PALMETTO, FLA — Equine Sports Council (ESC) has published its annual drug testing statistics. This data provides full transparency into testing outcomes and ESC’s clinical-based efficacy policy which targets misuse of performance enhancing or banned substances. When a horse show mandates randomized drug testing and collects the associated fee, a licensed ESC equine veterinarian attends the event to collect samples. These samples are secured and delivered directly to an ISO and RMTC accredited laboratory for confirmatory testing. 100% of the fees collected by the show are spent on drug testing for that event. Lab Certification, Technology, and Interpretation ESC partners exclusively with laboratories holding ISO/IEC 17025 certification. This designation confirms…

COLUMBIANA, ALA – Equine Sports Council (ESC) will perform random drug testing at the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship and the Mid-America Mane Event Horse Show & National Good Hands Final. To ensure fair competition and to protect equine health, ESC now utilizes advanced AI technology to streamline regulatory checks and compliance screenings. This official notice has been distributed to all ESC-registered, licensed veterinarians. To:  ESC Registered Veterinarians FROM: Equine Sports Council RE:  Controlled Medication Database Improvements Equine Sports Council’s Controlled Medication Database integrates cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence to improve how trainers, owners and their vets manage the health and welfare of our equine partners in a competition environment. Driven by…

PALMETTO, FLA — Equine Sports Council’s board appointed a three-person Controlled Medications Advisory Council (CMAC) in Q1-2026. This independent panel reviews laboratory reports from random drug testing at major events. ESC remains focused on a common-sense, efficacy approach that allows for therapeutic treatments while keeping the sport clean from performance-enhancing substances. A Quick Reference Guide of frequently prescribed medications is available to help exhibitors, trainers, and veterinarians easily navigate the Controlled Medication policy. CONTROLLED MEDICATIONS | POCKET GUIDE 1. Understanding Lab Result Interpretation ESC utilizes a three person Medical Advisory Council designed to ensure fair, unbiased evaluation of therapeutic concentration levels: 2. Available Therapeutic Options Several supportive therapies can be…

PALMETTO, FLA – Navigating the equine medicine cabinet requires a careful balance between your horse’s health and the rules of the show ring. Dexamethasone (often called “Dex”) is a highly potent corticosteroid widely utilized by veterinarians as a fast-acting therapeutic tool. When used appropriately under single therapeutic guidelines, it provides powerful anti-inflammatory benefits, effectively managing acute allergic reactions, hives, skin diseases, and severe respiratory flare-ups like equine asthma. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Under Equine Sports Council guidelines, dexamethasone is a permitted substance that does not require an official Medication Report for single therapeutic use. However, to ensure a level playing field, exhibitors must strictly adhere to a minimum 12-hour…

PALMETTO, FLA — For years, horse owners have heard the strict warning: never combine NSAIDs. Yet, the standard medical explanations don’t always click. To understand the severe health complications of mixing Bute (Phenylbutazone) and Banamine (Flunixin), it helps to look at how these drugs actually function—and how they don’t. The Misconception of Performance Enhancement The “Third Cup of Coffee” Danger Why NSAID Combinations Fails the Horse Both Bute and Banamine are non-selective NSAIDs. They chemically function via identical paths within the horse’s system by indiscriminately blocking both COX-1 and COX-2 proteins. When you give these two non-selective drugs together, they don’t provide double the pain relief. Instead, they trigger immediate…

PALMETTO, FLA — Equine Sports Council (ESC) has launched its new Controlled Medications Pocket Guide just in time for the upcoming World’s Championship Horse Show at the Kentucky State Fair and Mid-America Mane Event, home of the Good Hands Finals in October. Trainers and veterinarians competing at these premier championship events will receive copies of the new guide directly. Key Features of the Pocket Guide The ESC Medication Philosophy ESC promotes a common-sense approach to equine health. Their policy prioritizes clinical efficacy and horse welfare by permitting approved, regimen-based therapeutic treatments while strictly banning performance-enhancing drugs. ESC is available 24/7 during drug testing events to trainers and their vets. Click…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Equine Sports Council Media RelationsEmail: info@EquineSportsCouncil.orgPhone: 1-855-EQUINE1 (855-378-4631)Website: Equine Sports Council CONTROLLED MEDICATONS | MEDICATION REPORT PALMETTO, FLA — Equine Sports Council (ESC) has officially released its next-generation Controlled Medications Database. This platform integrates cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) to improve how trainers, owners, and veterinarians manage equine health in competition environments. Driven by a commitment to clear, efficacy-based welfare policies, the new system connects directly to authoritative public medical repositories, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to supply the show horse industry with real-time, science-backed research. The cornerstone of this new digital resource is its advanced cross-reference search technology. Rather than relying on guesswork or generalized…

PALMETTO, FLA. — Equine Sports Council (ESC) uses a common-sense clinical efficacy approach when sanctioning the use of controlled medications, allowing therapeutic regimens while restricting performance-enhancing substances. Our show horse population averages 12 years of age (equivalent to a 55-year-old human) and deserves to be comfortable while performing their jobs. What are not allowed are substances (or combinations thereof) considered performance-enhancing, such as sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, and certain painkillers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] At times, it may become medically necessary to treat a horse at an ESC show with a sedative to address an injury or to safely haul them into a competition. In these situations, ESC publishes withdrawal…

PALMETTO, FLA – Medication Reports are regulatory documents required when horses are treated with controlled medications to help ensure proper dosing and that withdrawal periods are observed. When there is an adverse result from a drug test and a Medication Report has been filed, it establishes the diagnosis, medication, time, and date administered, as well as the route and strength. A Medication Report filed by a licensed veterinarian provides further evidence of professional veterinary diagnosis and administration. You are never wrong to file a Med Report, and it is good practice to do so. MED REPORTS REQUIRED – When an ESC horse show elects for random drug testing to be…