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Ensuring the safety of competitors and horses at US Equestrian Competitions is a top priority for the Federation. To that end, US Equestrian has produced the following tools to be used within the equestrian community to help keep horses and humans safe.   

Importance of Biosecurity

 

Everyone’s focus is to keep competition horses healthy. However, traveling and commingling horses at a competition ground is not without risk. There is no way to eliminate all risk from a competition ground, but following core biosecurity principles significantly reduce the risk of disease introduction and spread. Competition staff can reduce risk by focusing efforts on the following:

 


Equine Health and Biosecurity Responsibilities

 

To ensure equine health and healthy competition grounds, the United States Equestrian Federation has implemented the highlighted general rules listed below. For assistance with questions or concerns related to these rules contact the Equine Health team at [email protected].

  • Onsite Veterinarian Requirement - GR 1211: Every competition with rated or non-rated divisions or sections with 300 horses or greater to have an official veterinarian present onsite. (Breeds and disciplines may require lower threshold.) Competitions without a veterinarian onsite must have an agreement with veterinarian to be on call.
  • Prize List Listing of Veterinarian - GR 901: The name and phone number of veterinarian must be listed in the prize list if not known it must state where information will be posted. Competition management to provide to the federation designated veterinarian contact no less than 7 days prior to the start of the competition.
  • Written Isolation Plan - GR 845: All competitions are required to have an isolation protocol in place and submitted to steward or technical delegate prior to the start of the competition.
  • Mandatory Sick Horse Reporting- GR 845: Competitions must report within 24 hours:
    • Any horse identified to competition management as showing signs of infectious disease, 

    • Any horse placed in isolation on the competition grounds, or

    • Any horse that departs the competition grounds to receive treatment for a potentially infectious disease

 

 

Licensed Competitions COVID-19 Toolkit for Competition Organizers & Participants - updated 12/09/22

includes the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan for USEF-Licensed Competitions

Vesicular Stomatitis Outbreak Updates

Additional Resources

Additional Resources

Biosecurity Tips and Checklists

These biosecurity checklists from US Equestrian Senior Veterinarian for Equine Health and Biosecurity Dr. Katie Flynn help members know how to keep your horse healthy before, during, and after competition!

Heat Alert: US Equestrian Recommendations for Competition

This graphic, created in July 2024, is made to help participants know what to do in relation to heat. A special note - This scale is based on the sum of temperature plus relative humidity. The National Weather Service utilizes a complex formula for calculating the Heat Index. Thus, the National Weather Service's scale and this scale for heat index are not equivalent measurements.

Heat Index: US Equestrian Guidance for Competition Managers

This graphic, created in July 2024, is made to help competition managers know what to do in relation to heat. A special note - This scale is based on the sum of temperature plus relative humidity. The National Weather Service utilizes a complex formula for calculating the Heat Index. Thus, the National Weather Service's scale and this scale for heat index are not equivalent measurements.

Protect Your Horse: Fly Prevention

Dr. Katie Flynn provides her top tips on how to "Protect Your Horse: Fly Prevention".

Protect Your Horse: Premises Fly Prevention

Dr. Katie Flynn provides her top tips on how to "Protect Your Horse: Premises Fly Prevention".

Maintaining a Healthy Equine Facility

This flyer is a part of a flyer series to help US Equestrian members with cleaning and disinfecting. This graphic details the basics of routinely cleaning and disinfecting your equine facility.

4 Steps to Cleaning

This flyer is a part of a flyer series to help US Equestrian members with cleaning and disinfecting. This graphic provides the four important steps to remember when cleaning.

Cleaning vs. Disinfecting

This flyer is a part of a flyer series to help US Equestrian members with cleaning and disinfecting. This graphic details the difference between cleaning and disinfecting.

Safe and Effective Disinfectant Use

This flyer is a part of a flyer series to help US Equestrian members with cleaning and disinfecting. This graphic provide four easy tips to remember how to use disinfectant safely and effectively.

FEI Approved Safety Cup Certificates

List of FEI-Approved safety cup certificates