If the drug capsaicin is found in any future samples from equine atheletes in International Equestrian Federation (FEI)-sanctioned events, the results will be treated as doping, not medication, according to veterinary committee chairman John McEwen in an article today (Nov. 29, 2008) at HorseAndHound.

McEwen told Horse and Hound: “Capsaicin can be used rather like Deep Heat (a topical rub), so it can be legitimately used as well as illegitimately .”

Capsaicin positives were found in five horses at the Olympics this year, with four ruled as medication use. “But there will be no arguments from now on–it has been put quite firmly into the doping category,” McEwen added.

There was a decrease in the number of positive drug-related (doping) tests in FEI events in 2007 even though more horses were tested. Despite that positive trend, after the Olympics the FEI created a commission to review medication and doping issues in top-level equine sports and report back to the FEI by spring of 2009