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Become a Member
  1. Home
  2. Frequently Asked Questions
  3. FAQ: U.S. Center for SafeSport Training

FAQ: U.S. Center for SafeSport Training

1. Where can I locate the required SafeSport Training? How long does it take?

The required SafeSport Training is located within the USEF website and is free for USEF members. Anyone under 18 years of age must have parental consent to take the training. Instructions on how to register for the training can be found here. The training will take approximately 90 minutes to complete. The training does not have to be completed in one sitting; you can break it up to accommodate your schedule.

2. By what date do I have to complete the SafeSport Training?

All USEF Competing Members 18-years-old and older (based on your actual birthday) must complete the training prior to competing.

3. How do I know I have completed the required SafeSport Training?

After you have completed the training, USEF receives notification within 24 hours and it will reflect in your member dashboard as “SafeSport Training Completed.”

4. Who is required to take the SafeSport Training?

Any USEF Competing Member who is 18-years-old and older (based on your actual birthday) is required to take the SafeSport training, including amateurs, professionals, juniors who are 18-years-old and older, and owners who have an annual, three-year, or lifetime membership. Others required to take the SafeSport training include USEF licensed officials, Chefs d’Equipe, Staff, Board Members, Competition Management, Coaches, Human Physios, Farriers, Trainers, Veterinarians, and Selectors hired or contracted by USEF. The SafeSport training requirement does not apply to USEF Fan Members or USEF Competing Members under the age of 18 (based on your actual birthday).

If you have already completed the SafeSport Training on or after January 1, 2018 for another National Governing Body you are involved with, please reach out to our SafeSport Program Coordinator, Sarah Gilbert at [email protected] to ensure that completion is recorded in our system.

5. Why is the SafeSport Training a requirement of USEF Competing Members 18-years-old and older?

On February 14, 2018 the U.S. Senate signed into Federal Law, S 534, the Protecting Young Victim’s from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 which became effective immediately. The bill imposes general requirements on youth-serving amateur athletic organizations including child abuse prevention training for adult members who have regular contact with minor athletes. This requirement extends beyond USEF to all amateur sports organizations participating in interstate or international athletic competition and whose membership includes any adult who is in regular contact with minor athletes. In equestrian sports, there are no horse shows that exclude children. Therefore, it was approved by the USEF Board of Directors on August 28, 2018 to require all USEF Competing Members 18-years-old and older to complete the SafeSport Training.

6. I’m having trouble with the SafeSport Training or the USEF website. Who do I contact?

If you have a technical issue logging into the system, please call or email the U.S. Equestrian Member Services Department at 859-258-2472 or [email protected].

7. How often do I need to complete the SafeSport Training?

The required SafeSport Training needs to be completed annually. The courses are assigned on a four-year schedule, starting with the full Safe Sport Training (approximately 90 minutes), followed by three years of Safe Sport Refresher Trainings (approximately 30 minutes). 

Example:

  • Year 1: Safe Sport Training (approximately 90 minutes) 
  • Year 2: Refresher 1 (approximately 30 minutes)
  • Year 3: Refresher 2 (approximately 30 minutes)
  • Year 4: Refresher 3 (approximately 30 minutes)
  • Year 5: Safe Sport Training (approximately 90 minutes) 

8. I am a survivor of abuse and believe this training could be an emotional trigger, what do I do?

If you are a victim or a survivor of abuse and believe this training could be an emotional trigger, please contact Sarah Gilbert at [email protected], or Sonja Keating at [email protected], before accessing the SafeSport Training course.

9. What happens if I do not comply with the SafeSport Training requirement?

Those who do not complete the required SafeSport Training will be ineligible to participate in USEF activities, including competitions, and will be placed on the SafeSport Ineligibility List.

10. I don’t have access to the internet or a computer, how do I access the SafeSport Training?

The SafeSport Training can be completed on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. If none of these are available, there are a lot of public options to access computers and the internet, such as a public library, internet café, or a myriad of businesses that provide free Wi-Fi.

11. How long does it take for USEF to receive notification that someone has completed the SafeSport Training?

It can take up to 24 hours for USEF to receive notification, and for your USEF member dashboard to reflect that the SafeSport Training has been completed. At the end of completing the training, you can print a certificate that says “SafeSport Trained” for verification purposes. There is a certificate of completion after each module.

12. How will show secretaries and competition managers know if someone has taken the SafeSport Training?

Competition management and secretaries will have access to a combined Suspension and Ineligibility List in the same manner as the current Suspension List to identify those who are ineligible to compete. USEF SafeSport Training records from the U.S. Center for SafeSport automatically update to the USEF system every 24 to 48 hours. If a person appears on the SafeSport Training Ineligibility List, but has completed their training before the system updates, they can print and take a copy of the SafeSport Trained certificate to the show office to prove they are eligible to compete. 

13. Why do I have to take the SafeSport Training when I have little or no interaction with those under the age of 18?

USEF’s SafeSport Policy and the rules that govern it have been created to protect all athletes from misconduct. Recognizing the signs and behaviors associated with abuse will help all of us to prevent it. In addition, the training covers information on reporting, and under Federal Law, we all have a mandate to report any reasonable suspicion of sexual misconduct with a minor.

14. Do parents have to complete the SafeSport Training?

No. A parent signing an entry blank is not required to be a USEF Member. However, if you are a parent who is a USEF Competing Member 18-years-old and older you must complete the training.

15. Can entire barns take the SafeSport Training together?

No. Currently that option is not available.

16. If the owner of my horse has not taken the SafeSport Training, is the horse ineligible to compete?

Yes, the horse is ineligible to compete unless the horse is listed as owned by a farm. If the owner of the horse has an active USEF Competing Membership and is also 18-years-old and older, they are required to take the SafeSport Training. A horse with an owner who does not have an active USEF Competing Membership will not be eligible to accrue USEF points. A horse entered under an owner who is on the SafeSport Ineligibility List is ineligible to compete at USEF-sanctioned competitions.

17. Do Farm Members have to take Safe Sport Training?

No. Farm entities are not required to take SafeSport Training. If the owner of the farm has an active USEF Competing Membership and is 18-years-old and older, they must complete the SafeSport Training.

18. If I pay a Show Pass fee to compete at a USEF-sanctioned horse show, does this training requirement apply to me?

No. Only USEF Competing Members 18-years-old and older are required to take the SafeSport Training.

19. I am a member of another country’s National Federation and sometimes compete in the United States without USEF membership. Do I have to take the SafeSport Training?

No. Only USEF Competing Members 18-years-old and older are required to take the SafeSport Training.

20. My profession requires me to take several trainings similar to the SafeSport Training, is there an exemption for me?

No. If you are a USEF Competing Member and are 18-years-old and older, you must complete the SafeSport Training.

21. If a horse is shown and the owner has taken the SafeSport Training, but the trainer and/or rider is a USEF competing member 18-years-old and older and has not taken the SafeSport Training, will that horse's points count?

No. For the horse's points to count, the owner, as well as the exhibiting rider and/or trainer must all be compliant with the SafeSport Training requirement. 

22. If the owner, rider, and/or trainer was ineligible on the first day of the competition, but does complete the training after the competition starts, will the horse's points count?

If the ineligible owner, rider, and/or trainer completes the SafeSport Training on the first day of the competition and presents the 'SafeSport Trained' certificate to the show secretary, then they can compete and their points will count. If the SafeSport Training is completed after the first day of the competition and the 'SafeSport Trained' certificate is presented to the show secretary, they can compete, but their points will not be good. 

23. If a trainer is suspended/ineligible for something other than SafeSport Training, will the horse's points count?

No, if a trainer is suspended/ineligible for any reason, a horse's points will not count. 

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