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A new category of rules referred to as Prohibited Practices has been introduced to the USEF RuleBook which will take effect December 1, 2013. The first rule to be adopted in this category iscommonly referred to as the "12 Hour Rule." It was introduced in March of 2013 by the USEF Veterinary Committee and following extensivefeedback from USEF Technical Committees, Working Groups, and from attendees at USEFTown Hall Meetings held in Florida in March, and via interactive webcast in June, the USEFBoard of Directors at their mid-year meeting approved the proposal which is printed in itsentirety here: GR 414 Prohibited Practices
1. No injectable substances may be administered to any horse or pony within 12 hours prior tocompeting, with the following three exceptions subject to paragraph 2 below: a. Therapeutic fluids, which amount must consist of a minimum of 10L of polyionic fluids; andwhich must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and guidelines. Thefluids must not be supplemented with concentrated electrolytes, such as magnesium.
b. Antibiotics. Procaine penicillin G is prohibited under this exception.
c. Dexamethasone. This is permitted only for the treatment of acute urticaria(hives). The dosemust not exceed 0.5 mg per 100lb (5.0 mg for 1000lb horse) if administered more than 6 hoursand less than 12 hours prior to entering the competition ring, and must not exceed 1.0 mg per100lb (10.0 mg for 1000lb horse) within any 24-hour period.
2. The above exceptions are permitted only when (i) the substance is administered by a licensedveterinarian and no less than six hours prior to competing; and (ii) the "Trainer" as defined underGeneral Rule 404 properly files, or causes to be properly filed, an Equine Drugs and MedicationsReport Form with the Steward/Technical Delegate or competition office representative withinone hour after the administration of the substance or one hour after the Steward/TechnicalDelegate or competition office representative returns to duty if the administration occurs at atime outside competition hours. The Steward/Technical Delegate or competition officerepresentative shall sign and record the time of receipt on the Equine Drugs and MedicationsReport Form.
In summary, there are a few bullet points to remember about this rule change.
No horses or ponies maybe injected within twelve hours of competing.
There are only three exceptions to this rule: therapeutic fluids, antibiotics, andDexamethasone (for the treatment of hives).
All excepted substances must be administered by a veterinarian and cannot beadministered to a horse or pony within six hours of competing.
There are three restricted medications that are affected by this change: Dexamethasone (Azium®) - maximum 24 hour dose has been decreased from20mg/1000lb horse to 10mg/1000lb horse and must be administered in accordance withthe new "12 Hour Rule" GR414.
Ketoprofen (Ketofen®) - maximum 24 hour dose 1.0 gram/1000lb horse remains thesame, however it must be administered no later than 12 hours prior to competition.
Methocarbamol (Robaxin®) - maximum 24 hour dose 5.0grams/1000lb horse remainsthe same, however must be administered no later than 12 hours prior to competition.
CHANGES TO FEI EQUINE PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES LIST FOR 2014
The FEI Bureau has approved changes to the FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List proposed bythe FEI List Group. The new List will become effective January 1, 2014.
The changes are summarized here and below: Two new Controlled Medication substances have been added to the List for 2014: Metformin - a potent but legitimate oral anti-diabetic drug with a potential welfare risk; Levothyroxine - an exogenous thyroid hormone replacement that could enhanceperformance; Adrenocortico-trophic hormone (ACTH)is currently classified as a Banned Substance and willbe moved to the Controlled Medication section of the 2014 List due to its therapeutic value inequine medicine.
Three previously unlisted substanceswill be added to the Banned Substances section of the 2014List, as they are considered to have a potential for abuse, or to improve athletic performance: The changes to the FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List are also accessible on the FEI CleanSport webpage. The FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database will be amended and thecomplete 2014 Equine Prohibited Substances List will be made available on the Clean Sportwebsite prior to January 1, 2014.
These changes have been noticed in accordance with FEI Rules requiring all changes to the Listto be published 90 days in advance in order to allow National Federations, athletes andveterinarians sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the revised List prior toimplementation.
The new competition year begins December 1, 2013. The USEF encourages every exhibitor,trainer, coach, and owner to take time, prior to competing, to carefully review the "Guidelines forHow Long Drugs Remain Detectable" which is included in the 2014 USEF Drugs & MedicationsGuidelines and can be accessed by clicking here or by contacting the USEF Drugs & Medication Program at [email protected]. You may also call the USEF Drugs & Medications officeat 800-633-2472 to request a copy.

Source: http://www.southeasthorseshows.com/uploads/New_12_Hour_USEF_Rule_Change.pdf