since yestereday there’s a petition online in Germany: http://www.no-fei.com
Up to now more than 1500 people have signed, the webmaster is working on re-structuring due to the overwhelming response

Please sign there or try to set up something similar for English speaking countries! And publish it wherever possible – now it’s time to give FEI a public feedback that they never would have expected. I don’t know a single person supporting sick horses needing medical treatment to be competed. Raise your voice!

Example Phenylbutazone:
From January 1, 2010 it will be allowed to show a horse (in FEI organized competitions) with a serum concentration of 8 µg/ml. Phenylbutazone is metabolized quickly in the liver, so after oral application of a “normal” dose the serum concentration reaches approx. 2 µg/ml after 24 hrs. It increases to higher levels only after daily administration of the drug. Dawn M. Boothe writes in H. Richard Adams’ book “Veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics: “The recommended therapeutic concentration of phenylbutazone in horses is 5-20 µg/mL“ (p. 441). This means: a horse with a serum concentration of 8 µg/ml is in full therapy with phenylbutazone. From the scientific viewpoint this serum concentration is not a mere relic of a terminated medical treatment.
For more scientific information on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) please compare “Equine clinical pharmacology” (Joseph Bertone), too. Bute is mentioned on pp. 255 ff, and you can also find information on the other drugs approved by FEI now. (both books can be accessed via google)

Best regards

Ulrike from Germany