For decades the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has governed major international equestrian events with the objective of keeping the sport fair and drug-free–an initiative the FEI refers to as "Clean Sport." Recently, however, the FEI revamped its system and put its new Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMR) into place.

This overhaul occurred in response to riders' concerns that the anti-doping rules needed "greater clarity," according to the FEI. Most of these concerns arose after the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. FEI investigations after the Games led to anti-doping decisions and penalties that made more than a few international riders and their national federations uneasy in their saddles. So the FEI set up the Commission on Anti-Doping and Medication in November 2008 to investigate how the rules could be improved to make the system fairer for everyone. The EADCMR closely follow the model the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules established for human athletes.

The EADCMR took effect April 5 and will be just months old at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) opening. And although the world's national federations welcome the new regulations in theory, some concerns about fairness and practicality remain