US Equestrian continued to glean feedback from members on possible horse welfare rule changes at three town hall events in the month of September. USEF leadership and staff attended the Arabian & Half-Arabian Sport Horse Nationals, the All American Horse Classic, and participated in a brief session at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Open Forum at Split Rock Kentucky National. 

Although each breed and discipline has its own unique strengths and challenges, some things are universal. One potential change that US Equestrian staff presented at each event was the possibility of broadening the scope of suspensions for the most serious (Category III and IV) drug violations to include the horse, owner, trainer, and athlete. The goal of this change would be two-fold: to allow a horse’s system to clear a potentially dangerous or harmful substance before returning to the demands of competition, and to prevent someone from evading the consequences of a serious drug finding by transferring the horse to another ownership group or trainer. As ownership becomes more complex and training barns become larger, members have told us these switches are something they’re increasingly frustrated by. 

Response to the idea was mostly positive, with several town hall attendees praising the concept as a way to give more weighty potential consequences to the most serious drug violations. Several members voiced concerns about the possibility that owners could be suspended for medication administrations they were genuinely unaware of, or what could happen in the case of a rider leasing a horse for competition. The investigations process includes the opportunity to determine whether an owner, rider, or trainer was aware of another party administering a banned substance to a horse. US Equestrian reminds members that leases can be put on a horse’s record to make it easier for us to know who is responsible for a horse’s care and custody under the rules.  

One note that has come up at several town hall events is the role of licensed officials in rules enforcement at competitions, especially with regard to horse welfare. USEF hears and understands the frustration of members and licensed officials, and in speaking with participants at these events, leadership believes we can provide greater guidance, rule clarity, and education that members and licensed officials need. Clarifying officials’ roles and providing more robust educational resources is a priority for us going forward, as is reminding officials that all of them have liability insurance as part of their licensing.  

Additional issues and possible changes discussed included:  

• The overuse of dietary supplements for horses outside the scope of veterinary advice 

• Challenges with the financial disadvantages of last-minute competition scratches, which often happen due to acute injury 

• USEF’s policy on equine overuse, and why we opted to design a policy around the appearance of overuse for an individual, rather than trying to define how many class entries would constitute overuse across all breeds and disciplines 

• The need for stewards who have some proficiency in Spanish 

• Minimum eligibility requirements for move-ups in some levels of hunters and jumpers 

For those who have been unable to attend a horse welfare town hall this year, US Equestrian will be hosting a virtual town hall event Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. Members should look for an invitation to sign up for the event in their inboxes soon. 

We will also be hosting two webinars with David O’Connor to review the newly-released USEF Horse Welfare Guidelines. The first, designed for coaches and trainers, will be Oct. 6 at 3 p.m., and the second, designed for athletes, will be Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. The invitation to sign up for those webinars will also be emailed to members soon.