Proposed Rule Changes

Standard rule changes submitted by Sept. 1 will be considered by the USEF Board of Directors at their 2026 summer Mid-Year Board of Directors meeting. Standard rule changes may be proposed by USEF senior staff, committee members, Recognized Affiliate Associations, or USEF members who have been members for at least five consecutive years. 

Proposed rule changes go through an extensive review process to make sure they are enforceable, sufficiently detailed, and to gather feedback from members and stakeholders on the goal and content of the change. Most standard rule changes (those that apply to the General Rules or Breed and Discipline Chapters) have a September deadline for submission, and go through a series of revisions and comment periods that run through the following spring. 

Proposed rule changes are posted below and open for comment by USEF members, as well as USEF committees and Recognized Affiliate Associations. Rule change proposals may be amended in response to these comments and reoffered for comment. The rule change review process culminated with a period of comment from USEF councils. At the completion of the process, rule changes are sent to the USEF board for approval or disapproval.  

Here’s a timeline of the rule change review process and associated deadlines for 2025: 

Standard Rule Changes will be considered by the USEF Board of Directors at their 2026 summer Mid-Year Board of Directors meeting.

The deadlines for the submission of rule change proposals are:

1. 1. 1. 1. Changes to General Rules for USEF Committees and USEF Affiliates - September 1, 2025
         2. Changes to General Rules and Breeds/Disciplines for Members  – September 1, 2025
         3. Changes to Breeds/Disciplines for USEF Committees and USEF Affiliates - February 15, 2026

USEF Members may submit rule change proposals by logging in to their member account and using the online form.

View the Rule Changes approved by the Board of Directors during the 2025 US Equestrian Mid-Year Meeting.