The ARB has decided to introduce a new Rule to establish an 8 Clear Day stand down time for intra-articulate steroids covering official trials and races.
Although corticosteroids are a perfectly legitimate therapeutic medication, there is the potential for increased risk of breakdown injury in horses injected with corticosteroids into their joints. The welfare and safety of both horse and rider are increasingly called into account as there is emerging data linking the injudicious use of intra-articular corticosteroids to breakdowns.
Moreover, current laboratory techniques may be insufficient to control intra-articular corticosteroids as only very low levels can be found – if at all – in blood and urine sampling post-administration.
New Rule AR.64M
“64M. A horse that has been subjected to an intra-articular administration of a corticosteroid preparation, whether the preparation is administered alone or in combination with other preparations, is ineligible to participate in any race, official trial or jumpout at any time during the 8 Clear Days (as defined in AR.1) following midnight on the day of the administration.
Note: For the purpose of AR.64M and by way of example, if a horse was subjected to an intra-articular administration at any time on a Monday (1st day of month), that horse would be ineligible to race until the Wednesday in the following week (10th day of month).”
Date of effect: 1st August, 2014