The New York State Racing and Wagering Board clarified July 28 that horses are banned from being entered in races if they have received hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment within one week of post time. The therapy is permitted otherwise.

The directive, explained in a release, clarifies existing state rules and is endorsed by the New York Racing Association, the Wagering Board said. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers are used by some trainers to accelerate healing in a horse that has been injured or has an infection.

“If a horse needs hyperbaric oxygen therapy to get from the starting gate to the finish line, it shouldn’t be in the race,” Board chairman John Sabini said in a statement. “Purified oxygen does not exist naturally in a horse. We are clarifying now that these types of treatments are in the same category we reserve for equine drugs.

“We are very concerned that, within a certain window, these treatments could give a horse an unfair advantage in a race while jeopardizing the horse’s health,” Sabini said