Ask HIWU: Advice On Supplement Usage

With a view to pulling the veil back on the hows and whys of their operations, a representative of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority or the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) will every week answer a question of industry importance posed by the TDN.

If you have any questions you'd like to ask HISA or HIWU, please feel free to send them over to us at the following email address: danross@thetdn.com.

The following question was submitted by Kate Hunter, a U.S. representative for Japanese participants.

Q: Why won't HISA/HIWU provide official or even informal guidance when asked about what supplements are permissible and when, as well as what common medications can be used and how? When asked directly by international trainers or even U.S. local vets, no answer is provided.

   For example, this year when our U.S.-based attending vet reached out to HISA/HIWU to confirm how a common topical antibiotic could be used before a race, they were told HISA/HIWU doesn't give guidance and the vet and the trainer are responsible.

   It wasn't always like this. In 2023 when many Japanese horses came to the Breeders' Cup, we provided a list of supplements from Japan with detailed ingredient lists (most are fruits and veg and minerals) and asked for HISA/HIWU's best opinion on use. Some guidance was provided in 2023 which was greatly appreciated, most of it similar to “this is an unknown product so it must be stopped 42 hours out and used at your own risk.” But by 2024, I started getting a response that provided no guidance or help whatsoever.

   In contrast, every other international jurisdiction gives you clear guidance even on foreign products. They don't expect people visiting for one race who don't speak English to figure it out on their own. It's important that at least a trainer or vet can confidently contact the governing authority in a country and have them double check they are following the rules correctly, especially so in the U.S., where the rules have changed so much in recent years and the consequences for a rules violation is so severe.

HIWU:

HISA and HIWU recognize the importance of assisting all horsemen, whether they are based in the United States or abroad, in complying with HISA's rules when they race or train at racetracks covered by HISA. The 2023 Breeders' Cup represented the first U.S. racing event with significant international presence since the launch of the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, and we are glad that HIWU's approach to supporting international competitors with navigating the ADMC Program Rules was helpful at that time.

HIWU developed and launched an extensive educational plan through 2023 and 2024, which included an updated website, a free mobile app with a substance lookup tool, and multiple other resources. Consequently, we established a consistent initial response to inquiries about medications and supplements, which was to encourage horsemen to review these new resources when researching specific products. We also shared the most relevant content from these resources with the Breeders' Cup to distribute to horsemen as part of their pre-event materials.

That said, we regret any frustration caused by this approach and take Ms. Hunter's feedback seriously. In advance of this year's Breeders' Cup, HIWU will reach out to Ms. Hunter and other international representatives proactively to ensure that all horsemen and veterinarians feel comfortable competing under HISA's rules. We encourage other horsemen, regardless of country of origin, to reach out to us before racing in states covered by HISA if they have concerns about specific medications or dietary supplements. The more time we are given to answer questions, the more helpful we can be.

Further, HISA has just completed a new handbook that will be shared with international stakeholders to help them meet HISA's requirements.

Horsemen and veterinarians may find the following information useful when making decisions about dietary supplements and/or products manufactured outside the United States. The most important takeaway is that, since dietary supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), users do not have any way of knowing if the ingredients listed on the product labels are complete and accurate. This is why HIWU cannot endorse or approve these products, and it is up to horsemen to determine their own risk assessment when deciding whether or not to use them.

The Racing Medication & Testing Consortium (RMTC) anticipates launching RMTC CleanSport, a third-party supplement testing and certification program for equine sport, in the coming months. This program will provide an additional decision-making tool for end users of supplements if they choose to use them in their horse(s).

Foreign Medications

Medications/substances with potential therapeutic uses that are manufactured outside the United States and lack FDA approval are considered Banned Substances, even if they are approved for use in other countries. Horsemen and veterinarians are strongly advised against importing medications lacking FDA approval into the United States. HIWU's Science team can assist with reviewing specific foreign products via sciencesupport@hiwu.org.

Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements and feed products are not regulated by the FDA, and approval by a foreign regulatory body does not transfer to the ADMC Program. Thus, horsemen who compete at racetracks covered by HISA use supplements at their own risk. HIWU has published multiple resources and advisories with guidance regarding their use since the launch of the ADMC Program.

HISA and HIWU do not approve, certify, or endorse dietary supplements or other feed products as being permitted under the ADMC Program. However, HIWU's Science team is happy to help horsemen and veterinarians with reviewing dietary supplement labels to make them feel more confident in the products they select for their horses.

Anyone who has questions about a dietary supplement is welcome to reach out to sciencesupport@hiwu.org. If given reasonable notice to review the product(s), the HIWU team can confirm whether a dietary supplement label explicitly lists any Prohibited Substances. Confirmation that a supplement label does not list any Prohibited Substances should not be interpreted as a guarantee that the supplement itself does not contain Prohibited Substances, for HIWU has sent supplements for testing that came back positive for Prohibited Substances that were not listed on the label.

HIWU continually evaluates ways to best serve industry stakeholders to facilitate compliance with the ADMC Program Rules, including in relation to the use of Prohibited Substances and dietary supplements.