THE Federation Equestre Internationale, the international ruling body for horse sports, has made many people uneasy with its decision last week to pass its "clean sport" proposals.
The new rules allow small amounts of certain painkillers and anti-inflammatories, including phenylbutazone, in international competition.
The changes have competitors talking, with opinions evenly divided.
The final recommendations from the Clean Sport Campaign, which was led by the Ljungqvist and Stevens commissions, were presented to the 105 national federations present in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the FEI general assembly.
The vote for the campaign's definitive list of more than 1000 banned substances was overwhelmingly positive, with a vote of 90 to eight.
However, the "progressive" list, which allows the use of certain previously banned medications, was not so well received, with a vote of 53 for and 48 against.
It has been reported, but not clarified, that Britain and Ireland requested the vote be taken again, but the request was refused by FEI president Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, on the grounds that many of the delegates had already left the meeting.
It has also been reported that the equestrian federations of the US, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland were among those against the move to a progressive list.
The list allows phenylbutazone (bute), a powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, at a level of up to eight micrograms per millilitre in plasma or serum.
This is three times the level permitted in the 1980s, when the drug was banned.
The progressive list also allows salicylic acid (similar to aspirin) at up to 750mcg/ml in urine and up to 6.5 mcg/ml in plasma or serum, and several other strong medications.
Horses that return a positive test below the recommended level would be classed as clean.
Horse people agree there are many substances that are not performance enhancing, but are used for the welfare of the athletic horse who suffers nothing more than general wear and tear associated with performance.
But the uneasiness stems from the knowledge that, like it or not, drug "cheats" do exist and the problem of lame horses competing while on medication will be an issue, just as it was 30 years ago.
There is no question that equestrian sport at the Olympic Games is under a cloud.
Much of the darkness of that cloud is due to the constant positive doping tests at the past two Olympics.
The growing number of positive tests is not seen in a good light by the general public and by sponsors around the world.
The new rulings apply only in international competition, and the current rules still apply for local events.
Interestingly, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs only accounted for three of the 23 drug hearings resolved this year, with the rest mainly for substances still banned for use in horses.
The FEI position on the changes to the rulings is euphoric, to say the least, but many of the national federations are not as happy as the governing body seems to be.
On the completion of the vote, Princess Haya said: "This is a true landmark moment in the history of our sport.
"The overwhelming support of the national federations for the Clean Sport Campaign is proof we are moving in the right direction, thanks to the incredible work done by the Ljungqvist and Stevens commissions."
Lord Stevens stated afterwards: "We said yesterday that the FEI needed to adopt these recommendations before it could be given a clean bill of health.
"They have been approved by a massive majority and now the sport can move forward."
