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Competitive sport and supplements

Particular caution with herbs and plant extracts. “Natural” does not mean “harmless” – and there is no guarantee of being “doping-free”.

Saddle pad, closed feed container and declaration sheet on a stable bench in front of an arena fence. — Explanatory illustration · Equivora

Checking supplements for competition horses

Competition horses call for particular caution. Not every natural product is automatically unproblematic: herbs, plant extracts or contamination can be relevant ¹.

No risky calming herbs without checking (e.g. valerian).
No CBD/cannabinoid products.
Caution with devil's claw and similar substances ².
Check the current ADMR/FEI rules (ADMR: anti-doping and medication rules of the FN, German Equestrian Federation) ³.
No guarantee of being “doping-free” without a robust testing concept.

Sources & studies

The content is based on the references listed below. It does not replace individual veterinary or feeding advice.

Show list of sources (4)

FEI Clean SportInternational rules on prohibited substances in equestrian sport
FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List (EPSL)International list of prohibited and controlled substances in equestrian sport (Banned Substances & Controlled Medication)
FN – Anti-Doping- und Medikamentenregeln (ADMR)Rules in German equestrian sport
Verordnung (EG) Nr. 767/2009Placing on the market and use of feed, labelling and claims; definitions of complete feed (Art. 3(2)(i)) and complementary feed (point (j)), content of feed additives (Art. 8), feeding instructions (Annex II No. 4). Link to the current EUR-Lex consolidated version (as of 26 December 2018).