The Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Integrity Department has received information indicating the potential use of “Formalin” (formaldehyde) within the industry as an attempt to address Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH) in standardbreds. Some participants may mistakenly believe that this practice prevents bleeding, based upon misinformation from a historical article, a claim that has since been scientifically disproven.
Formaldehyde is a colourless liquid with a pungent odour, known to be toxic and potentially carcinogenic when administered by injection, raising serious welfare concerns for horses.
Intravenous administration can cause severe clinical signs in horses, including long-lasting damage to the liver and other organs.
Formalin (formaldehyde) is primarily used as a disinfectant and as a fixative for pathological tissue samples. It has no legitimate use in living tissues. Injectable products containing formaldehyde are banned in racing, for both in-competition and out-of-competition purposes.
Participants are strongly warned against purchasing or using any product or substance without a label clearly listing all active ingredients. Products should not be purchased or used without seeking appropriate veterinary guidance to ensure they are necessary, legally registered, correctly labelled and prescribed in compliance with the law.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is the Australian government authority responsible for the assessment and registration of pesticides and veterinary medicines.
The APVMA have a publicly available database which can be used to check whether products that claim to be veterinary products are registered. It can be found here: https://portal.apvma.gov.au/pubcris
HRV Integrity reminds licensees of the following applicable Australian Harness Racing Rule concerning unregistered substances:
Unregistered Substances
194. A person who:
(a) Procures or attempts to procure;
(b) Has in his possession or on his premises or under his control;
(c) Administers or attempts to administer;
any substance or preparation that is not registered, labelled, prescribed or obtained in compliance with relevant State and Commonwealth legislation is guilty of an offence.
In addition to consulting with a veterinarian, participants may also contact the APVMA directly or the HRV Integrity Department regarding any queries they have regarding a particular product or substance.
Contacts For HRV Integrity
HRV Stewards - Phone - 03 8378 0222
HRV Stewards Outside Business Hours - Phone - 9214 0650
Integrity Hotline - Phone - 03 9214 0651 or Email - integrity@hrv.org.au
Integrity Matters - Email - integritymatters@hrv.org.au
