I’ve looked at the USEF manual and can’t find it specifically mentioned. TIA!
You will get more answers if you ask your question o the H/J forum.
E-mail USEF and ask. They are super helpful and I’ve always gotten a very quick response.
Estrone is on the CONTROLLED List for the FEI, and is one of the few Oestrogens not in the BANNED category. Even if it isn’t explicitly on the BANNED list, it violates the spirit of the rules, which is not to give any substance, medication, or chemical to improve performance.
I use two vet practices - one is one of the top lameness vets in the area, and the other is a walking encyclopedia of remedial knowledge. Both have prescribed estrone for some of my horses - one with stifle problems, one that needed it following mesotherapy, and one that needed it following an injury to a hind leg. All three times, both vets told me that you need to stop giving it at least six weeks out from competition and that it has a month and a half of half-life. Both do not want to see their clients competing horses (eventing) while on estrone. For various reasons.
Please. Estrone does not violate the spirit of the rule anymore than shoes do.
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I politely disagree, but I value your input.
It’s my guess that estrone is controlled by the FEI because it is usually used in therapy/rehabilitation on an unsound or uncomfortable horse, particularly horses with weak or injured stifles… and people should not be showing horses that are unsound or uncomfortable.
I’ve used estrone, with some good and not so good results for my geldings – but I would not show with it. That is unethical.
Perhaps a question for one’s individual vet; both my vets feel it is unethical to show a horse on estrone: both to your competitors, and to the horse.
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For USE, the D&M guidelines make it pretty clear that they allow “therapeutic” use of a variety of meds, to the point that there are exceptions for otherwise controlled or banned substances. For instance, you can administer shockwave to the back/pelvis within a few days of competition (just not within a certain number of hours), and light sedation is allowed in conjunction with therapeutic shockwave. You need to fill out the D&M TUE form to explain why your horse might test positive for an otherwise banned sedative. But if you need a sedative to clip the horse’s ears? You’d better do it far enough out that the drug has cleared the system. That’s not “therapeutic”. Same with the rules on Dex, NSAIDs, certain corticosteroids, etc.
No, these rules do not mesh with FEI’s no-drug policies, but say an ex-FEI level jumper is now toting around a kid in the Ch/AA jumpers and needs a little help to not be uncomfortable due to some arthritic changes. Many would argue that is a good thing for the horses. It keeps more willing horses in jobs, helps give riders some schoolmasters to learn on, etc. I think proper use of estrone can fall into that category.
USE draws the ethical line for certain therapeutic substances…not all substances on the list or the mode of administration would be considered therapeutic. Would some therapeutic substances have a performance enhancing effect? Sure. The same as proper diet and conditioning and shoes and studs and bits and squishy half pads can. Of course, any of the FDA approved drugs on the prohibited list have some therapeutic effect for one condition or another, but should the horse be allowed to show on all of those? No. Part of that is indicated by the condition being treated and the potential for abuse. See above re: shockwave having a time limit.
Anyway, estrone does not appear on the USE list.
