Thursday, 3 October 2019: Based on the work OSAF has been carrying out in IFHA´s committees, in liaison with its peer regional regulatory bodies around the World, OSAF has circulated a series of recommendations amongst its member racecourses.

This featurs the major issues arised in the last IFHA Equine Welfare Committee last September 16th, where OSAF delegates Dr. Alberto Costa and Teresita Zambruno participated. Both IFHA and OSAF recommend the prohibition of the following practices in all member racetracks and Jockey Clubs:

• ­ Blistering and Firing ­
• Chemical castration ­
• Bleeding: Article 6C of IFHA´s International Agreement, notes the following practice as forbidden "Withdrawal, manipulation and re-infusion of homologous, heterologous, or autologous, blood products or blood cells into the circulatory system with the exception of those performed for life-saving purposes ,or the use of veterinary regenerative therapies for the treatment of musculoskeletal injury or disease". An example of the forbidden practice of bleeding would be to make an extraction of a large volume of blood in order to stimulate erythropoiesis. ­
• The use of biophosphonates in Thoroughbreds before they´re 3 ½ years old (completely forbidden in this category). ( The withdrawal time for biophosphonates in older horses is of 30 days)

OSAF works in line with IFHA´s strategic guidelines, that aim at taking the necessary commitments and measures, to work intensely to promote the welfare of the actors directly involved in horseracing (Jockeys, Thoroughbreds, trainers, stewards, amongst others)