NAF is an official supplier to the British Equestrian teams and renowned for being the leading supplement manufacturer in the UK. It is important, from riding club upwards, to understand the impact CleanSport has, as many riders assume local and national competitions do not come under FEI International rules. British Riding Club use the same rules on doping as the FEI leaving many open to problems should their horses be tested during competition.
CleanSport, therefore, applies to all competitive horse owners and not just Team GBR as testing occurs at all levels.
What is a Prohibited Substance?
This is broad definition for any substance that has a physiological effect on a horse. A 'naturally occurring prohibited substance' or NOPS is one that is either naturally present or one that occurs as a result of inadvertant cross contamination during processing prior to the ingredients arrival at the manufacturing facility. E.g. a weed growing in a crop.
NAF test every batch of product that goes through their manufacturing plant and goes above and beyond the expectations of industry accreditations and quality control.
Where does Responsibility Lie?
It is ultimately the rider's responsibility to ensure that their horse has not been given any substance that will result in a breach of the rules.
The list of prohibited substances can be found on the FEI website and is updated regularly.
How do you know who you can Trust?
Just because a product is sold in a tack shop or feed merchant does not mean that it is 'Legal' and therefore safe to compete on.
There are accreditations that you can look for and buying supplements from trusted brands, such as NAF, Equine America and Science Supplements etc. The brand should be a registered feed business operator (FBO).
Feed supplements and applications are closely monitored and regulated by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), Food Standards Agency and even the Advertising Standards Agency, but it is not illegal to place ingredients not suitable for competition in a product - the best example of this is Valerian.
Always look at the label, which most contain certain information:
- analytical constituents
- ingredients
- batch number and test date
- tamper proof seal
All claims that are made on advertising material and on labels must be backed up with scientific evidence.
Other schemes that can help you to determine if a feed/supplement is 'safe' includes:
- Universal Feed Assurance Scheme (UFAS) of which NAF was one of the first feed manufacturers to meet these stringent standards.
- NOPS
What can you do?
Once you have made your purchases keep the feed/supplement in a safe, secure container to keep the contents free from rodents and potential contamination.
Make sure that stirrers are not used for mixing feeds that are not safe for competition.
Keep feed aware from coffee and chocolate - both of which contained prohibited substances
NAF supply a 'feed and supplement log book' and if you would like a copy sent with your order please let us know via email or phone.
