Kentucky horsemen March 14 received an overview of impending equine medication changes along with a few tips to avoid headaches when the new regulations take effect later in the spring.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) plans to adopt the national model uniform drug rules already in place in a few states. The rules include threshold testing levels and withdrawal times for 24 legal therapeutic medications commonly used by horsemen.

Kentucky, however, also has opted to provide "guidance" to horsemen on about 30 other substances and their withdrawal times. Policy on such substances differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

"It's not a matter of 24 medications and nothing else," said Mary Scollay, DVM, equine medical director for the KHRC. "We will have uniformity on the 24 substances, but for other substances guidance will continue to be available