Earlier this fall, US Equestrian began the rollout of a video series about our Horse Welfare Guidelines. In these videos, Chief of Sport David O’Connor and veterinary chiropractor and osteopath Dr. Christin Flynn explained the stoplight concept for interactions between horses and people, giving viewers specific examples of horse and human behaviors to watch for when trying to decide whether a situation is horse friendly (green), cautionary (yellow), or in need of intervention (red).

Now, we’re helping people understand what happens if they witness a red zone situation and report it. How do USEF rules address horse welfare? How can licensed officials at a horse show respond to red zone activity? What does our regulatory and investigative team do when they receive a report? What if someone is reporting an incident that happens outside of competition?

In this video, Carly Weilminster asks David and US Equestrian General Counsel and COO Sonja Keating to break down the organization’s horse welfare rules, the reporting process, and potential penalties for horse welfare rule violations. In this one, Sonja and Integrity Unit Investigator John Lathrop talk about what makes an actionable report, what the investigation process is when a report is received, and how reports are resolved. 

For more information about the USEF’s Horse Welfare Guidelines, including links to this video series and a PowerPoint overview of the program, visit our Protecting Horses page here.