HFL provides drug testing services to reassure the prospective buyer of a horse, whether a thoroughbred at auction or a private purchase. The following groups of drugs can be requested singly or in combination:

• Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)
• Sedatives
• Corticosteroids 

Some examples of individual drugs tested are shown below:

• Phenylbutazone
• Flunixin
• Diclofenac
• Flufenamic Acid
• Ibuprofen
• Piroxicam
• Meloxicam
• Acepromazine
• Chlorpromazine
• Triamcinolone acetonide
• Prednisolone
• Methylprednisolone
• Fluphenazine**
• Reserpine**

Confirmatory Analysis
A suspicious screening finding can be confirmed by a second, confirmatory analysis that utilises techniques designed to identify individual prohibited substances.

This analysis produces data to withstand legal scrutiny .

Veterinary Defence Collaborative Scheme

HFL works closely with the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) to help protect veterinary surgeons from unwitting association with the sale of an animal with a suspected injury or illness that may be masked by drug treatment. Samples collected at the time when the horse is examined prior to purchase are sent to HFL for analysis or for secure storage and later analysis if required. Customised VDS sampling kits are available from your local veterinary supplier for this purpose.

Sampling kits and sample storage

Testing kits are available from our logistics team and contain all the equipment required to take a blood sample and send to HFL for storage:

After pre-purchase examination the blood sample is despatched to HFL:

• The sample is stored in a high security freezer at -20° C for a period of 6 months.
• The veterinary practise can request that the sample be tested immediately or at any time during the storage period.
• The storage cost is included in the kit.