As the US Equestrian Human and Equine Safety and Welfare Committee sat down in person this spring to evaluate their priorities for the next two years, they knew they wanted to focus their efforts on having a meaningful impact. They’ve created a priority list based on group discussions and member inquiries, and as it continues its work, the Committee wants to involve membership and other stakeholders to gather feedback to guide their priorities.
“The committee wants to involve members and trainers at all levels to develop best practices,” said Katlynn Wilbers, USEF Director of Competition Operations and committee liaison. “We want to hear from you about what you think they should focus on.”
The Committee regularly assesses the Federation’s rules and best practices to protect athlete and equine safety and welfare at USEF-licensed competitions, to the extent we can. They also review all circumstances of injuries to determine if steps need to be taken to eliminate or mitigate such injuries. The Committee is newly chaired by Dr. Todd Fruchterman, who is a physician and innovator in medical technology. Three additional committee members come from the medical field: Dr. Cindy Lin, Dr. Mark Hart, and Dr. Michele Hollis; three other members come from the veterinary side, including Dr. Emily Sandler-Burtness, Dr. Duncan Peters, and Dr. Martha Mischeff, and Caroline Weeden lends her expertise as a hunter/jumper trainer and competitor. All committee members are involved at various levels within the equine industry.
Some of the Committee’s priorities are related to rules, such as making recommendations on the definition of qualified medical personnel at a competition and creating a resource for the qualified medical personnel to use when evaluating whether a participant is fit to remount after a fall. This remount assessment will remove subjectivity when it comes to deciding whether to allow the participant to continue competing and brings the sport of equestrian into alignment with other sports.
“We recognize that that there is sometimes a culture in equestrian sports of ‘get right back on the horse’ when people fall off,” said Wilbers. “While in many cases it’s safe to do so, performing a quick assessment of an individual at events following particular types of falls, will help to ensure it is safe to remount.”
Another priority is evaluating the current helmet rules, and the Committee is recommending to the USEF Board of Directors that USEF align with the FEI list of accepted international testing standards for protective headgear. This recommendation will be considered at the USEF Mid-Year Meeting next month, following a presentation by Dr. Stephanie Bonin. Dr. Bonin is a Principal and Senior Biomechanical Engineer at MEA Forensic Engineers & Scientists, an Adjunct Pin the University of Kentucky’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, and a life-long equestrian. Dr. Bonin serves on the ASTM International Committee on Helmets and Headgear and has chaired the ASTM Equestrian Helmet Task Group since 2019, helping advance evidence-based testing methods for rider head protection. She also serves on the FEI Equestrian Safety Vest Working Group.
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, the FEI implemented an updated list of accepted standards and beginning next year, will start phasing out outdated ones as part of an ongoing effort to provide athletes with better protection from head injuries. There are several testing standards for equestrian helmets, and their specifications are updated periodically. The FEI’s guidance focuses on international testing standards rather than a helmet’s brand or model. While USEF cannot guarantee a helmet will protect a rider from a serious injury, we want to ensure we keep pace with technology improvements that provide the safest protection for riders. (The current USEF-accepted standards can be found here.)
Safety vests, which include air vests and body protectors, are another form of personal protective equipment that have been a hot topic for the Committee. In April, US Equestrian committed $100,000 towards an ongoing international research effort into vests. This research is spearheaded by the FEI Equestrian Safety Vest Working Group, which is chaired by Dr. Mark Hart and is supported by a variety of national and international governing bodies, affiliates, and private donors. The multi-step project focuses on analyzing injuries and falls, completing motion-capture studies with human volunteers, developing models and simulations, and overseeing testing protocols. As part of its next steps, the FEI is hiring a research coordinator for the project.
Since 2024, US Equestrian has recorded all horse and rider falls from competition results at USEF-licensed competitions across all breeds and disciplines. This year, the Committee plans to release preliminary public safety statistics on falls and injuries, aiming to emphasize the importance of accurate reporting in the field. While it can take years to collect enough data to make meaningful conclusions, as we gather more information, each breed and discipline can evaluate risk factors and make changes which aim to mitigate risk and reduce falls.
Another ongoing effort is providing additional resources to equestrians with regards to heat and air quality concerns, especially as environmental factors such as extreme heat/humidity and wildfires are increasingly impactful. Their recommendations and resources are intended to be applicable to not just a horse show environment, but also at home, to help equestrians make educated decisions.
“All of these recommendations (regarding heat, air quality, safety equipment, etc.) are, yes, designed around licensed competitions, but we recognize that most riding time happens at home,” said Wilbers. “So, these recommendations need to be equally useful and actionable to people who aren’t at a competition. We feel that guidance on some of these safety issues is a service we can offer to the membership.”
The committee remains committed to receiving participant feedback. If you have any questions or concerns you’d like the group to consider, please feel free to email [email protected].