The  FEI should also review its drug-testing protocols, improve stables security at international events and be more professional by creating paid roles for officials, Stevens said.
 

The world governing body commissioned the ethics report from Stevens after a series of allegations about the German team's use of illegal drugs and medical treatments on its horses at the Beijing Olympics last year.
 

Stevens said his proposals would "provide clarity and improve governance and compliance issues."

He said: "Everybody sees this as the biggest kind of change to this sport in its history.
 

"There was an immense willingness to sort this out.

"It has been a bitter pill to swallow, I suspect, for the governing body for us to be doing some of this work."

A confidential hot line could be created for riders and vets to check the dangers of using certain medications.

Confusion has arisen because some drugs permitted for use on horses in training are classed as doping products at competitions.

Stevens said:  "I think ignorance is a bigger problem than cheating.

"Riders and the sport deserve some clear guidelines."
 

Stevens recommended that horses competing at international level should have a log book documenting all their drug treatments.

Earlier today insidethegames revealed that Britain's Michael Whitaker (pictured) faces missing the London 2012 Olympics after one of his horses, Tackeray, tested positive for hormone altrenogest.

Whitaker claimed that the positive test happened because of a mix-up in feed buckets.
 

FEI president Princess Haya of Jordan, who has campaigned to clean up the sport and improve horse welfare after a series of drug scandals at the past two Olympics, said the organisation had to turn over a new leaf.
 

The Stevens report and a separate review of equestrian sports' drug-testing policies "both painted a picture that illustrates how negligent we have been in this area thus far, and our governing body is completely committed to rectifying the problems we now face," she said in a statement.
 

A new integrity unit, which would be outsourced and report to the FEI's ruling bureau, topped the list of Stevens' recommendations.
 

He said: "It aims to enable the FEI to be better positioned to control events, identify offenders, and monitor corruption and conflicts of interest."
 

Integrity officials would attend competitions, while other proposals include using surveillance cameras in stables at championships and top-tier events, stewards to oversee veterinarians' work and monitoring the activity of grooms more closely.
 

Stevens said: "We think there is a need for a more sophisticated and effective stable security."
 

He also urged that "a clear line should be established between trace amounts and performance enhancing [doping] levels."
 

The four-man Stevens commission included David O'Connor, the 2000 Sydney Olympics gold medalist in eventing and president of the United States federation, FEI Tribunal chairman Ken Lalo, and Britain's John Roche, the governing body's director of jumping.
 

Its report will be combined with research by the FEI's Clean Sport review led by IOC Medical Commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist.

It was created after six horses, including one ridden by Ireland's Denis Lynch, failed drug tests at the Beijing Games.

Their combined proposals will be presented to the FEI's 134 national federations at its annual Assembly in Copenhagen, scheduled for November 15-20. 


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