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The first in-person FEI Board meeting of the year took place on 17 and 18 June at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI).
An important decision taken by the Board is the urgent rule repair to the FEI Veterinary Regulations, which has been made for equine welfare reasons, as follows:
FEI Veterinary Regulations – urgent rule repair for Equine Welfare reasons *
Emergency Board Resolution
The Board approved the he appointment of two new Executive Directors: Áine Power (IRL) as Executive Director of Sport & Games, and François Vergnol (FRA) as Executive Director of the newly formed Commercial, Marketing, and Communications Department. The dedicated press release can be consulted here.
The following paragraph will be added to the FEI Veterinary Regulations, Article 1004 ‘Prohibited Methods’, for equine welfare reasons:
“1004.4 It is strictly forbidden to use any type of substance/product inside or around the Horse’s mouth and/or tongue that may (i) imitate, induce or cause foaming; and/or (ii) coat or otherwise cover, or partially cover the bit. The prohibition excludes the use of products permitted in the FEI Tack App and the provision of permitted natural treats given in moderation. Contravening this rule will entail a Yellow Warning Card and Elimination.”
This rule will come into effect on 1 July 2025 and will replace the following provisions in the FEI Dressage Rules and FEI Para Dressage Rules:
Article 434 6.5 of the FEI Dressage Rules and Article 8431.4.4 of the FEI Para Dressage Rules which currently state:
“It is strictly forbidden to use any type of substance (like “marshmallow fluff”, shaving cream etc.) around the Horse’s mouth to imitate foaming; contravening this rule will entail a Yellow Warning Card and Elimination.”
These rules will be removed from the respective rulebooks as of 1 July 2025 and the new provision in the FEI Veterinary Regulations will apply.
* Given that this is an Emergency Board Resolution, National Federations have until 18 July 2025 to signify their disapproval by sending an email to Francisco P. Lima, Director of Governance.
The Board approved the he appointment of two new Executive Directors: Áine Power (IRL) as Executive Director of Sport & Games, and François Vergnol (FRA) as Executive Director of the newly formed Commercial, Marketing, and Communications Department. The dedicated press release can be consulted here.
The Board also approved the appointment of Alec Lochore (GBR) as Eventing course designer for the LA28 Olympic Games. A detailed press release has been published here.
The remaining key resolutions and discussion summaries are available in this wrap-up report.
The FEI Sport & Games and the Veterinary & Equine Welfare departments would like to draw your attention to the application deadline to host FEI Transfer Up or CES (FEI Competency-based Evaluation System) Maintenance Courses in 2026.
We kindly ask you to download the relevant application and budget forms, which can be accessed via the links provided below, and to send them to the FEI via the corresponding email address also provided below, no later than 31 July 2025.
Should you have any questions regarding the administration of our courses, please contact the relevant FEI Discipline or Veterinary & Equine Welfare Department who will be able to assist you.
As previously communicated, the following positions are open for candidacy in 2025:
The deadline to submit applications for these open positions is 1 May 2025 at 23:59 CEST. Applications must be sent to elections&appointments@fei.org.
New: A position for Medical Committee Member has recently been added. The deadline to submit a candidacy for this role is 31 August 2025 at 23:59 CEST.
The complete list of open positions, including job specifications, deadlines, timelines, and candidate requirements, is available here on inside.FEI.org.
For any questions, please contact FEI Director Governance & Institutional Affairs Francisco P. Lima at francisco.lima@fei.org.
The FEI Veterinary Department would like to inform you of a number of recent Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in Slovakia and Hungary.
While horses cannot be infected or ill from FMD, these outbreaks may still affect horse transportation due to movement restrictions and biosecurity measures.
You will find all the necessary information at the following link, to help you stay informed and take the necessary precautions.
We thank you for your support in observing these control measures and remain available should you have any questions.
Further to the launch of the new FEI approved LockCon sampling kits last year, we would like to inform you of a few important changes to the ordering EADCM sampling equipment.
The paper order forms that are currently in use will be discontinued and replaced with an online ordering system later this week. The cost of sampling equipment for FEI events is funded by the FEI and the new system will allow the Veterinary Department to track orders and manage the funding more effectively.
Please kindly be aware that Testing Veterinarians, Veterinary Delegates or Endurance Official Veterinarians are responsible for providing the FEI approved EADCM sampling equipment to FEI events. This responsibility does not fall with OCs, VSMs or NFs and therefore the new ordering system is limited to only those who are actively involved with EADCM sample collection.
National Federations are obliged by the Veterinary Regulations to maintain a small stock of sampling equipment. We would like to request that your National Head Veterinarian place orders on your NF’s behalf, where required, to align with the EADCM testing plans for events held by your NF.
Thank you for your support with the FEI’s EADCM programme and please feel free to contact us on veterinary@fei.org should you have any questions.
As you know, starting from 1 May 2025, the tightness of nosebands at FEI Events across all FEI Disciplines will be controlled using the FEI Measuring Device.
With the implementation day fast approaching, please be informed that as a priority, all active FEI Stewards will receive one FEI Measuring Device free of charge.
We kindly request your assistance in distributing the devices to your active FEI Stewards. The FEI will start sending packages to the National Federations in the upcoming week with a list of your FEI Stewards who are active and fulfil the requirements to officiate at FEI Events.
We will provide further information to the broader equestrian community on how to purchase the FEI Measuring Device.
We thank you for your vital support on this important project.
We are pleased to announce the upcoming launch of the Equine Influenza vaccination module on the FEI HorseApp, which will be available to all users as of 3 February 2025.
Following the approval of the FEI Veterinary Regulations 2025 at the FEI General Assembly in Abu Dhabi on 13 November 2024, the new module will align with the modification of the regulations. It will allow the registration of equine influenza vaccination details on the FEI HorseApp for all FEI Horses.
OVERVIEW OF THE VACCINATION PROCESS AND MODULE FEATURES
The equine influenza vaccination module on the FEI HorseApp will enable vaccination details to be recorded in a fully digital format, in addition to being recorded in the Horse’s Passport.
WHO CAN USE THE VACCINATION MODULE ON THE FEI HORSEAPP?
Find further information about the use of the FEI HorseApp, with a dedicated section for each user, on Inside.FEI.org.
TIMELINE FOR ROLLOUT
03 February 2025:
February to December 2025:
Historical vaccination details will be progressively entered on the FEI HorseApp through different ways:
COMMUNICATION WITH ATHLETES
The FEI will contact all Athletes already registered for 2025 to inform them about this new requirement. However, we encourage you, as National Federations, to share this important update with your Athletes. We will continue to inform newly registered Athletes throughout the year.
COMMUNICATION WITH VETERINARIANS
The FEI is contacting all veterinarians registered with the FEI directly. There are other practising veterinarians in your country that are not FEI Veterinarians and who will have to follow those new requirements when vaccinating Horses that are competing at FEI level. In case you have national lists of veterinarians, we would appreciate if you could share the content of this communication with them.
FURTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
To ensure that all stakeholders have all the necessary information to use the new module, we have created a dedicated page on Inside.FEI.org. This page includes:
If you have any questions or require further information about this new module, please do not hesitate to contact the Technology and Sport Services department at usersupport@fei.org.
We thank you for your collaboration.
Team changes
We have the pleasure to welcome Annick Hauser to FEI Veterinary Department, who has joined following the departure of Anne Saez. We would like to extend our gratitude to Anne for all her work and wish her every success in her future endeavours.
Changes to the Veterinary Regulations
The FEI Veterinary Regulations have undergone a minor revision this year and we would like to make you aware of some significant changes.
At the Examination on Arrival, all horses participating in FEI Eventing and Driving events (both indoor and outdoor), will have to undergo a clinical examination to assess their heart at the Examination on Arrival. The purpose of this examination is to check the heart rate and heart rhythm to identify any issues that could be a problem for a good tolerance of exercise.
With respect to the administration of medication, it is no longer possible to treat horses until 10:00h on the day on which they are to compete, where their class starts after 18:00h. Furthermore, the administration of infusions or injections of vitamins and/or minerals are prohibited during the Period of the Event, unless in the event of an emergency where their use is to be supported using a Veterinary Form A.
We encourage you to become familiar with the remaining changes in preparation for FEI Events next year. The clean and marked-up versions of the 2025 Veterinary Regulations may be found here.
Clean Sport
Sampling kits
Official Veterinarians and Testing Veterinarians are reminded that from 1 January 2025 Berlinger and Australian Racing sampling kits will no longer be permitted for use at FEI events. FEI-branded LockCon sampling kits will be the only sampling kits approved for use at FEI events.
Instructions on how to use the LockCon sampling kits may be found in the Testing Veterinarians’ Manual, located Resources section of the FEI website, here. Please note it is necessary to log into the website using your FEI ID to access the information.
We would like to take this opportunity to request vigilance regarding the disposal of needles used to take EADCM samples. Please dispose of them into an appropriate sharps container immediately after use and refrain from sending them to the laboratory with the samples.
New Detection Times
We are pleased to inform you that the FEI List of Detection Times has been expanded. Detection times for acepromazine, clodronic acid and xylazine are now included and the new list can be found here.
Equine Prohibited Substances List (EPSL)
In preparation of 2026 EPSL, we invite you to submit any suggestions for change which would be considered by the FEI List Group during 2025. Suggestions for change are to be submitted before 1 February 2025, using the dedicated FEI Prohibited List Suggestions Form which can be found here.
Updates to the Veterinary Reports & Testing Veterinarian Reports
Please note that changes have been implemented in the Online Reports, namely:
Please note that the changes are effective immediately for all reports loaded from this date. Forms that have been loaded before today will remain on the old version.
CES Online Assessment & Education System
We would like to remind all Officiating Veterinarians that the CES Online Assessment, which is one of the three requirements for status maintenance, is accessible online during the entire Maintenance Year, from 16 December and until 15 December 2025. It must be taken and “passed” to officiate after 31 March. If not, the function will be placed ON HOLD, until the CES Online Assessment is taken and “passed”. Please refer FEI Database to check your own profile and to the Education System for FEI Veterinarians the for the requirements to maintain your status as FEI Veterinarian.
The FEI Board held a teleconference on 27 August.
Veterinary
Proposed Changes to the Equine Prohibited Substances List
The Board approved the proposed changes to the Equine Prohibited Substance List (EPSL).
The changes to the EPSL will come into effect on 1 January 2025 and will be published here three months before at the latest.
FEI PERMITTED TREATING VETERINARIANS & FEI OFFICIAL VETERINARIANS
FEI Permitted Treating Veterinarian’s status
The FEI would like to clarify the legal standing of the Permitted Treating Veterinarian’s (PTV) status.
The PTV status allows veterinarians to work at FEI events to satisfy the FEI Rules and Regulations. The PTV status does not override any national legislation where a licence to practice veterinary medicine is required.
If a PTV attends an FEI event in a country other than where they are a licensed veterinarian, they must obtain a temporary or permanent license to practice veterinary medicine, if such legislation is in place. This requirement is in addition to holding the PTV status.
In some countries this requirement may also be applicable to Official Veterinarians carrying out their duties at events, even though they are not treating horses.
If you are attending an event and don’t know if you require a veterinary licence, we encourage you to contact the Veterinary Services Manager of the event or the relevant National Head Veterinarian.
Recording of Equine Influenza Vaccinations
Many horses will have been vaccinated against equine influenza before acquiring an FEI Recognition Card and their vaccinations will have been recorded in the horse’s national passport. In such cases, we advise that the vaccinations continue to be recorded in the horse’s passport.
When there are no more pages remaining, veterinarians may then continue recording vaccinations in the vaccinations section of the horse’s FEI Recognition Card, in line with Veterinary Regulations, Article 1002.7. We anticipate that this will facilitate the record keeping of long vaccination histories without the inconvenience of requesting duplicate national passports.
Testing Veterinarians selection process and status
The FEI Veterinary Department would like to clarify the Testing Veterinarians selection process. Please note that the number of Testing Veterinarians required per National Federation is determined by the FEI Testing Plan. Any FEI Veterinarian may attend the Testing Veterinarian Transfer-Up Course to increase their knowledge of EADCM sample collection. Please kindly be aware that only candidates formally invited by the FEI Veterinary Department will be asked to take the practical exam and undergo mentoring in order to be listed as FEI Testing Veterinarian.
FEI HorseApp – Offline Mode
We know that in certain parts of the world, or at certain Events, the internet coverage is not sufficient making it challenging for you to use the FEI HorseApp correctly.
We are therefore pleased to announce that an “Offline Mode” has now been launched. This will allow you to use the FEI HorseApp to perform the Examination on Arrival without an internet connection at the time of the Horse’s arrival. The relevant information will then be synchronised to the FEI Database at a later stage when an internet connection has been established.
In order to benefit from the FEI HorseApp offline, you must first ensure that you have the latest version of the FEI HorseApp and open the App prior to the Event while you have a secure internet connection. You will see that the offline database will download to your device. You can then use the FEI HorseApp as normal to perform the Examinations on Arrival. We suggest you do this prior to any FEI Event where you suspect you might have limited internet coverage.
Please click here for a step-by-step guideline on how to use the FEI HorseApp offline.
If you need any assistance or have any questions regarding the FEI HorseApp, please contact usersupport@fei.org.
Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication (EADCM) Sampling Kits
Further to the introduction of the new LockCon sampling kits, we would like to advise on the correct version of the kits.
Only the FEI branded LockCon kits are to be used for taking EADCM samples from horses at FEI events. They are the only FEI approved LockCon kits with respect to the Veterinary Regulations, Article 1071.1.
LockCon kits that do not carry the FEI brand are not approved by the FEI and must not be used for EADCM sampling. Use of non-approved sampling kits for EADCM sampling may invalidate the entire sampling process and complicate work at the FEI laboratories.
Please could we therefore request your vigilance in using the correct version of the sampling kits.
Online networking
We have been made aware that a number of FEI Veterinarians have been invited to join an online networking website. The invitation cites that the FEI has shared information about individuals’ experience with the company. We would like to clarify that the FEI was not previously aware of the company in question and can reassure all FEI Veterinarians that no information has been shared with third parties.
Contact
If you have any questions or require support on any veterinary matters, please feel free to contact us on veterinary@fei.org.
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