges facing equine veterinarians in their work, FEEVA believes that it is of value to offer support through describing ethics and welfare-focused principles that should apply to the treatment of competition horses with veterinary medicinal products.
Read the full paper HERE