Due to ongoing instances of horses being presented to race with cobalt levels exceeding the allowable threshold, trainers are reminded of their obligations under the Australian Harness Racing Rules (AHRR) to ensure horses race free of prohibited substances.

Under the AHRR, cobalt is considered a prohibited substance if detected above:

  • 100 µg/L in an equine urine sample
  • 25 µg/L in an equine blood sample

Cobalt and Its Presence in Supplements

Cobalt is a naturally occurring trace element essential for normal physiological functions. It is present in a horse’s typical diet and in various oral and injectable vitamin and mineral supplements, as it is a core component of vitamin B12.

Despite there being no therapeutic rationale for administering injectable cobalt or vitamin B12 to healthy horses, registered supplements containing these substances remain widely used in the harness racing industry.

Trainer Advisory

Trainers should be aware that:

  • A normal daily diet is sufficient to meet a horse’s nutritional cobalt and vitamin B12 needs.
  • There are no reported cases of cobalt deficiency in horses.
  • There is no medical, nutritional, or welfare justification for administering cobalt or vitamin B12 injections to a healthy horse, except where a veterinarian prescribes vitamin B12 for a specific condition (e.g. anaemia, blood loss).
  • The simultaneous use of multiple supplements containing cobalt and/or vitamin B12 should be avoided.

Understanding Product Labels

Trainers should note that vitamin B12 may be listed as cyanocobalamin or hydroxocobalamin on supplement labels, both of which can elevate cobalt levels in a horse’s system.

Below is a list of commonly available injectable products containing these active constituents:

Products Containing Cobalt and/or Vitamin B12

  • Nature Vet (NV) V.A.M.
  • NV Vitamin B12
  • NV Tripart
  • NV COpHOS B
  • NV Folic Acid & Vitamin B12
  • NV Vitamin B Complex
  • Troy B-Complex
  • Troy Vitamin B12
  • Troy Folic-B12
  • Troy Hemoplex
  • Troy B-Phos
  • Troy Dynajec
  • Bayer Coforta
  • Value Plus Vitamin B12
  • Value Plus Folic B12
  • Richtafort Phosphorus 125 + Vitamin B12
  • Ranvet Foliphos
  • Ranvet Macrofol
  • Jurox Aminoplex
  • Jurox Enerselen
  • Amino-Lite 34x

(This list is not exhaustive.)

Trainer Responsibilities

Trainers must ensure their supplementation and feeding practices comply with the rules and do not result in breaches of cobalt thresholds. If unsure about their supplementation regime, trainers should seek advice from their veterinarian or the HRV Integrity Department.

For further information on this matter please contact the HRV Integrity Department using one of the following below:

HRV Stewards - Phone - 03 8378 0222

HRV Stewards Outside Business Hours - Phone - 03 9214 0650

Integrity Hotline - Phone - 03 9214 0651 or Email - integrity@hrv.org.au