Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that positive test results will be released once they go through USEF’s complete testing and disciplinary process. Overall statistics on testing locations and results will not be publicized until year’s end.

The U.S. Equestrian Federation enacted an extraordinary rule change July 1 to allow hair testing in its competitions, expanding the federation’s capacity to target dangerous substances used to calm show horses. But the federation does not plan to publicize testing details or results until the end of the competition year.

Sonja Keating, USEF’s general counsel and chief operating officer, declined to say how many horses have been tested since July 1, and at which shows regulators have been collecting hair samples, citing the need to protect testing integrity. 

“In terms of the competitions and the number of samples, that is not something that we release throughout the year, just to ensure integrity of the program,” Keating said. “But we do on an annual basis; we do publish out after the end of each competition year the competitions that were tested that year.”

USEF’s year-end annual report (see the 2024 edition here) includes information on the total number of competitions tested and samples collected. Keating said USEF officials are reviewing what additional information should be included in the 2025 report.

However, individual positive test results could become public sooner, should a sample go through the complete disciplinary process before year’s end. Under USEF’s drug-testing process, if a hair test come up positive for a prohibited substance, the responsible parties are notified and can request testing of a second, or “B” sample, by a different laboratory. If the B sample also tests positive, or if the parties waive testing of the B sample, a formal disciplinary action complaint will be filed by USEF and then a hearing committee meeting scheduled within 90 days. Following the hearing, a written decision will be issued in 30-60 days, Keating explained.

USEF has long used in-competition blood and urine testing to detect prohibited substances, but those methods offers only a limited window into a horse’s medical history. With the addition of hair testing technology, it’s possible to see months—even a year—into the chemical record contained in a horse’s mane or tail hair. 

In conjunction with establishing hair testing, USEF also released a list July 1 of the chemical substances hair testing is used to detect; it includes all barbiturates and selective androgen receptor modulators, and certain types of anti-convulsant medications.