Chapter 35: Ontario Standardbred Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH) Program

Last Updated: 
2020-03-02

35.01  All AGCO licensed owners, trainers, assistant trainers and veterinarians may complete an EIPH Program - Add or Remove Horse (Ordinarily Competing in Ontario) Submission in order to place a horse on the EIPH Program. Such submissions shall contain certification by an AGCO licensed veterinarian to the effect that the horse has displayed symptoms of EIPH or that through consultation with the trainer or owner, it is in the horse’s best interest to be placed on the EIPH Program. 

For a horse not ordinarily competing in Ontario that has past performance lines showing that for the horse’s last start in a foreign jurisdiction the horse competed on furosemide, they will be placed on the EIPH Program. Those who do not want their horses to be on the EIPH Program are required to complete an EIPH Program - Horse Opt-Out (Shipping in to Compete in Ontario) Submission to opt-out of the program. This submission may be submitted by the owners, trainer, or assistant trainers of the horse, and is only applicable to a horse that is being shipped in from other jurisdictions and has not been enrolled in the EIPH Program prior to the time of entry of the subject race.  This submission must be submitted to AGCO by time of entry.

For a horse not ordinarily competing in Ontario that does not have past performance lines showing that for the horse’s last start in a foreign jurisdiction the horse competed on furosemide, the Registrar, by time of entry, must receive a regulatory submission with documentation certifying that the horse has qualified for the EIPH Program in the jurisdiction in which it is enrolled.  Notwithstanding the above, the Judges may accept an entry provided the documentation from the foreign jurisdiction is filed and accepted by the Stewards, four and one half (4 ½) hours before post time of the race for which the horse is entered.

35.01.02  Deleted.

35.02  To be valid, the EIPH Program – Add or Remove Horse (Ordinarily Competing in Ontario) Submission must be provided to the Commission:

  1. within 30 days of the veterinary consultation, observation or examination having taken place; and
  2. submitted by time of entry.

The day the consultation, observation or examination took place shall be the horse’s first day on the EIPH list and the horse will be eligible to race 14 days thereafter for the EIPH Program – Add Horse (Ordinarily Competing in Ontario) Submission.

Notwithstanding the above, the Judges may accept an entry provided any required documentation is filed with and accepted by the Judges, four and one half (4 ½) hours before post time of the race for which the horse is entered.

35.02.01  Deleted.

35.02.02  Deleted.

35.02.03  Deleted.

35.02.04 Deleted.

35.02.05  Deleted.

35.02.06  Deleted.

35.03  No horse is accepted to the EIPH Program until the Commission has confirmed the horse has been placed on the program.

35.04  The status of all horses enrolled in the EIPH Program must be declared on the entry form at the time of entry.

35.05  Any horse that is declared as eligible (hereinafter called “certified horse”) to receive furosemide on the entry form must have, in fact, been accepted to the EIPH Program at the time of such declaration. Any licensee who falsely declares that the horse has been enrolled in the EIPH Program when such horse is not a certified horse shall be deemed to have violated these rules by such false declaration .

35.06  EIPH horses shipping in from a foreign jurisdiction wishing to compete in Ontario using furosemide must be acceptable to the EIPH Program and it shall be a violation to falsely declare that the horse is acceptable to be enrolled in the EIPH Program.

35.07  Any certified horse must be presented by the owner or trainer, or his or her duly licensed representative at a retention facility at the track where the horse is racing on that occasion at least four hours and fifteen minutes prior to the post time as published on the overnight sheet of the race in question and shall remain there until medicated with the correct dosage of furosemide. Any certified horse that does not receive furosemide no earlier than four hours and fifteen minutes and no later than three hours and forty-five minutes before the published post time for the race in which it is entered to compete shall be automatically scratched.

35.07.01  Deleted.

35.07.02  Deleted.

35.07.03  Deleted.

35.07.04  Deleted.

35.07.05  Deleted.

35.07.06  Deleted.

35.07.07  Deleted.

35.08  The certified horse must be medicated with the a dosage of furosemide which is no less than 150 mg and no more than 250 mg intravenously by the designated EIPH Program technician or EIPH Program veterinarian (or, in the presence of that designated technician or veterinarian, by an AGCO licensed veterinarian who shall use only furosemide, syringes and needles supplied by the designated technician or veterinarian).

35.09 In the event that an owner or trainer, as the case may be, has failed to assure that the certified horse was medicated, the owner or trainer shall be in violation of these rules.

35.10  Any trainer of a horse that has been certified to receive furosemide in accordance with the provisions of the EIPH Program, who fails or refuses, without reasonable justification, to have the certified horse injected with furosemide within the time limited in accordance with the provisions of the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations under the Criminal Code (Canada) and these rules for any race in which the horse is programmed to start shall be deemed to have committed a breach of these rules.

35.11.00 A horse that bleeds from the nostrils (epistaxis) in a race in Ontario, or that is observed by the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian bleeding from the nostrils within an hour of a race for the first time within a 365 day period will be placed on the Bleeder List. It will also be suspended for 14 days from the date of the race in which it bled.

35.11.01 If a horse bleeds from the nostrils (epistaxis) in a race, or is observed by the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian bleeding from the nostrils (epistaxis) within an hour of a race for the second time within a 365 day period, it will be placed on the Bleeder List. It will also be suspended for 90 days from the date of the race in which it bled for the second time.

35.11.02 02 If a horse bleeds from the nostrils (epistaxis) in a race, or is observed by the Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian bleeding from the nostrils within an hour of a race for the third time within a 365 day period it will be placed on the Bleeder List. It will also be suspended for 365 days from racing from the date of the race in which it bled for the third time.

35.11.03 In the event that a horse bleeds from its nostrils in violation of rules 35.11.00 – 36.11.02, the owner/trainer has the option to have the horse examined with a flexible endoscope by a veterinarian licensed by the Commission. The horse must be examined within two hours of the race in question. If the veterinarian certifies to the Judges, that on bronchoscopic examination there was no blood in the trachea or bronchi, the Judges may waive the provisions of 35.11.00 – 35.11.02.

35.12  A certified horse must remain on the EIPH Program for 100 days calculated from the date of its initial or most recent certification, regardless of any change of owner or trainer. For any horse on an EIPH Program in another Canadian province, where the AGCO can confirm the exact date the horse was duly registered on their program, that date shall be used to calculate the 100 days.

35.12.01 After being on the EIPH Program for at least 100 days, such horse may be removed from the EIPH Program after completing an EIPH Program –Add or Remove Horse (Ordinarily Competing in Ontario) Submission. After the AGCO has confirmed that the horse has been removed from the EIPH Program, the horse shall be eligible to be entered to race without being treated with furosemide prior to racing. If such horse bleeds, it may be readmitted to the EIPH Program upon completing an EIPH Program - Add or Remove Horse (Ordinarily Competing in Ontario) Submission.

35.13 Each racing association is responsible for ensuring that a horse’s status with respect to the EIPH Program is provided in the race program.