The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Equine Prohibited Substance List for 2013, which has now been approved by the FEI Bureau, will come into force on Jan. 1, 2013.

Following a period of consultation with the National Federations, the FEI List Group held its most recent meeting during the London 2012 Paralympics and signed off changes to the prohibited substance list for 2013. The changes include the addition of five new substances and other amendments.

The changes included in the 2013 list can be viewed online and are summarized below:

• Five new controlled medication substances have been added to the list: cyclosporin, a systemic immunosuppressant; tropicamide, which affects the central nervous system and has a potential for abuse; pitcher plant preparation (sarapin), which is reputed to have analgesic properties, a potential to affect performance and its use is considered to be a welfare concern; delmadinone acetate and chlormadinone acetate, synthetic steroidal progestins that decrease testosterone concentration and have the potential to affect performance;
• Fentanyl and morphine (analgesics), both of which are currently classified as banned substances, will be moved to the controlled medication section of the list in 2013 due to their increasingly common legitimate use in equine medicine;
• Suxibuzone, which converts to phenylbutazone in the body and is currently listed as phenylbutazone, will be listed separately under controlled medications; and
• Deslorelin, which was categorized as a controlled medication substance in the 2012 list, will be removed from the 2013 list.

"The FEI List Group seeks to use the most up-to-date scientific research and information as part of its ongoing review of the prohibited substances list," said Graeme Cooke, MA, VetMB, MRCVS, FEI veterinary director. "The national federations and all the veterinarians involved in our sport are very much a part of the consultation process and all comments received on the initial suggested changes, which were first proposed in April of this year, were discussed by the List Group prior to the changes being finalized