Hamburg - The world governing equestrian body FEI has been careless with its doping rules which require an overhaul, its president Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein said in an interview published on Saturday.

The FEI president told German paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that she considers five-time Olympic champion Isabell Werth of Germany innocent even though she faces a ban after one of her horses tested positive for a forbidden sedative.

"This case clearly shows that the current rules are confusing as far as the role of the athlete is concerned. We have no clear distinction between doping and medication. There is a lack of clarity. We must really change the rules," Princess Haya said.

The FEI boss said that the federation must deal more effectively with the medication issue.

In equestrian, doping substances are banned like in all other sports. But certain medications can be used out of competition without punishment while they are outlawed during competition.

Equestrian has seen various doping cases in recent years with Germany, one of the sport's leading nations, rocked by several incidents.

The German federation recently disbanded all its national teams over the issue, with riders only eligible for a new team if they pass a hearing before an independent panel.

The Jordanian Princess Haya said that Werth was "a typical case in which a rider was badly advised by a veterinarian." She said that Werth nonetheless faces sanctions under the current rules which have to improved in the future.

"It is too easy to escape the media pressure by pointing our finger at the athletes and say: they will be punished and we are innocent. The truth is that we must accept the responsibility for the current situation. We were careless," she said. (dpa)