Navigating the Uncharted Waters of the HISA Medication Rules

BY CLARA FENGER, DVM, PHD, DACVIM; ABELARDO MORALES-BRICENO; KIMBERLY BREWER, DVM; AND THOMAS TOBIN, MRCVS, PHD, DABT

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control Rule went into effect May 22, after legal wrangling postponed its effective date to May 1 and then HISA itself chose to extend the start date to May 22.

Most veterinarians and horsemen remain confused as to what to expect, and despite parsing the regulations over and over for the better part of a year, we are not sure either.

However, given that the safety regulations have been in effect for almost a year and some racing jurisdictions have already put very similar medication regulations in effect as well, we have put together our best thoughts as to what horsemen need to focus on going forward as we all adjust to the new regime.