Under USEF rules, cannabinoids are prohibited. That includes CBD, not only THC. A positive test is a rule violation.
Under FEI rules, CBD and CBDA appear on the 2026 Prohibited Substances List as Controlled Medication. That is a different category from doping, and it still means the substance must not be present in competition.
Neither of those positions is ambiguous, and neither is well known among horse owners, because the people selling equine CBD have no commercial reason to explain it.
Check with your competition's governing body about current CBD and cannabinoid rules before using any hemp product on a competition animal.
What USEF says
US Equestrian’s position dates from 2019. Since 1 September that year, horses competing under USEF rules that test positive for natural cannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids or other cannabimimetics are in violation of the relevant Drugs and Medications rule.
The important detail is that CBD is included. This is where owners get caught out. The intuitive assumption is that THC is the problem and CBD is the harmless part, which is how the human market frames it. USEF does not frame it that way, and a product being THC-free does not put you outside the rule.
USEF rules restrict certain substances in competition horses. Check the current USEF General Rules for the latest language on cannabinoids, as policies are updated periodically.
What FEI says
The FEI publishes an Equine Prohibited Substances List annually, split into Controlled Medication and Banned Substances.
On the 2026 list, Cannabidiol (CBD) and CBDA are classified as Controlled Medication, in the cannabinoids category.
Controlled Medication means a substance with legitimate therapeutic use in horses that must not be present in competition. It is treated differently from a Banned Substance in terms of consequences, but the practical instruction to a competing owner is the same: not in competition.
The FEI Prohibited Substances List is updated regularly. Check the current FEI Clean Sport documentation for the latest classification of cannabinoids before using any hemp product on a competition horse.
Why “but it is just a supplement” does not help
Three assumptions that get owners into trouble.
“It is a supplement, not a medication.” The rules concern what is detectable in the horse. How the product is marketed is not the test.
“It is THC-free, so it is fine.” Not under USEF, where CBD itself is the issue. THC-free solves a different problem, and it is the problem the marketing talks about because it is the one with a reassuring answer.
“There must be a withdrawal period.” Do not assume one, and do not rely on a figure supplied by a product seller. Detection times depend on the product, the amount, the duration of use and the individual horse, and a seller’s suggested withdrawal is not a governing body’s position. If you want a withdrawal figure, that question goes to your governing body and your vet, not to a label.
This applies to more people than think it does
A lot of owners who would not call themselves competitors are competing under rules.
Local affiliated shows. Breed association classes. Anything running under a recognised body. Pony Club and similar organisations often adopt the governing body’s medication rules.
If you are unsure whether the rules apply to you, ask your governing body directly. Do not ask a retailer, do not ask a forum, and do not assume that because your class is small the rules are not in force.
Racing and other bodies
Racing authorities have their own rules and their own lists, and they are not identical to USEF or FEI.
This page does not attempt to catalogue every body, because those lists change annually and a stale summary would be worse than none. The reliable route is your own governing body’s current published list, which is public and which they will confirm if asked.
If your horse does not compete
Then this page is not the constraint, and the rest of the equine guidance applies.
The other reasons for caution remain: no consumer pet tincture is built at a sensible strength for a 500kg animal, the published evidence in horses is limited, and there is a drug-interaction question with anything else your horse is on.
→Read nextCBD for horses → Why the dosing maths does not carry over
What to do if you have already given it
Stop, and tell your vet.
If you have a competition coming up, contact your governing body before you compete. Do not attempt to calculate a withdrawal yourself from information found online. The people who can tell you what your position is are the people who administer the rule.
Being proactive about this is treated very differently from being caught, and it is worth the awkward phone call.
Why we are telling you this
We make a CBD product for dogs and cats. We do not make an equine product and we are not selling you one on this page.
This information costs the equine CBD industry sales, which is precisely why it is hard to find. A horse owner who buys a product, uses it, and loses a class or a season because nobody mentioned the rules has been failed by everyone who took their money.
The short version
The short version
- Under USEF rules cannabinoids including CBD are prohibited, and have been since 1 September 2019.
- FEI’s 2026 list carries CBD and CBDA as Controlled Medication.
- THC-free does not solve this, because CBD itself is the substance at issue under USEF.
- Do not trust a withdrawal period supplied by a product seller.
- Local and affiliated classes usually run under the same rules. Ask your governing body.
- Rules are republished annually. Check the current list rather than any summary, including this one.